Shortlist revealed: 2018 Australian Urban Design Awards

From a pool of seventy entries, thirty-eight projects have been shortlisted in the 2018 Australian Urban Design Awards, the nation’s premier awards for excellence and innovation in urban design. The awards recognize contemporary Australian urban design of the highest quality and aim to encourage cities, towns and communities across the country to strive for best practice.

On the jury was Amy Child (Arup transport and urban planner) – representing Engineers Australia; Helen Lochhead (UNSW Built Environment dean) – representing the Australian Institute of Architects; James Cahill (Mirvac ESD engineer) – representing the Green Building Council of Australia; Malcolm Snow (City Renewal Authority CEO) – representing the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects; Melinda Payne (Government Architect Western Australia associate) – representing the Government Architects Network Australia; Neil Savery (Australian Building Codes Board CEO) – representing the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council; and William Chandler (Chandler Consulting Services director) – representing the Planning Institute of Australia.

The Australian Urban Design Awards program was established as the Australia Award for Urban Design in 1996 and was created by then-prime minister Paul Keating’s Urban Design Task Force. The awards patrons are former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and chief commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission Lucy Turnbull. Past patrons include former prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

The awards will be announced in Sydney on Thursday 25 October and will be preceded by a keynote address by Jo Negrini, chief executive of the London Borough of Croydon in the UK.

Tickets to the awards can be purchased here.

2018 Australian Urban Design Awards shortlist

Built projects – city and regional scale

Bunurong Memorial Park – Aspect Studios and BVN

Optus Stadium and Stadium Park – Hassell, Cox Architecture, HKS

Yagan Square – Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA)

Former South Sydney Hospital Site - Stage 1 – City of Sydney with Peter Stutchbury Architecture, Design5, JMD, Sprout Landscape Architecture, CAB, Fox Johnston, Jane Irwin Landscape Architects and CHROFI

Darling Harbour Transformation – Hassell / Hassell and Populous

Parklands – AAA, a joint venture between Arkhefield, ARM and Archipelago with Lat27

Bendigo Hospital Project – Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart and Oculus

New Academic Street – Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects

Liverpool City Centre Revitalisation – Urbis Liverpool City Council

Barangaroo South – Aspect Oculus, Lendlease, Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners


Built projects – local and neighbourhood scale

Railway Square – Place Laboratory

Goodwood Road Streetscape Upgrade – Jensen Plus

Main Street Barcaldine – M3 Architecture and Brian Hooper Architect (architects in association)

The Coal Loader Green Roof Platform – North Sydney Council

Washington Park – Payce Turner Studio, Koichi Takada Interior Architects, Turf Studio, Dasco Australia

Hudson Street Park – Arcadia Landscape Architecture

Former South Sydney Hospital Site - Stage 1 – City of Sydney with Peter Stutchbury Architecture, Design5, JMD, Sprout Landscape Architecture, CAB, Fox Johnston, Jane Irwin Landscape Architects and CHROFI

Polaris 3083 – Clarke Hopkins Clarke

Scarborough Foreshore RedevelopmentMetropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) and City of Stirling

Leadership, advocacy and research – city and regional scale

Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy – CM+, Cox Architecture, Oculus, Aecom, Elton Consulting, GHD, Hill PDA, Jacobs, Kinesis and SJB in association

City of Parramatta submission to Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 Environmental Impact Statement – City of Parramatta in collaboration with Richez Associes

Oxley Creek Transformation Master Plan –Lat27 and Oxley Creek Transformation Pty Ltd

Urban Happiness – Queensland University of Technology, Peddle Thorp Architects

Gold Coast Building Height Study - An Approach to City Image – Urbis and City of Gold Coast

Chain of Ponds - An Action Plan for the Moonee Ponds Creek – Site Office

Urban Choreography: Central Melbourne 1985- – Kim Dovey, Rob Adams and Ronald Jones

Greener Places - an urban green infrastructure policy for NSW – Government Architect NSW

Virtual Moreland – Moreland City Council

Hyper Active Transport 2.0: Making Density Liveable – Peter Willett Associates

Central Melbourne Design Guide – City of Melbourne

The Green Grid: Inner City Brisbane Strategy – Lat27

Jetty Road Glenelg Masterplan – Oxigen with Aecom, Cirqa and Rider Levett Bucknall for the City of Holdfast Bay

Level Crossing Removal Authority Urban Design Framework – Level Crossing Removal Authority

Future Street – Place Design Group, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand

Leadership, advocacy and research – local and neighbourhood scale

West Melbourne Structure Plan – City of Melbourne

Parramatta Ways Walking Strategy – The City of Parramatta Council supported by Government Architect NSW and the Metropolitan Greenspace Program

Under the Viaduct, Neglected spaces no longer – Arup

ANU Union Court and University Avenue Precinct – Civitas Urban Design and Planning, Oculus, Urban Green

The Living Knowledge Stream Design Guidance for Curtin University – Syrinx Environmental, Sync7, Dr Noel Nannup

The Australian Urban Design Awards are organized by Architecture Media and convened by the Planning Institute of Australia with the support of the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, the Green Building Council of Australia, the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Consult Australia, Engineers Australia, the Urban Design Forum and the Government Architects Network Australia.

The awards are supported by principal partner Cement and Concrete Aggregates Australia and supporting partners Cosentino and Holcim.

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