Ben Kennedy, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

Meet Ben Kennedy – Nominated by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

Shaping sustainable transport in West London

Ben Kennedy is the Head of Transport and Environment in the Place Department at the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. He has been in the role since February 2025 and manages four teams covering air quality, ecology and landscape, transport strategy and active travel.

Hammersmith & Fulham is a small but strategically important inner London borough of around 200,000 residents, located on the western edge of central London. 

"It’s quite a small borough but very busy and challenging. In transport terms, we sit at the interchange of key routes going east and west, so congestion and movement are constant pressures," he said. 

A major focus of Ben’s work is interfacing with the HS2 project, as the new £2 billion Old Oak Common Station, that is set to become the interim terminus for the high speed rail project, is located within the borough. His priority is ensuring that local communities benefit from this national infrastructure.

"At the moment it feels like we’re getting all the negatives from construction including traffic and disruption. We want to make sure residents can easily access the station and that we get high-quality placemaking around it,” he said. 

Innovation, mobility and place-making

The borough is prioritising electrification and sustainable mobility, with one of the densest electric vehicles charging networks in the UK.

"Electrification is a big deal for us but so is making sure access is fair and well-managed," he said. 

His teams are also delivering around 200 new micromobility parking bays and working with TfL to invest approximately £25 million into cycle infrastructure projects, particularly to support the White City Innovation District and Imperial College London campus.

"We’re trying to reclaim road space from motor vehicles and create places people want to spend time in,” he said. 

Developing through the Emerging Leaders program

Ben was drawn to the Emerging Leaders program for its international perspective and emphasis on shared learning.

"We might be in completely different cities, but we’re dealing with the same challenges. Hearing those perspectives helps you think differently and try new approaches,” he said. 

He is particularly looking forward to the coaching element and to strengthening his leadership approach.

"I want to better understand my strengths and weaknesses and become more confident in delegating and empowering my team," he said.  

He also hopes to develop his resilience and self-awareness as a leader.

"This program is a chance to build resilience and become more aware of what I need to sustain myself long-term,” he said. 

Through the Emerging Leaders program, Ben hopes to strengthen his strategic thinking, improve resilience and develop leadership approaches that benefit both his team and the communities he serves.