The Digital City

Data, Planning, Design

What if the cities of tomorrow are already being built?

Digital tools, spatial data and emerging technology are transforming urban life, faster than most of us realise.

The Digital City gathers three of the sharpest minds working at this frontier to explore what that means for the places we live, work, and move through every day.

Join Euan Mills (Blocktype), Dr Valentina Marin (Space Syntax) and Nissa Shahid (Arup) as they interrogate the systems, politics, and possibilities shaping our urban futures. Together, they bring perspectives from the front lines of city-making – where policy, technology, and civic imagination find common ground.

An exploration of our journey towards a digital future.  

Everyone welcome.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Euan Mills 

Euan Mills is a researcher and strategist working at the intersection of urban technology, planning and public policy. A key figure in the digital transformation of the English Planning System, he worked closely with politicians to transform planning policy, as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, and set up the Digital Planning Directorate at Connected Places Catapult. Now at Blocktype, Euan’s work bridges the gap between technical possibility and the practical realities of urban governance.

Dr Valentina Marin

Dr Marin is Associate Director at Space Syntax, working at the intersection of digital innovation, urban analytics and spatial planning. She holds a PhD in Advanced Spatial Analysis and Urban Complexity and is a researcher at UCL. Her work focuses on developing analytical frameworks and digital modelling tools that support planning and design decisions across building, urban and regional scales. Through research and practice, she uses spatial data and predictive models to better understand how people move, access opportunities and experience cities, helping shape more resilient, sustainable and adaptable urban futures. 

Nissa Shahid

Nissa Shahid is a chartered planner and expert in digital planning transformation. She has a background in planning consultancy and technology within the built environment, specialising in shaping and delivering strategic PlanTech projects and programmes. Her work leading the technical development of the digital Local Plan for Greater Cambridge was notable for democratising the plan-making process through technology. Now at Arup, Nissa was named a Woman of Influence by The Planner magazine.

Our talks are open to the public and professionals alike.
The event takes place at Arnolfini, Bristol, BS1 4QA