Arthur Kay
Pioneering urban sustainability through design, technology, and social innovation.
- Founder of multiple ventures driving urban transformation, including Bio-bean, Skyroom, and the £100m Key Worker Homes Fund.
- Advisor and board member for Transport for London, The Royal Academy of Engineering, and The Museum of the Home.
- Recognised as a UN SDG Pioneer, Guardian Sustainable Business Leader of the Year, and featured by Forbes and MIT Technology Review.
Full Profile
Arthur Kay is an entrepreneur, and advisor to organisations building solutions for sustainable cities.
He is the founder of several urban design and technology companies, including the clean technology company – Bio-bean (acq. 2023), the design, technology, and development company – Skyroom, and the £100m Key Worker Homes Fund.
Arthur is an advisor to organisations including Innovo Group, and serving as a Board Member for Transport for London, The Royal Academy of Engineering, the Museum of the Home, and Fast Forward 2030.
In addition, Arthur holds academic appointments, as Associate Professor (Hon.) at UCL Institute for Global Prosperity. He has lectured on urban design at MIT, NYU, LSE and Imperial College London. He is co-author of the book Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars (Wiley, 2025), with Professor Dame Henrietta Moore.
Roadkill discusses the philosophical implications of car culture, as well as the practical impacts it has on your money, your taxes, your neighborhood, your planet, your health, and your happiness. The car has been marketed as a symbol of “freedom.” The authors convincingly argue that it has actually hemmed in our cities and incrementally restricted our choices. How can we break free from our toxic relationship with cars? The authors offer a new way of thinking that promises to multiply your choices, improve your city, and expand your freedoms. Roadkill is a persuasive and illuminating call to action for city dwellers, environmentalists, and policymakers — anyone interested in practical ways to improve your life and expand your freedoms.
Arthur’s work building solutions for sustainable cities has been recognised by the UN as a Sustainable Development Goals Pioneer, The Guardian as Sustainable Business Leader of the Year, MIT Technology Review as a 35-under-35 and Forbes as an all-star 30-under-30. His words and work have appeared in publications, including The Times, The Financial Times, The New York Times, Bloomberg, National Geographic, The New Scientist, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, CNN, CNBC, CBS, Wired, Architect’s Journal, Architectural Review, and on the BBC.
Arthur studied architecture at UCL Bartlett School of Architecture, and entrepreneurship at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.