Lydia Toohey

Lydia is an urban designer and researcher. Before joining the Autumn Cohort 2023, she worked as an urban designer at DSDHA, where she specialised in urban regeneration, placemaking frameworks, and strategic public realm visioning projects. Lydia's expertise lies in delivering tailored place-based solutions through authentic stakeholder engagement and co-design processes.

Collaborating with local stakeholders to create a sense of connectedness in the public realm, Lydia co-led the 'Reclaim Public Space' and 'Public Studio' programs at Central Saint Martins. She has also undertaken research fellowships with institutions such as the RIBA Research Fund 2021 and the Design Museum's Future Observatory.

She is driven by her passion for socially responsive, publicly engaged, and climate-conscious design. Lydia firmly believes in the role our built environment plays in creating inclusive and sustainable cities."

Westminster City Council

As part of our Autumn Cohort 2023, Lydia worked as a Place Shaping Officer at Westminster City Council. She specialised in participatory design practices, focusing on creating inclusive engagement strategies and delivering a variety of urban design projects across the borough.