Urbis

We are thrilled to announce our client, Economic Development Queensland's Northshore Brisbane precinct has won the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) Excellence in Environmental Award! 🌿 🏆 Urbis Director Glen Power said the recognition highlights the incredible impact the Northshore Brisbane Street Renewal Program will have in contributing to a more resilient future for Brisbane. Delivering a multi-disciplinary approach, the Urbis team drove several innovation and design attributes across urban design and landscape architecture, town planning and transport advisory including a Biophillia Report and case study to support the ISC accreditation process. The overall project team addressed challenges such as street lighting, passive irrigation, flooding, water quality and accessibility to design a precinct that not only created shaded, comfortable spaces but also enhanced active transport routes and supported the sharing of cultural knowledge. Northshore Brisbane is Queensland’s largest waterfront urban renewal precinct and is designed as a model for sustainable, sub-tropical living. It will serve as the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic athletes’ village, later transitioning into a dynamic residential, commercial, and industrial area. The success of the project is due to an innovative digital workflow and an interdisciplinary approach backed by EDQ and involved Urbis with project partners ADG Engineers, plus Mott MacDonald, Roesner and Hamilton Consulting Engineers and Losee Consulting. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the vision and commitment of our dedicated team and partners whose collaboration has driven these lasting environmental benefits. Congratulations to all! 👏 Glen Power, Cindy Pester, Cassandra Friday, Edwin Dacre, Tim Murray, Paul Hardyman, Ben Lyons, Matthew Brown, Liam Martin, Rueben Gumina, Andy Johnston MIEAust CPEng NER, Alice Shi, Peter Rooks, Michael Bucknell, Debbie McNamara, Tom Leach, Phillip Roth, Ben Byrnes, Vanessa Altun, Robbie Marshall, Warren Steiner, Dale Stanton, Emily Low, Scott Losee, Andrew Tremelling

Australia is facing a significant housing challenge, with rising living costs and property prices making it increasingly difficult for essential workers to find affordable housing near their workplaces. These workers, including teachers, healthcare professionals, and emergency service personnel, are vital to our urban infrastructure and community wellbeing. At Urbis, we believe that access to affordable, high-quality housing is crucial for individual wellbeing and community resilience. That's why we've partnered with Business Sydney and collaborated with industry partners, clients, government agencies, developers, community housing providers, industry and peak bodies, and worker representatives to develop a comprehensive submission to the NSW Government Inquiry into Essential Worker Housing. 🔍 Understanding the Problem: - Essential workers are disproportionately affected by the housing affordability crisis. - Lack of a consistent definition of 'essential worker' complicates the issue. - Addressing these needs is vital for community stability and resilience. 🏠 Defining Essential Workers and Their Housing Needs: - Essential workers must travel to a workplace and cannot perform their jobs from home. - A comprehensive approach to identifying essential workers is necessary. - Essential worker housing is needed where the market has failed to provide housing in accessible locations. 💡 Proposed Solutions: 1. Leverage Government Land: Set essential worker housing targets and collaborate to identify and utilise suitable land. 2. Provide Targeted Incentives: Support developers with incentives and provide essential workers with pathways to home ownership. 3. Enable Lower-Cost Construction Methods: Promote innovative construction techniques. 4. Refine Planning Interventions: Strengthen planning policies to address essential worker housing needs. The Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Essential Worker Housing will be holding a public hearing in the Northern Beaches, today, 25 October 2024. For more insights on this pressing issue, check out this recent article from The Conversation: https://lnkd.in/gPD4dESu Read more about our approach here: https://lnkd.in/gTNNxcnX Princess Ventura, James White, Carlos Frias, Les Hems, Allison Heller, Kylie Newcombe, Claire Falk #EssentialWorkerHousing #HousingAffordability #cityshaper

Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister Sonya Kilkenny have announced a 10-year greenfields plan aimed at unlocking new housing opportunities and streamlining the planning system in Melbourne's outer suburbs. This initiative has programmed the planning for 27 greenfield precincts (residential and employment), with 22 of these Precinct Structure Plans (PSPs) to be delivered within the next decade. Contrary to the announcement, these are not additional areas. Rather, what this plan does is provide a long-term sequencing outlook instead of the year by year approach currently adopted through the Victorian Planning Authority’s (VPA) Business Plan. The sequencing plan is also accompanied by news that the VPA will transition to the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) in early 2025 and that a ‘concierge service’ will be launched to help unlock high yield development sites. New PSPs will also have a focus on infrastructure delivery while there will be a review of undeveloped areas within existing PSPs to look at opportunities to increase density. We welcome these changes but note that significantly more detail is required to understand how these ambitious timeframes will be achieved and what changes will be made to PSP planning and processes as a result. We look forward to contributing to the discussion and supporting our clients through this significant shift in greenfield planning. We will share further updates as more details emerge. Reach out to our team to learn more or read here for more information: https://lnkd.in/gF2aTfGj Rebecca Scullion, Breton Fleming, Stephen Davis, Mark Dawson 

We are thrilled to host ULI Australia's event tomorrow at our Melbourne office, focusing on the critical issue of housing attainability. This event will bring together industry leaders to discuss global best practices and innovative solutions for affordable housing, with Urbis Director Dylan Gray providing the keynote. At Urbis, we are proud to support initiatives that drive meaningful change in our communities. All proceeds from this event will go to the Property Industry Foundation's Youth Homelessness Initiative, reinforcing our commitment to building stronger, more inclusive communities. Join us in this important conversation and help us shape a better future for all. You can register here: https://lnkd.in/dND_Z9Rf

Urbis has been awarded Family Inclusive Workplace Certification from Family Friendly Workplaces and Parents At Work! 🎉 This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive workplace that nurtures careers, empowers flexible working and supports the health and happiness of our people and their loved ones.     There are nuanced challenges faced by people with caring responsibilities. Balancing work, career advancement, and family life can be tricky. That's why we're dedicated to learning more, improving experiences, and keeping the wellbeing of our parents, carers, and people with caring responsibilities in focus. Working hand in hand with Parents At Work, we are implementing a strategic action plan to make Urbis a place where careers flourish, families are valued, and work-life balance is a reality, not just a buzzword.    This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Join us as we work towards an even more inclusive and family-friendly future at Urbis. Together, we can shape not just the future of our cities and communities, but also the future of the modern workplace.     Click here to learn more about our plan: https://lnkd.in/giSndwKZ   Pictured: Members of our working parents discussion group in VIC, a pilot program founded and led by Anna Barclay, Director and Kristen Saul, Associate Director and supported by our People & Culture team.

Over the last couple of days, Premier Jacinta Allan has revealed a series of ground-breaking housing policies that promise to transform Victoria's urban landscape. These strategic initiatives are designed to address the city's pressing housing challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable future. Within these announcements we can see the introduction of 50 higher-density zones around train and tram stations is set to facilitate the construction of approximately 300,000 new homes by 2051. The first phase of development zones has now been identified, focusing on 25 initial zones primarily in Melbourne's east and southeast. Additionally, significant stamp duty reductions for off-the-plan units, townhouses, and apartments under a 12-month stimulus plan are expected to save buyers tens of thousands of dollars. We also welcome the establishment of a new working group to improve and ensure more equitable developer contributions across the State.  These initiatives are welcomed as crucial steps towards increasing housing supply and affordability. Stay tuned for further updates from us as the Victorian Government continues to roll out its comprehensive housing strategy. At Urbis, we are uniquely positioned to support and guide our clients through these changes. Reach out to one of our team members below to chat more. For a more in-depth look at these announcements, read our article here: https://lnkd.in/gXGvuxWX Mark Dawson, Mark Sheppard, Sarah Macklin, Nathan Stribley, Clare Warren, Andrea Pagliaro

🌟 Empowering the Future Leaders of Urbis and Cistri🌟    Stepping into the role of an Associate Director at Urbis means embracing new leadership responsibilities and becoming a custodian of our strategy. Our recent Associate Director Transform workshop was a tailored learning and networking event designed to equip our newly promoted and lateral hires with the skills and insights needed to excel in their roles.    This immersive one-day workshop brought together a diverse group from across Australia and our Singapore office, Cistri. We kicked off with an inspiring keynote from Urbis CEO Benjamin Pollack, followed by a future-focused fireside chat highlighting the critical role of digital transformation in our industry. Attendees also benefited from a practical session on effective delegation and a lively panel discussion which underscored the importance of understanding the client lifecycle and delivering an excellent client experience.    Ilona Bartsch, a Heritage AD, had this to say on the experience. “AD Transform was a priceless opportunity to hear about the future direction of Urbis and learn from our peers. Amongst all of the learning, development and strategising, what will stay with me the longest is the connections I made.”   It was a great day of meeting new people, learning new skills and setting the expectations for this talented cohort. Our Associate Directors left feeling empowered and ready to drive Urbis and Cistri forward for a brighter future. 🚀 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gKU4Tu9m #CityShaper

🚴🌏 Happy Ride2Work Day! 🌏🚴 | Today, we celebrate not just the joy of cycling, but also its immense contribution to a greener, healthier future.     Cycling produces 0 grams of CO2 per person km travelled, in contrast to buses (137 grams of CO2) and cars (243.8 grams of CO2). Cycling isn't just a mode of transport, it's a lifestyle choice. By choosing to cycle, we're not just improving our health, we're also reducing our carbon footprint.    Currently 7% of our people choose to cycle to work, with many others choosing public transport or commuting by foot. Pleasingly, just 11% of our people drive to work. We look forward to supporting more people to switch to greener travel options such as cycling, as part of our Green Travel Plan.     Our Green Travel Plan is a proactive step in further reducing emissions from transport in our business operations. As part of our commitment, we're looking into initiatives like office bike ambassadors, E-bike incentives, and prioritising quality end-of-trip facilities when selecting offices.    Ride2Work Day is a reminder that every journey counts. Let's continue to shape a more sustainable and climate-resilient future, one ride at a time.   Find out more about our Green Travel Plan: https://lnkd.in/gUr-bF_T     #Ride2WorkDay #GreenTravelPlan #Sustainability 

The UWA Public Policy Institute in partnership with Perth Design Week and Sandy Anghie, has just hosted this year's Festival of Urbanism brought to us by the University of Sydney Henry Halloran Research Trust. Included on the panel was Urbis Director Ray Haeren with urban planning and design experts delving into the dynamic relationship between people, place and power. A lively discussion was facilitated by Assoc. Prof. Paul J. Maginn who focused on the importance of public spaces and the participation of community in their creation.    Panelists Peter Ciemitis, Ray Haeren, Dimity Dennis, Emma Snow and Anthony Duckworth shared their thoughts on how public (sub)urban spaces can be designed to foster a stronger sense of community and identity; successful strategies to ensure public spaces are inclusive and reflective of the diverse communities they serve; the role of local governments and planning authorities play in shaping public spaces; plus more. Well done to the panel and teams involved in the planning of this event, including University of Sydney's Nicole Gurran. The Urbis team look forward to Perth Design Week 2025 taking shape with more activities to be held in March next year!

This World Mental Health Day, we join the World Heath Organisation in emphasising the critical link between mental health and work. A supportive work environment is not just beneficial—it's essential. Poor working conditions, stigma, and discrimination can severely impact mental well-being, reducing job satisfaction and productivity. At Urbis, we are committed to fostering safe, healthy workplaces where everyone can thrive. Let's work together—governments, employers, and employees—to create environments that protect and support mental health. By investing in evidence-based approaches, we can ensure a healthier, more productive future for all. #WorldMentalHealthDay