Recent plans to ‘supercharge’ the growth of Cambridge have focused on its potential as a centre of global science. The city and its surroundings are said to offer exceptional (perhaps unique) opportunities to science researchers, government funders, businesses, and investors. As such Cambridge is an exemplar of a wider trend where science futures are used as a driver of urban development and economic growth.

The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is one of the most significant science sites in the city. Sociologists and local residents David Skinner and Will Brown’s project A Sense of Pace considers the past, present, and future of the Campus from the perspective of the people who live around it. Join them to learn more about science-based development in Cambridge and beyond; the findings from their project so far; and for a discussion of the pros and cons of living in a science-based city.