Futurebuild 2026

As cities face increasing pressures from heatwaves, droughts and flooding, building urban resilience has never been more critical. This session explores how Adaptation Pathways can help planners, designers and asset managers make timely, low-risk decisions that protect infrastructure systems while supporting vibrant, healthy and climate-ready places.

Chaired by David Smith, Independent Consultant and Co-lead of the ICE Resilience Community, the session will introduce the new Publicly Available Specification (PAS 3090) being developed by the British Standards Institution and sponsored by the Institution of Civil Engineers. PAS 3090 will provide consistent guidance for applying adaptation pathways to infrastructure systems. Aligned with BS 8631, ISO 14090 and PAS 2080, the PAS will help organisations integrate future climate uncertainty into today’s urban planning and placemaking strategies.

John Dora, Director at Climate Sense, and Alison Walker, Climate Change Manager at HS2, will outline the core principles and share real-world examples. This session will show how adaptation pathways can drive more resilient places, stronger collaboration, and better outcomes for communities and future generations.