About TPM 2026
PTRC’s Annual Transport Practitioners’ Meeting 2026 was held on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th July, attracting over 200 transport professionals from across the country to share knowledge, debate strategies and network within the industry.
Across the two days, over 80 sessions, 8 workshops and 2 panel discussions were led by transport planners, highway engineers, and urban transport designers – sharing the latest ideas in the field.
Day One was kicked off by Nicola Kane, Chair of the Transport Planning Society, where she asked the crucial question: Who will plan our future?
This was then topically followed by a panel discussion regarding the value that apprenticeships bring to the transport sector and the importance of inspiring the next generation to join our profession. The panel was chaired by Leora Wilson, Transport Planner and recent apprentice at Mott MacDonald, our headline sponsor.
Day Two began with the first live PTRC Fireside Chat at TPM, led by Glenn Lyons, the Mott MacDonald Professor of Future Mobility at the University of the West of England. The panel debated the future of transport policy and planning - including what challenges we might face and what skills we can use to overcome them.
TPM Award Winners
On the evening of Wednesday 15th July, the 2026TPM Awards Ceremony and Dinner took place at the VOCO Hotel in Manchester city centre. Congratulations to this year’s winners:
Emily Thompson, Podaris – 'Best Paper by a young practitioner' – sponsored by Mott MacDonald
Patrick Lingwood, Cycle Futures - 'Best Paper demonstrating sustainable transport solutions' - sponsored by the PTV Group
Josef Whitfield, Manchester City, and Daniel Bowditch, PJA - 'Best Paper at the Conference' – sponsored by Citisense
Michelle Wood - PTRC's Lifetime Achievement Award
'Walking Routes in Faversham, Kent’ - Urban Movement's 'Urban Transport Design' Award
A thoroughly engaging and invaluable event for transport professionals in the public and private sector, at any stage of their career
Presentation Types at TPM
At TPM, we offer a variety of presentation styles to suit different topics and audiences, creating a more engaging and dynamic learning experience.
Full Paper Presentation
Paper presentations are 20-minute talks plus 10 minutes of Q&A, ideal for sharing in-depth research, evaluations or policy analysis.
Workshops
Workshops are 60-minute interactive sessions focused on collaboration, problem-solving and skills development with active participant input.
PechaKucha Presentation
Pecha Kucha sessions are fast-paced visual talks of 20 slides for 20 seconds each, perfect for bold, creative and concise ideas.
Poster Presentation
Poster presentations offer a visual summary of your work in a dedicated session, ideal for early-stage projects and suitable for all experience levels.
Highlights from this year:
TPM Materials
Download session materials from past Transport Practitioners’ Meetings- practical insights from the transport profession.
PTRC Education & Research Services
Explore PTRC’s transport training and events designed to inspire learning and professional growth in the transport planning sector.
Training
Discover PTRC's welcoming range of transport courses designed to build your skills and confidence in transport planning and modelling.
TPM Selection Committee
As we begin gearing up for 2027TPM, we’re looking for passionate, knowledgeable professionals to join the Selection Committee!
This is a great opportunity to:
Help shape the conference programme
Spotlight fresh ideas and emerging voices in transport
Collaborate with peers from across the sector
Support a high-quality, inclusive speaker line-up
Whether you’re experienced in transport planning, active travel, policy, inclusivity, behaviour change or beyond — we’d love to hear from you. The commitment involves reviewing abstract submissions and attending our selection meeting in February 2027, date tbc.
Interested in helping us deliver a dynamic and thought-provoking event?
Contact Shania at shania.mccalla@ptrc-training.co.uk for further details.