Design professionals across the United Kingdom have been at the forefront of efforts to promote international adaptation of collaborative design practice since the 1980s. In 1988, a seminal joint design assistance team project took place between UK and American professionals in Pittsburgh, leading to a wave of new practice across Europe and beyond. This session will explore comparative experiences in collaborative design and planning with two leading thinkers, as well as the development of the Association for Collaborative Design. The session will share experiences with collaborative planning events from the UK and elsewhere and introduce the new Engagement Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, a tool to promote best practice and ensure the most successful and collaborative project outcomes.
This session was recorded live on February 26, 2026.
Understand how collaborative design and planning practice operates in the UK and internationally and how collaborative practice there compares and relates to similar work in the US.
Learn how the Association for Collaborative Design formed as a response to the need for more collaborative practice.
Explain how the Engagement Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work was developed and how it is applied as a tool for improved outcomes.
Apply collaborative practice methodologies successfully and customize to fit a range of contexts.
Presented in partnership with Communities by Design (CxD).
