Name: Jas Atwal
Title: Chair of the Academy of Urbanism
What I do: I lead the board of the academy, ensuring we meet our mission to promote and create more successful, sustainable and inclusive urban places. This entails guiding and supporting the executive team and our board of senior practitioners. Our activity includes hosting a learning and knowledge sharing network with in-person and online events, awards and publications. In my day job, I am a director of the award-winning consultancy Kevin Murray Associates, where I devise strategies for community and stakeholder engagement in projects all across the UK.
Why I got into the property industry: Originally, I was on a rather different path. Having studied sociology and psychology I was always fascinated by human behaviour, societies and communities – how people interact, learn and develop norms and value systems. I thought the natural route would be in HR, so I started there, in training and development. It was a sideways move that introduced me to the development sector, and I never looked back.
How I did it: My first job in the industry was at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as the continuous professional development (CPD) officer, just as CPD and life-long professional learning was beginning to emerge. The RTPI made it obligatory for its members, though at first it was sometimes seen as an unnecessary imposition and, by some, possibly even a waste of time. As experience grew among all professional bodies, and the value of training and learning events became more appreciated, so did the value of my role and interest in the sector. This also gave me an incredible opportunity to be involved with the RTPI’s sector groups on vital topics such as housing policy, economic development, and race and gender equality. Topics and missions which have stayed with me.
My first proper job: My first pay cheque was gained working for Kent County Council in Dartford and Gravesend. I was working in the social services HR department, training new social workers. It was in this role that I appreciated the real value of experiential learning. It’s always been helpful in my later engagement and consultation work to have that initial grounding – around delivering on community priorities and understanding local needs.
My first big break: This came in setting up my own business: Jas Atwal Associates – to manage and run built environment events, and later more community relations work. It was at the RTPI I first met Kevin Murray, now a past president of the institute. Kevin set up Kevin Murray Associates (KMA), a niche consultancy, working across the fields of planning, regeneration, urban design and community engagement, in the same year that I set up Jas Atwal Associates. After collaborating on countless projects, we eventually joined forces formally, and I became a Director at KMA.
My inspiration(s): Every time I host or attend a stakeholder engagement event, I picture my parents attending. They came to the UK from the Punjab with a young family to start a new life in challenging times, and often didn’t feel they were entitled to have a voice here or that their views would be listened to. It inspires me to try to ensure everyone in a community feels equally valued, and that all their opinions count and they can influence change.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Not coming from a ‘traditional’ property path or even related discipline, it can be easy to feel you don’t belong. I’m not a planner, an architect, an engineer, etc. But discovering the academy, just as John Thompson and George Ferguson were setting it up, was a complete revelation: I realised I am a placemaker and an urbanist. It was the first place that provided me (and I’m sure many others) with a professional home and a space where we can feel safe to share our experiences, our views and our creative ideas, especially about what makes great places. It’s introduced me to the most incredible range of talented and creative people both inside and outside the formal development sector.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: My appointment as chair of the academy. I’m enormously proud of the work we do day in, day out to open up the sector to new voices and ideas, to share knowledge and learning from places that have turned themselves around, and to bring people together in doing so.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: Many people have a very cynical view of development and particularly its promoters. Sometimes this may be part-justified from earlier personal experience, but often they’ve simply lost sight of the positive impact such investment can bring in homes and workplaces, or from important innovation in energy, landscape and even playspace.
It is absolutely essential that we engage with people and ensure they feel listened to, as part of the planning and development process – their views matter. The academy has a major focus on tackling negative perceptions of the sector – partly through transparent sharing of positive stories – such as shining a light on collaborative co-creation of plans, designs and ultimately development projects.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: We all know it, metrics matter. At the end of the day we need to face the realities of business cases, resources, and timescales. In my day job, there is always more we could do – another voice or insightful perspective to listen to. Our job is to get the overall balance right, ensuring we have robust consultation and community engagement in a way that is both viable and sufficiently credible for a project to move forward.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: Personal experience is a big part of it, it makes you consider how inaccessible so much of life can be if not designed/planned properly, especially for the most vulnerable in society. There are such simple solutions in our more advanced world, we should be able to create safe and inclusive places for all. We just need to devote sufficient time and energy to it.
Where I’d like to be in five years’ time career-wise: I’d like to still be championing the academy, helping it to articulate its lessons within the sector and strengthen its impact shaping the places of the future. At KMA, I’d like to continue to support my colleagues and our client teams in delivering great places, but particularly to advocate for those less heard communities, ensuring they have a voice.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: There are so many people I would like to invite, and I’d probably go for more party than dinner. But self-imposing a limit on the number of guests, I would invite the late John Smith, Labour leader (there has to be some politics discussed around the dinner table); Andy Murray, for some sports chat and the psychology around it; Robin Williams for the comedy; and Dolly Parton because I think she is fab. Plus, Abba for the music, to get everyone up and dancing.
What I do in my downtime: Arguably, my role at the Academy of Urbanism is my downtime! Most recently we had a fantastic three days hosting our annual congress event in Cambridge, bringing together leading placemakers and urbanists from all over the world to discuss industry challenges and opportunities. I would also love to have the time to read a lot more, and in recent years have started doing a lot more cooking, which I find enjoyable and therapeutic. I have also started knitting again but am definitely still at beginner level!
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: Before my HR and subsequent urbanism journey, I wanted to pursue journalism, to become a reporter. Without getting too much on the therapist’s couch, I’ve always loved capturing and sharing people’s stories, giving a voice to under-represented people and communities. I don’t think that will ever change, and storytelling remains an important part of the work I do, both listening to and sharing the experiences of others.
My advice for someone just starting out: The academy has a large Young Urbanist group, so we often find ourselves giving and receiving advice, sometimes among those pursuing career roles we did not have only 20 years ago. My advice would be to get involved, listen and learn, champion the causes you believe in, and do things that you enjoy. You have a voice, and a valid opinion that matters – use it and make it count. What more is there?
