The hotly-debated Bunda Street Shareway was one of the notable winners at this week’s ACT Planning for Excellence Awards and is now in the running for an Australian-wide gong at the Planning Institute’s national awards in 2015.
The ACT Awards celebration was held on Tuesday this week (9 December) at The Loft in O’Connor.
The Bunda Street Shareway – a controversial project that mixes shared spaces for cars, bikes and pedestrians – won the ‘Hard Won Victory’ category for the project team GTA Consultants, McGregor and Roads ACT. The judges applauded the project’s innovative pedestrian and bike-friendly approach to retrofitting an existing street especially, noting the confines of a limited budget. The Shareway is currently under construction in the City Centre and is expected to become a model for other shareways in the capital.
A major report draws on the interrelationship between transport and housing was also among the award winners. The Housing and Infrastructure Study took out the Cutting Edge Research and Training Award for its ‘city shaping’ approach: using transport infrastructure to boost the supply of housing land within existing urban footprints by raising the intensity of its use. The Cutting Edge Research and Training Award was awarded to the report’s authors at SGS Economics and Planning.
The sought-after accolade of Outstanding Achievement by a Young Planner was won by Charlene Liau for her active involvement within her profession and for giving planning issues a profile within Federal Government.
Commendations were made to the National Capital Authority for the West Basin Design Guidelines; to the Strategic Planning Division ACT Government for The City Plan; to Brian H. Roberts for "Managing Secondary Systems and Cities: Policy Responses in International Development"; and Rashed Yamin for a Young Planner award.
The incoming National President of PIA Brendan Nelson was on hand to present the Awards. In his welcoming remarks Mr Nelson spoke about his priorities as President; how he wanted to ensure that PIA leads in both advocating for better planning and in equipping urban and regional planners to deliver high-quality outcomes for current and future generations.
Media Contact: George Inglis, PIA Strategic Communications 0431 131 156