Categories
Transforming Southbank Boulevard by City of Melbourne with TCL and Mike Hewson. 2024 winner, Built projects – Local and Neighbourhood Scale. Photography by Dianna Snape.
1. Built Outcomes
This category recognises an outstanding work of city building that exemplifies an urban design project as a catalyst, improving what exists and anticipating and guiding what might come. Projects can be of any scale, but must be built and, complete and must be able to demonstrate how they have improved the spatial qualities of a place and resulted in broader benefits focused on the public interest.
Note that exemplary projects in the discipline of landscape architecture or architecture may not necessarily be exemplary urban design projects. We seek projects that have a demonstrative impact on the betterment of public life, an outcome propelled by a public and civic agenda and a sense of the project as a wider agent in the future development of the city.
Examples of previously awarded projects:
Adaptive Reuse
Tonsley Innovation District, South Australia
Howard Smith Wharves, Queensland
Public Domain
The Goods Line, New South Wales
Goyder Square, Northern Territory
Regional
Maitland Levee and Riverlink Building, Queensland
Small Projects
Bowen Place Crossing, Australian Capital Territory
New Precinct
New Acton Precinct, Australian Capital Territory
Brookfield Place, Western Australia
Campus
Bendigo Kangan TAFE Redevelopment, Victoria
2. Strategic Design & Policy
This category recognises an outstanding work of strategic design or policy that will transform the performance of an urban place and improve the quality of life of the community. Projects can range in scale and scope, but all should be strategic, innovative, and deliverable, and able to demonstrate how they will improve the spatial qualities of the urban place and result in broader benefits focused on the public interest.
Examples of previously awarded and other indicative projects:
Local Scale Policy
Hobart Building Height Standards Review, Tasmania
Linking Canberra City to the Lake, Australian Capital Territory
Design Policy
Central Melbourne Design Guide, Victoria
Better Place - An integrated design policy for the built
environment of New South Wales, New South Wales
Masterplan
Victoria Park Masterplan, New South Wales
WGV at White Gum Valley, Western Australia
ANU Acton Campus Masterplan, Australian Capital Territory
Macro Scale
Eastern Regional Trails Strategy, Victoria
3. Research & Advocacy
This category recognises outstanding work in urban design research or advocacy that has broad applicability and will improve the performance and quality of life in Australia’s urban communities. The research or advocacy is to be publicly available, impartial and evidence-based, and must advance knowledge and practice.
Examples of previously awarded and other indicative projects:
Design Research
Delivering Best Practice Urban Design Through
Planning, Australian Capital Territory
Greening the Greyfields
A Design Guide for Older Women’s Housing
Advocacy
Designing Child Friendly High Density Neighbourhoods, Cities for Play Design Excellence Program, City of Melbourne
4. Urban Design Champions
This category recognises individuals who have made a measurable impact on the design and performance of our cities, working collaboratively to improve the quality of life of our communities. Urban champions come from a diversity of sectors, disciplines and career stages, and have made an outstanding contribution, beyond personal or professional benefit.
Examples of potential nominees (please note this is a new category and therefore there are no previous award recipients):
A political champion
A community champion
A journalist
A public servant
An urban activist
A developer
An urban practitioner