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The Mayor's Design Advocates

The Mayor’s Design Advocates and Advocate Organisations

The Mayor’s Design Advocates (MDAs) are independent experts who will ensure quality buildings and public spaces that benefit all Londoners.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has appointed a new cohort of 53 Mayor’s Design Advocates to work on the Good Growth by Design programme. They support Good Growth across London and address the challenges facing our built environment. 

The MDA cohort will support the GLA to embed Good Growth principles into new and reimagined buildings and public spaces that will enrich London’s communities now and in the future.

What do the Mayor's Design Advocates do?

MDAs play a key role in promoting design excellence across London’s built environment. They: 

  • Provide independent advice and design review on major projects and policies. 

  • Help embed Good Growth by Design principles into planning, development, and public realm programmes. 

  • Champion inclusive, environmentally responsible, and community-led approaches to design. 

  • Support capacity building across London’s boroughs and public bodies. 

  • Contribute to research, guidance, and innovation in design practice. 

Who are the Mayor’s Design Advocates?

The MDAs are a network of independent experts in architecture, urban design, planning and place-shaping who support the Mayor of London in delivering Good Growth by Design, ensuring that London’s built environment is inclusive, sustainable and of the highest quality. 

Appointed for the 2025–2028 term, the 53 MDAs bring together a wide range of professional expertise and lived experience to help shape London’s neighbourhoods, streets and public spaces for everyone. 

The MDA programme continues to champion diversity and inclusion across London’s design and planning professions. Forty-seven percent of advocates are women, and forty-seven percent are from Black, Asian or from minoritised ethnic communities. 

Advocate Organisations

We have partnered with key Advocate Organisations who are doing important work that aligns with the Good Growth by Design programme. We will collaborate on a range of projects and activities including: 

  • providing design review services 

  • stimulating debate on issues around London’s built environment 

  • promoting best practice in design and participation 

  • providing public sector partners with training and skills 

  • advocating for diversity in the profession 

  • conducting research relevant to help deliver Good Growth in the capital 

These organisations will use and supplement their existing platforms and networks to promote the Good Growth programme, and associated projects. They will support, host and take part in topic-specific sounding boards and roundtables as part of this process. We can also commission them to support design research and co-publish design enquiries. 

Our Advocate Organisations are: 

  • Architects for Change: Architects for Change is one of the thirteen RIBA expert advisory groups and focuses on Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within the profession. 

  • Architecture Foundation: Supporting emerging talent and connecting London to an international conversation about architecture and city-making. 

  • Future of London: Future of London aims to help build better cities through knowledge, networks and leadership. This is done across disciplines, organisations and sectors. Future of London is an independent network for regeneration, housing, infrastructure and economic development practitioners. It acts as a hub for sector intelligence, connection and professional development with a mandate to prepare the next wave of cross-sector city leaders. 

  • London Festival of Architecture: The London Festival of Architecture celebrates London as the global hub for architecture. It presents a lively and diverse programme of public events across London aiming to democratise discussions around architecture, test new ideas, and uncover and promote new talent. 

  • New London Architecture: New London Architecture is a centre for excellence in the built environment. As an organisation it aims to improve the quality of people’s lives by making London a better place to live, work and visit. This is done through its public gallery, its programme of events and exhibitions, and through its research outputs. 

  • Open City: Open City is a charity dedicated to making London and its architecture more open, accessible and equitable. It works to engage citizens, particularly from under-represented backgrounds, in architecture and city-making. Open City’s education projects and programmes such as the Open House Festival aim to open up buildings, conversations and careers to all. 

  • Public Practice: Building the public sector’s capability to improve the quality, equality and sustainability of places. 

  • Urban Design London: Urban Design London is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to help those who deliver, manage or influence places to recognise, aspire to and achieve high-quality, well-designed spaces that work for people. The organisation gives members access to training events, design review services and resources. 

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