Chapman Taylor’s Catalina Ionita joins roundtable discussion on “Does the Perfect Mixed-Use Development Exist?”
During the discussion, Catalina noted that in many mixed-use schemes, residential use is often the catalyst, such as Build-to-Rent, Co-living, or PBSA, with supporting functions layering around it to nurture a healthy, coherent community. She emphasised the need to educate clients and stakeholders to look beyond project boundaries (the “red line”) and consider activation, programming, and context at a broader scale.
When asked about one of Chapman Taylor’s own projects, Trafford Wharfside (which recently won planning approval), Catalina reflected on it as a forward-thinking live-work framework: while its amenity base leans toward serving residential users, she sees it as a prototype for how living, working, and learning might integrate in future developments.
Catalina offered a measured view on perfection: “I don’t know if a perfect mixed-use development exists, she said, “but it has to be fit for the context, that’s what makes it perfect.”
To read the full article and get insights from other expert participants, see Material Source’s coverage of the roundtable: “Does the perfect mixed-use development exist?”