GP 54: Upskilling Local Government: with Pooja Agrawal of Public Practice

In this powerful episode of the Grow Places Podcast, Tom Larsson speaks with Pooja Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Public Practice, a pioneering not-for-profit that places built environment professionals into local government roles to drive meaningful change.Pooja shares her journey from growing up in Mumbai to becoming a passionate advocate for public service in the UK. She dives deep into the importance of multidisciplinary teams in local government, the challenges of resourcing in the public sector, and why empathy between public and private sectors is more vital than ever.🔍 Episode HighlightsHow Public Practice is placing professionals into councils to close skills gapsThe long-term value of design and spatial thinking in local governmentWhy 75% of associates stay in the public sector post-placementThe financial realities of local councils and their effect on planningThe role of empathy in public-private collaborationInsights on the New Towns programme and the future of place-led developmentInternational perspectives: what the UK can learn from Mumbai, Denmark, and morePooja’s vision for public sector confidence, leadership, and systems change🌍 Learn more about Public Practice: https://www.publicpractice.org.uk 🎧 Listen and subscribe for more: https://www.growplaces.com/podcast #PublicPractice #UrbanPlanning #BuiltEnvironment #PublicSector #PlaceMaking #Sustainability #NewTowns #Leadership #GrowPlaces