The profession of urban design is diverse as are its contributions to place and community. Rod Simpson, urban designer, landscape architect, architect has been a passionate practitioner, educator and above all environmental and community activist for over four decades. 

Rod often uses the term ‘beyond business as usual’, to describe the role of design in challenging orthodoxies. In the early 90s Rod as urban design consultant to Greenpeace contributed to their “Strategy for a Sustainable Sydney”.  As co-designer of the Olympic Village for the Sydney Olympics 2000 bid, he powerfully communicated Sydney’s ‘green games’ vision through urban design. 

The Sydney (magazine) cited Rod as one of the 100 most significant persons two years running, in 2008 as a visionary, and 2009, with Richard Leplastrier as activists.  Rod was recognised for his work with others to save the Harbour Foreshore areas of North Head, Woolwich, and Cockatoo Island from high density development, maintaining it in public ownership in perpetuity. 

During his time at the University of Sydney, Rod challenged conventions for teaching urban design and was passionate about studio and drawing based learning.  

In 2015 Rod was appointed as the first Environment Commissioner at the Greater Sydney Commission. His contribution to the shaping of the 2018 Greater Sydney Region Plan was significant, setting out ‘beyond business as usual’ landscape led urban design approach to shaping the Western Parkland City.  In communicating a vision that resisted the transit-oriented development orthodoxy, he showed the tenacity, analytical and polemic skills that are the hallmarks of his career in urban design.  

Finally in 2021, Rod was instrumental in sparking the formation of an association for urban design.

With grace and humour, Jan McCredie has been a tireless champion for the city and a leader in the rise of urban design practice in Australia. 

With much of her practice at the cold face of local government, Jan’s tenacity has delivered successful plans across NSW and NZ. The Wellington Spatial Structure Plan 2040 demonstrated her ethos of a street based spatial plan responsive to the land and was enormously support by the community and Council. 

Through her vision and leadership, Jan has demonstrated how government, in collaboration with leading practitioners, can challenge conventional planning to deliver more effective design-based urban plans. Her work at Pyrmont Point, which was awarded an Australian Urban Design Award, and at Hurstville City Centre in the 1990’s set new benchmarks for development controls, including deep soil, elevating residential ceiling heights, and mandating architects. These projects were instrumental in shaping better design policy across the State in local development controls plans and critically in SEPP 65’s Residential Flat Design Code and later Apartment Design Guide.  

As an educator and mentor to many in the profession, Jan has inspired her colleagues and students to persevere in the difficult quest to raise the quality, profile, and value of urban design. In 2010 Jan was awarded The Marion Mahoney Griffin Award by the Australian Institute of Architects for her ‘lifetime commitment to urban design, passion as an educator, and her integrity and vision’.  

Jan’s love of the city is contagious.  Her passion has engendered family, friends, and colleagues to expect the best from their cities, to ask the question ‘what sort of city do we want?’ not just for themselves but for generations to come.

Professor Peter Webber has been a champion for urban design for over five decades, a practitioner, educator, author, and community leader. Two minutes is far too short a time to paint this picture, so here’s a brief sketch.

As a practitioner, Peter worked in the NSW Government Architects Office for 18years, becoming the Government Architect in 1973. It was a time of strong commitment to civic urban design, led by Peter, Harry Rembert, Andrew Andersons, Ken Woolley, Peter Hall, and Michael Dysart. Over that time the office undertook all government projects including the conservation and replanning of the public buildings on East Macquarie Street, creating one of Sydney’s finest streets. He was a founding member of the NSW Heritage Council in 1977, during an infamous period of knocking things down. 

As educator and Head of School at the University of Sydney, Peter led the establishment of the first post graduate urban design program in Australia. He also taught the history of urban design from the 1970s. 

Peter’s publication, The Design of Sydney in 1988, highlighted the significance of a growing number of urban design projects in Sydney. In a typical spirit of collaboration, he commissioned the designers of those precincts to explain them in their own words. More recently his biography of Peter Hall, the much maligned but talented architect called in to complete the design of the Sydney Opera House, puts the record straight, with great generosity.  

That generosity, to the profession, his students, and the community sums Peter up.

For some urban designers, their professional life and level of influence has expended far beyond that of a designer on projects. Over 40 years Deborah Dearing has played a major role across the across the built environment and property industry injecting the importance of design into planning and development processes. During this time, she has held leadership roles in government, statutory authorities, not-for-profit organisations and private companies. 

In 1996 Deb was the founding Director of the Urban Design Advisory Service (UDAS) within the Department of Planning, establishing a highly regarded centre of excellence in urban design.  UDAS provided an important a training ground for many urban designers in NSW and increased understanding and respect of urban design within the planning system.  

Deb provided many years of service to the Australian Institute of Architects as a national councillor and NSW state president and has held a diverse range of senior executive positions including Commissioner for GSC; Executive Director Sydney Harbour Foreshore Trust and nine years at a National executive level at Stockland. 

Her PhD on the nexus between policy and urban outcomes for urban housing reflected her big picture thinking. She was also a founding member of the Henry Halloran Trust, a leading advocate for liveable cities which supports the Festival of Urbanism, research and scholarships.  

Deb is brave and courageous, following her own path and not being afraid to speak truth to power. She is highly respected for her ability to use her knowledge and diverse experience to get better processes and better places.