Flipping the Script on Regeneration: Why Every Voice Belongs at FLIPIM

Regeneration is often talked about in high-ceilinged conference rooms by people in suits. But if the people who actually live, work, and raise families in places are not in the room, it is regeneration that puts property first, not communities.

At FLIPIM, we believe that real, lasting change happens when community agency meets investment. Birkenhead finds itself as a national trailblazer for major town transformation and government programmes. Yet historically, traditional conferences don’t come to places like this, they carry steep ticket prices that keep out activists, local residents, small business owners, and grassroots organisations.

How can we build a future that works for everyone if the price of admission keeps the most vital voices outside?

Towns like Birkenhead do not need top-down solutions dictated to them. They need platforms where local intelligence is treated as expertise. For FLIPIM to truly live up to its mission, our room must reflect our streets.

That means ensuring people who do not have a large institution or corporate sponsor paying their way can still take their seat at the table.

This is why our partnership with University College London (UCL) is so important.

UCL has stepped up to sponsor Access Tickets for FLIPIM. This sponsorship directly funds the concessionary tickets for anyone who faces any barrier to entry. A self-certifying option to reduce to cost of attending, 

This is a deliberate effort to shift power dynamics. When a major institution like UCL uses its platform to make space rather than take up space, it helps bridge the gap between academic research, policy decision-making, and lived experience. It ensures that when we discuss housing, asset ownership, and high street revival with everyone.

“FLIPIM brings together communities, practitioners and researchers to share ideas about how places can be shaped from the ground up. UCL is pleased to support access to the conference because we believe the most effective solutions emerge when diverse voices are included in conversations about the future of their communities.”

— Professor John Tomaney, UCL

Whether you are a long-time local campaigner, a resident passionate about your neighbourhood, or an organiser doing the heavy lifting on the ground, FLIPIM is your space.

Together, let us make sure the future of our places is built by everyone.