The Australian Urban Design Awards are an activity of the Urban Design Chapter in conjunction with the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. The images are of the two Australian Urban Design Winners for 2006. Balaclava Walk, Melbourne and North Terrace, Adelaide.

click here for the brochure on the Urban Design Chapter

Link to our colleagues at the Urban Design Forum

Chapter Chair: Peter Jensen  

New South Wales: Philip Graus (Chair) Diana Griffiths (Co-Chair)

Australian Capital Territory: Lindsay Callaghan

Northern Territory

Queensland: Jeffrey Humphreys

South Australia: Michelle Williams

Tasmania: Brian Risby

Victoria: Claire Scott

Western Australia

National Office Contact
National Membership Officer
PO Box 5427
Kingston ACT 2604
Ph: 02-6262 5933
Fax: 02 6262 9970
Email: info@planning.org.au

What is Urban Design, and what does an urban designer do?

Urban design aims at the creation of useful, attractive, safe, environmentally sustainable, economically successful and socially equitable places. Good urban design pursues local identity and sense of place, cultural responsiveness and purposeful environmental innovation. It achieves a high level of quality, comfort, safety, equity, beauty and cohesion in the overall, physical outcome of all the development, planning, engineering, architectural and landscape design decisions that contribute to urban change.

Leading urban designers have particular skills in any or all of:

• definition and analysis of urban design tasks;
• development of urban design concepts, programs, policies and plans;
• development of successful implementation strategies;
• performance evaluation of urban design projects, policies and processes;
• interaction with communities and public and private planning institutions; and
• teaching, research and innovation and development of knowledge in the field.

Specific urban design skills are further defined below, under ‘5 Categories of Experience’.

Chapter Mission

The Urban Design Chapter (UDC) of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) advances the urban design field and its professional and academic standing.

It serves the interests of the physical planning and built environment design community by developing professional policy and practice guidelines, accreditation criteria and communication activities such conferences, seminars, speaker tours and fora.

It focuses on serving the professional, academic and ethical interests of planners, architects, landscape architects, transport engineers, traffic planners and others, in harmony and cooperation with related other organisations active in the interest of the professional and wider communities.

UDC pursues its mission by working through PIA’s organisational frameworks and by addressing core aims and missions of the Institute.

Chapter Aims

The PIA Urban Design Chapter (UDC) aims to

• promote urban design as a means of creating environmentally sustainable, accessible, efficient, beautiful, equitable and culturally rich places, towns, cities, regions and landscapes across Australia and all of its States and Territories, as well as internationally;
• promote urban design as an expanding and common professional focus, activity and concern across a number of disciplines;
• establish discourse among its members and others associated with the field, nationally, at state- and territory levels and internationally;
• advance and support professional skills development and knowledge building, by pursuing research, educational and training activities, and by organising seminars, conferences and other appropriate forms of internal and external outreach;
• develop, advise on and assess both institutional and individual competency and skills standards for use in PIA procedures, and, as applicable, for the benefit other institutes, universities, industry bodies, professional requirements and employers;
• enlist the support and participation of other concerned and interested professional organisations, as well as that of government, industry and civic groups in the pursuit of these aims;
• work with the appropriate educational organizations to nurture useful research, teaching and civic-minded advisory activities;
• serve as a reliable voice and public advocate for good urban design, through public statements, community events and professional conferences, as well as the facilitation of professional advisory services – independent of vested government or industry interests;
• maintain and manage the Australia Award for Urban Design Excellence as an annual or bi-annual national recognition of leadership and innovation in areas of exceptional importance, promise and community relevance;
• support the establishment of a national, inter-disciplinary Urban Design Alliance of Australia as well as State and Territory based efforts, as a national platform for all related professional institutes and other bodies.

Chapter Membership Requirements

The qualifications and experience required for corporate membership are

• A tertiary degree in Urban Design at the PhD, Master, Bachelor or Diploma level, from an accredited Australian university, or equivalent international tertiary institution; and
• A minimum of two years experience in urban design, in one or several key areas of design competency, as well as in three or more of the associated areas of competency and other, closely related areas of practice described below under Categories of Experience. Forms of experience can encompass practice, teaching, research and writing.
• Or
• A tertiary degree in Urban and Regional Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture or other built environment field at the PhD, Master, Bachelor or Diploma level, from an accredited Australian university, or equivalent international tertiary institution; and
• A minimum of five years experience in urban design, in one or several key areas design of design competency, as well as in three or more of the associated areas of competency and other, closely related areas of practice described below under Categories of Experience. Forms of experience can encompass practice, teaching, research and writing.
All applications will be judged on their merit.

Categories of Experience
for Admission to the Urban Design Chapter

This list is illustrative of core experience sought in the admission procedure for PIA UDC membership. The mode of activity in these areas can range from practice to teaching and research and field-enhancing writing. The definitions are indicative only, and neither the list of categories nor its definitions are necessarily exhaustive.

Key design competency areas

Public domain design
The overall and detail design of the shared realm of cities and towns - their public domain - by managing the disposition of space defining elements, space and its elements in accordance with clearly defined aims and needs: this is the central competency of an urban designer.

Urban development project design
The strategic physical design of significant urban development projects and initiatives, manifest in proposals, competition entries and executed plans.

Urban architectural design
The definition and design of architectural projects in particular, carefully considered and successful relation to their urban context.

Adaptive reuse and urban infill design
The modification and change of existing structures and spaces, and the development of new structures and spaces, designed in ways that take special account of nature and requirements of urban surroundings.

Open space design
The general as well as detailed design of squares, sidewalks, promenades, courtyards and other open spaces. This may include spatially significant forms of public or environmental art.

Urban landscape design
The general as well as detailed design of parks, urban gardens, waterscapes, biologically active and landscaped water retention, reticulation and recycling systems.

Public infrastructure design
The design of streets, roads and other transport facilities that considers the needs of all modes of movement, particularly those of pedestrians.

Development control plan preparation
The design and specification of urban design informed and outcome-geared physical development controls for urban areas.

Master planning
The study, development and documentation of comprehensive urban design plans for particular and larger urban areas, in coordinating the performance and requirements of multiple individual development parcels, access, public infrastructure installations and public domain provisions. Master plans may pertain to special areas, development precincts, waterfront areas, town centre precincts and others. They typically define open spaces, building envelopes, access systems and staging provisions, along with more detailed performance dimensions of well-designed urban areas.

Structure planning
The study, development and documentation of comprehensive regional, sub-regional and urban-scale design plans, covering areas larger than those of master plans. Structure plans incorporate a number of regional and precinct design layers and dimensions, including geological and hydrological conditions, microclimate, water systems and aquifers, green space systems, street networks, building blocks and parcels, and public support amenities.

Teaching and research
Substantial and sustained, well-documented teaching and research in the above areas also qualify as relevant activities here.

Design associated competencies

Urban context analysis
The ability to methodically investigate, digest, understand and communicate the key features and characteristics of urban settings, as well as the opportunities and constraints to be considered for urban designs.

User needs, use pattern and other forms of urban design program analysis
The methodical and targeted development, investigation and corroboration of the aims and assumptions underlying urban design tasks. This may involve use patterns studies, space use analyses, user needs investigations, interviews, environmental and spatial behaviour observation and/or the mapping of community perceptions.

Design brief preparation
The intelligent and comprehensive development of a written and graphically illustrated brief to designers and design teams, in ways that endures critical investigation and allows interaction and change. Design briefs will spell out programs, aims, performance criteria and success measures - as well as other means by which the design is to be judged.

Strategic planning and stakeholder goal finding processes
Urban design is typically informed by clear outcome expectations. The development of a precise and inclusive set of visions is therefore essential. Urban designers are often engaged in stakeholder processes that investigate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that pertain to a particular situation, define analytically sound outcomes and design strategies to pursue these.

Teaching and research
Substantial and sustained, well-documented teaching and research in the above areas also qualify as relevant activities here.

Other, closely related practice areas

Sustainable development
The incorporation and use of a wide range of essential sustainable design approaches relevant to the urban environment. This includes principles and techniques of energy efficiency and conservation, urban heat island mitigation, renewable energy generation, water sensitive urban design and the avoidance of toxicity and other forms of damage to human health.

Accessibility and mobility
The systematic and principled enabling of equitable access to services, facilities, employment, training and recreation, including through a choice of safe and efficient transport modes (eg public transport, private vehicle, bicycle, walking and wheelchair). Provision of convenient and dignified access to private and public spaces for people with impaired mobility.

Community development
Applying techniques and principles of enhancing identity and cohesion within communities through design, by building their capacity to organise and take part in community life, and to participate in decisions about local urban change, improvements and development.

Cultural heritage
Applying techniques and principles of respecting and reflecting the traditions and valuable patterns of an urban area and its context.

Culturally sensitive design
Assessment and incorporation of cultural resources and characteristics and the development of programs that assist communities in enacting their cultural identities and interests, reinforcing and enabling cultural values, meanings, practice and beliefs of the community in urban design, considering both Indigenous and non-indigenous cultures

Safety by design
Analysis, understanding and integration of personal and community security and public safety issues into urban design choices.

Traffic and transport planning
All physical planning and design aspects of local area access, circulation and traffic design as well as sub/regional transport planning: broad access, mobility and proximity are important urban design concerns, especially in close integration in core urban design decisions.

Property development and finance
Principles of urban property development and development finance; public and private means of financing of good design; urban design as means of enhancing community and developer project dividends.

Equity through economic development
Promoting opportunities for participation in urban development specifically, or more broadly the local economy through the strengthening of local industry, employment and training, made especially accessible to the local labour force.

Teaching and research
Substantial and sustained, well-documented teaching and research in the above areas also qualify as relevant activities here.

Australia and International Urban Design Resources

The Urban Design Alliance of Queensland www.udal.org.au

Urban Design Group www.udg.org.uk

Sustainable Urban Design and Climate www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/design/design.shtml

UC Berkeley bibliographic research guide for the study of urban design www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/urbhist.html

Resource for Urban Design Information www.rudi.net

Urban Planning and Design in the Yahoo! Directory www.dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Urban_Studies/Urban_Planning_and_Design

The New Zealand Urban Design Protocol www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/urban/design-protocol/index.html

UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design www.aud.ucla.edu

UK Urban Design Alliance www.udal.org.uk

The Guardian on Urban Design http://society.guardian.co.uk/urbandesign/page/0,,602114,00.html

The Journal of Urban Design www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13574809.asp

Urban Design International www.palgrave-journals.com/udi/

Wikipedia on Urban Design www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_design

Adelaide University School of Architecture, Landscape and Urban Design www.arch.adelaide.edu.au/

Postgraduate Urban Design at the University of Melbourne www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/courses/pg/pgud

Master of Urban Development and Design, FBE, UNSW www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/degrees/mudd

MIT Architecture: Urban Design Certificate www.architecture.mit.edu/degrees/masters/urbcert.html

University of Washington / The Department of Urban Design and Planning www.caup.washington.edu/udp/

Resource for Urban Design Information, Oxford Brookes University www.publ.ac.uk/Link/u/urbandesign.htm

Urban Design and New Urbanism www.architecture.about.com/od/communitydesign

WSUD Water Sensitive Urban Design in the Sydney Region www.wsud.org/

Water Sensitive Urban Design - Melbourne Water www.wsud.melbournewater.com.au/

Renewable Urbanism http://www.epolis.com.au/therenewablecity.htm

Information about Peter Droege:

Follow the link to Peter's CV.