The Australian Urban Design Awards are a national annual urban design awards program.Australian Institute of Landscape Architects: "2011 Australian Award for Urban Design Announced", retrieved 17 October 2013 The Award is presented by the Planning Institute of Australia, Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.
Background Established in 2001, it is the successor of Prime Minister Paul Keating's Urban Design Task Force Award that began in 1996. PIA Awards Accessed 11 September 2015
The Awards are convened by the Planning Institute of Australia with the support of the following organisations: Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Green Building Council of Australia, Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Consult Australia, Engineers Australia, Urban Design Forum Australia and Government Architects Network Australia (GANA).
Award categories
Built outcomes This category recognises an outstanding work of city building that exemplifies an urban design project as a catalyst, improving what exists and anticipating and guiding what might come. Projects must be constructed and complete and able to demonstrate how they have improved place and resulted in broad public benefit. Awards are adjudicated in two scales: City and Regional Scale Local and Neighbourhood Scale
Strategic design and policy This category recognises an outstanding work of strategic design or urban policy that may transform the performance of an urban place and improve the quality of life of the community. Projects can range in scale and scope, but all should be strategic, innovative, deliverable, and able to demonstrate how they will improve the qualities of place and result in broader public benefits. Awards are adjudicated in two scales: City and Regional Scale Local and Neighbourhood Scale
Research and advocacy This category recognises outstanding work in urban design research or advocacy that has broad application and will improve urban quality of life in Australia. The research or advocacy must be published and publicly available, impartial and evidence-based, whilst also advancing knowledge and practice. Awards are adjudicated in two scales: City and Regional Scale Local and Neighbourhood Scale
Urban design champions This category added in 2025 recognises individuals who have had a significant impact on urban design, innovation and performance of urban places, working to improve the quality of life of communities. Urban champions can come from a diverse range of sectors, including planning, architecture, landscape and urban design disciplines. They will have made an outstanding contribution to collaboration, knowledge, education, advocacy, project design and delivery. Possible candidates may be for example: political champion, community champion, journalist, public servant, urban activist, developer or urban practitioner.
Recipients 2025: Jeremy McLeod – Architect, Breathe and Nightingale Projects 2025: Chris Thomas – Design Manager, City of Sydney (posthumous) 2026: Michael Rayner — Architect and urban designer 2026: Rob McGauran — Architect and urban designer 2026: Shelley Penn — Architect, educator and urbanist
Recipients Australian Urban Design Awards since 2001 Year Award category Project Location Team 2001 Winner Gosnells Town Centre Revitalisation Gosnells, Western Australia City of Gosnells 2002 Winner Steampacket Place, Geelong Waterfront Geelong, Victoria City of Greater Geelong 2003 Winner Cairns Esplanade Cairns, Queensland City of Cairns 2004 Winner Melbourne Docklands Melbourne, Victoria VicUrban 2004 Public Domain Award Victoria Park Urban Renewal Sydney, New South Wales Hassell, NSW Government Architects 2004 Heritage Waterfront Award Walsh Bay Redevelopment Sydney, New South Wales Walsh Bay Partnership, HPA & PTW 2005 Winner Places for People and Melbourne CBD and Pedestrian Traffic Study Melbourne, Victoria City of Melbourne, Gehl Architects 2005 Strategic Urban Design Award NSW Coastal Urban Design Initiative New South Wales Urban Design Advisory Service et al. 2005 Public Domain Award Point Fraser Stage 1 Perth, Western Australia Syrinx Environmental, City of Perth 2005 Research and Publication Award Fluid City: Transforming Melbourne's Urban Waterfront Melbourne, Victoria Kim Dovey 2006 Winner Balaclava Walk and Community Housing Melbourne, Victoria City of Port Phillip, MGS Architects 2006 Winner North Terrace Redevelopment Adelaide, South Australia City of Adelaide, Taylor Cullity Lethlean 2006 Education Award My Neighbourhood New South Wales Landcom 2006 Public Domain Award Sandridge Bridge Precinct Redevelopment Melbourne, Victoria Department of Sustainability & Environment, City of Melbourne 2007 Winner Coastal Towns Design Framework Victoria Department of Sustainability & Environment et al. 2008 Winner Bendigo City Centre: a journey of transformation and commitment to quality Bendigo, Victoria City of Greater Bendigo, Don Goldsworthy and Associates 2009 Winner Paddington Reservoir Gardens Sydney, New South Wales City of Sydney 2009 Winner Transforming Australian Cities Victoria Victorian Government and City of Melbourne 2010 Winner Inner Northern Busway Brisbane, Queensland Queensland Department of Transport, BVN Architecture 2010 Winner Geelong Youth Activities Precinct Geelong, Victoria City of Greater Geelong 2010 Winner Beyond the Pavement: RTA urban design policy New South Wales Roads & Traffic Authority 2011 Winner SW1 South Bank Urban Village Brisbane, Queensland South Bank Corporation, Cox Rayner Architects 2012 Winner: Delivered Large Scale Darling Quarter Sydney, New South Wales Lendlease 2012 Winner: Delivered Small Scale River Quay Brisbane, Queensland Arkhefield Architects and Cardno 2012 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Parramatta River Urban Design Strategy Sydney, New South Wales McGregor Coxall 2012 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Small Scale Penrith of the Future Sydney, New South Wales Campement Urbain 2013 Winner: Delivered Large Scale Northern Busway Brisbane, Queensland Tract Consultants et al. 2013 Winner: Delivered Small Scale Sydney Laneway Upgrades Sydney, New South Wales ASPECT Studios, City of Sydney 2013 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Linking Canberra City to the Lake Canberra, ACT ACT Office of the Coordinator General, Hill Thalis, et al. 2014 Winner: Delivered Large Scale NewActon Precinct Acton, Canberra Molonglo Group, Fender Katsalidis Architects, Oculus 2014 Winner: Delivered Large Scale Prince Alfred Park and Pool Sydney, New South Wales Neeson Murcutt Architects, Sue Barnsley Design, City of Sydney 2014 Winner: Delivered Small Scale Fremantle Esplanade Youth Plaza Fremantle, Western Australia Convic, City of Fremantle 2014 Winner: Policies, Programs & Concepts Small Scale The Goods Line Sydney, New South Wales Aspect Studios with Chrofi for the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority 2014 Winner: Sustained Contribution to Urban Design Urban Voices – celebrating urban design in Australia Bruce Echberg, Bill Chandler, John Byrne 2015 Winner: Delivered Large Scale Brookfield Place Perth, Western Australia Hassell, Fitzpatrick + Partners and Brookfield 2015 Winner: Delivered Small Scale Port Adelaide Renewal: Hart's Mill Surrounds Port Adelaide, South Australia Aspect Studios, Mulloway Studio and Renewal SA 2015 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Home:LIFE Making Livable Affordable & Sustainable Housing Choices Victoria SJB Urban and RMIT University 2015 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Sunshine Coast Light Rail: Shaping Our Future Sunshine Coast, Queensland Sunshine Coast Council and Hassell 2015 Winner: Policies, Programs & Concepts Small Scale Victoria Quay Enabling Precinct Plans Fremantle,Western Australia CODA, Fremantle Ports, Allerding & Associates & Creating Communities 2016 Winner: Delivered Large Scale Sydney Park Stormwater Re-Use Project Sydney, New South Wales Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership 2016 Winner: Delivered Small Scale Bowen Place Crossing ACT Lahznimmo Architects and Spackman Mossop Michaels 2016 Winner: Delivered Small Scale The Goods Line Sydney, New South Wales Aspect Studios, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, CHROFI and Gartner Rose 2016 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Turramurra Community Hub Masterplan Sydney, New South Wales CHROFI in association with Ku-ring-gai Council 2016 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Green Square Town Centre Sydney, New South Wales City of Sydney 2016 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Small Scale WGV at White Gum Valley White Gum Valley, Western Australia CODA Studio, Urbis, LandCorp and Josh Byrne and Associates 2017 Winner: Delivered Large Scale Tonsley Innovation District Adelaide, South Australia Oxigen, Woods Bagot, Tridente Architects, KBR, WSP and Renewal SA 2017 Winner: Delivered Small Scale Orange Regional Museum Orange, New South Wales Crone 2017 Winner: Policies, Programs and Concepts Large Scale Better Placed – An integrated design policy for the built environment of New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales Government Architect 2018 Winner: Built Projects – City and Regional Scale Bendigo Hospital Project Bendigo, Victoria Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart and Oculus 2018 Winner: Built Projects – Local and Neighbourhood Scale Main Street, Barcaldine