The live event recording for the fifth Urban Age Debates: Rationalising Shopping is released.

Over 300 participants worldwide gathered virtually for the fifth and final Urban Age Debate of the Cities in the 2020s series – Rationalising Shopping. 

The hour-long event, jointly organised by LSE Cities and the Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft, explored how the pandemic has brought about significant changes to the shopping districts of our cities. Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio; Ewa Westermark, Architect and Director at Gehl; and Andrew Murphy, Executive Director Operations at The John Lewis Partnership discussed the effects on retail of the rise in ecommerce, the potential to rethink retail place-making, ethical concerns around hyper consumerism, and the changing nature of consumer behaviors. The conversation was co-chaired by Jonathan De Mello, Retail consultant and partner at CWM, and LSE Cities Executive Director Philipp Rode. 

Live Event Recording

Key Takeaways