Eddington: Past, Present and future

Speaker: Matt Johnson MRICS

Matt Johnson is the Head of Development for North West Cambridge and works in the Estates Division of the University of Cambridge. He read Land Economy at Queens’ College and worked in property development in London for a decade before returning to Cambridge. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Eddington is one of Cambridge’s new neighbourhoods, but its story began decades before the first residents arrived. We will discuss how the University of Cambridge’s search for space, affordable staff housing and room for research evolved from discussions in the 1980s into the ambitious North West Cambridge Development. We will trace the planning, design and delivery of its first phase, begun in 2013 and opened in 2017, examining the ideas behind its homes, school, community buildings, public art, green spaces and pioneering environmental infrastructure. We will also consider the experience of creating a community from scratch: what has worked, what has proved difficult and what lessons have emerged. Finally, the lecture looks ahead to proposed future phases, including thousands of additional homes, expanded amenities and open spaces, and improved walking, cycling and public-transport connections. Eddington offers a fascinating case study in how Cambridge seeks to reconcile growth, sustainability, affordability and quality of life.

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