ACT urban planners were recognised for their work at the Planning Institute Australia ACT awards held on Thursday evening. Winners of the PIA ACT Awards for planning excellence are in the running for national awards.
The consortium behind Haig Park Experiments, which included input from the City Renewal Authority, University of Canberra, Tait Network, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, and Dionysus won a planning excellence award in the public engagement and community engagement category.
Since 2019 the consortium has run experiments aimed to revitalise the previously overlooked park.
"The Hyde Park Experiments successfully pursued an alternative community-led approach to sustainable long term renewal of the park," Dennis Eiszele, City Renewal Authority director of design and place strategy, said.
Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, and the Suburban Land Agency won a planning excellence award in the "from plan to place" category for the Campbell 5 development on Constitution Avenue.
Receiving the award, architect Philip Thalis said Campbell 5 was a marriage of high density and high amenities in one development.
"This is a model for Canberra and a model for all Australian cities today," Mr Thalis said.
Inhabit Place, a tool to monitor and evaluate public spaces, won the planning excellence award in the "improving planning processes and practices" category.
Inhabit Place director Obelia Tait thanked PIA for recognising the importance of data-driven and people-led design.
Skylar Sin Chan from Spacelab Studio was named ACT young planner of the year, and received a planning excellence award.
Mr Chan thanked his mentor, his partner, the team at Spacelab and the young planner community in Canberra for their support.
