Individuals, groups and organisations in the planning, development and design industries are
being invited to nominate a project they believe should receive Australia’s premier Urban Design
Award.

The winner of the 2012 Australia Award for Urban Design (AAUD) will be announced at the
annual Award dinner held at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Canberra on the 26th June.
The coveted Award was proposed by the Urban Design Task Force under former Prime Minister
Paul Keating and first presented in 1996. It acknowledges the critical role good urban design
plays in the social, economic and environmental development of our cities and towns.

It is now hosted by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) with support from the Australian
Institute of Architects, Property Council of Australia, Green Building Council of Australia, Consult
Australia, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, and the Urban Design Forum.

This year’s AAUD is the first since the Federal Government’s launch in November of an Urban
Design Protocol for Australian cities and towns – Creating Places for People.

The initiative came after two years of cooperation and collaboration between governments,
industry and the community and is seen as a significant move forward in the recognition of the
role of urban design.

PIA President Dyan Currie said the AAUD is not only vital to continued best practice in Urban
Design in Australia but essential in exposing the work of the industry to the wider community.

“This Award program puts the spotlight on the best Urban Design projects in Australia and we
encourage those in the industry to enter projects they believe demonstrate excellence,” Ms Currie
said.

“The scope is wide ranging and we expect again this year to see a broad range of entries that
make a positive difference to our places, spaces, buildings and infrastructure.

“This is a prestigious Award inclusive of the multiple disciplines that contribute to good urban
design.”

The 2011 winner of the Australia Award for Urban Design was the $300 million SW1 South Bank
Urban Village project. The fully integrated mixed use development near the Brisbane CBD was
considered an excellent example of how derelict land can be transformed into attractive habitable
spaces.

SW1 was chosen from 46 top quality urban design projects entered in the 2011 awards, an
indication of how well it was regarded by the adjudicators.

Entries for the 2012 Australia Award for Urban Design will be judged in one of four categories and
must adhere to certain criteria including that the nominated project be located in Australia.

Ms Currie said entries will also need to consider judges will be looking for the ‘x factor’.
“If a project has certain special characteristics that make it stand out from the crowd then the
judges will take that into consideration.”

The nomination kit for the 2012 Australia Award for Urban Design can be found on the PIA web
site at – http://www.planning.org.au/ . Nominations must be received by 4.00pm Thursday May 10,
2012
Planning Institute Australia