Sep102020
Anna Deller-Coombs is our exciting new recruit at URPS. Anna understands the DNA of engagement. She has led community engagement activities for a variety of organisations, including training and upskilling staff in approaches that increase community participation to improve decision making. An empathetic relationship builder, Anna’s engagement approach brings together disparate views to build consensus. […]
Sep082020
Estia Health is one of Australia’s largest aged care providers, operating 17 residential aged care facilities in South Australia for more than 1300 residents. Burnside Council recently approved the redevelopment of Estia’s existing aged care accommodation at Toorak Gardens to become a 4-5 storey storey/118 bed facility. The Council Assessment Panel complimented the design team […]
Sep072020
Caro Mader is our newest social planner and Associate Director at URPS. Caro is a highly experienced social planner, community development practitioner and university lecturer. She is a leader in the fields of social policy and strategy development, community participation and citizenship, social research and community engagement. During her lengthy career in local government, Caro […]
Aug182020
When the reality of COVID-19 really took effect in Australia in April we ran an article about how community engagement in a world with less face-to-face interaction doesn’t end. It just changes. Since then we have been using a wide variety of techniques to continue engaging. These include online platforms such as Zoom, Cisco Webex, […]
Aug122020
We are very excited to have Andrew Chown join us as a Senior Associate. Andrew is a specialist policy and strategic planner who is also a skilled project manager. He has prepared and managed many Development Plan Amendments, strategic plans and a range of different planning, economic development and community projects in both urban and […]
Aug032020
South Australia’s wine regions are clearly a magnet for tourists. But the accommodation offering has not always been adequate to keep tourists in these regions for as long as possible, particularly given the relative ease of access to metropolitan Adelaide. A new tourist accommodation and function centre at McLaren Vale designed by Cox Architecture will […]
Jul302020
Landscape architecture often has a great impact on public realm. A great impact on public realm means a great impact on communities. That is why community engagement is so important to successful landscape architecture. The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects SA Awards have just been announced for 2020. We are thrilled to see two projects […]
Jul222020
Award winning Cedar Woods is helping to realise more of Glenside’s unique potential. The latest cause for celebration is the recent State Planning Commission’s approval of 62 two storey dwellings and associated open space and water sensitive urban design landscaped areas. In 2015, Cedar Woods was selected by the State Government to develop the 16.5 […]
Jul142020
Pragmatism often plays a role in planning, particularly development assessment. For example, where undesirable development exists it is pragmatic to presume that replacement development that is less undesirable is a step in the right direction. This type of rationale is applied to often embedded car parking shortfalls, as well as questions of land use and […]
Jun302020
Australians took more than 6 million leisure trips overseas last year. Covid-19 has confined us to domestic travel for the foreseeable future. And half of all Australians want to travel domestically when restrictions lift with coastal areas being particularly popular. This turns attention to our own tourism hot-spots. Glenelg is one of South Australia’s tourism […]