Tea, talk, and the power of a simple idea: building a little corner of community and collaboration across built environment, design and engagement
Lovely people trying to make places better - co-organising a lightly facilitated space for us to connect across disciplines, learn from and inspire each other
It started, fittingly, with a conversation and a walk.
Susanne Mueller and I had long respected each other’s work— her as a community engagement facilitator and specialist and me as an urban designer, landscape architect and illustrator—but it wasn’t until we met up for the first time and took a walk along the canal one day that we realised just how much our perspectives complemented and inspired each other.
Built environment professionals work together on projects all the time—designers, engineers, planners, architects, engagement specialists, transport consultants—but too often, we only meet in structured, high-pressure settings. We don’t always get the chance to step back, talk informally, and actually learn from each other’s knowledge and experiences.
As we talked, we found ourselves reflecting on the magic that happens when built environment professionals truly connect—not just in formal meetings, but in spaces where they can share ideas freely, learn from each other’s expertise, and build empathy for different specialisms, and we wanted to create something that encouraged just that.
And so, over that conversation, the idea for Tea&Talk was born—a friendly, low-key meetup for built environment professionals to come together, chat over a cup of tea (or coffee!), meet in a relaxed, lightly facilitated way, spark new ideas, have real chats and connect through conversation.
Why this matters
The built environment is complex. It takes so many different specialisms to create a successful place. But if we don’t take the time to understand each other’s perspectives, great ideas get lost in translation.
I’ve spent 15 years working at the intersection of urban design, research, and visual storytelling, combining data-driven methods, user experience, and co-design to create places that are more inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to people’s needs. Alongside my freelance work, I’m currently finalising a PhD research at the University of Edinburgh that explores how we can overcome the practical barriers that stop built environment professionals from delivering healthier, greener public spaces—at speed and scale.
And one thing is clear: great places don’t happen in silos. They emerge when diverse minds come together—not just in project meetings, but in spaces where we can listen, challenge, and learn from each other in a more open, human way.
A low-key meetup with big ambitions
Tea&Talk isn’t about networking. There’s no formal agenda—just some lightly facilitated conversation prompts to get us started and a genuinely friendly and informal space to share experiences, discuss challenges, and maybe even spark ideas that shape the places we design.
Every time we host a Tea&Talk meetup, I leave feeling energised, inspired, and reminded of why we started this in the first place. The conversations that happen around the table—between engineers and landscape architects, planners and community engagement specialists, transport experts and urban designers—are exactly the kinds of conversations that make projects better.
The best part? It’s simple. Just tea, talk, and a chance to connect to others working to make everyday places better.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, we’d love for you to join us. No pressure, no agenda—just good conversations with good people. Keep an eye out for the next date on LinkedIn, and hope to see you there!
What a great idea.