Fourth Australian New Urbanism Congress

Themed as “From Plans to Places”, the Congress focussed on presenting and reviewing built outcomes, including the successes and the challenges to do better. A lively and diverse program featured speakers and projects from around Australia, as well as several presentations by the three impressive international keynote speakers, Stef Polyzoides (CNU co-founder) from Pasadena in USA, Paul Murrain from UK, and Brian O’Looney, from Torti Gallas, in Washington DC. Many delegates agreed it was the best ACNU Congress yet, with high quality presentations, good interaction and discussion, and plenty of networking. The Congress Program and presentations will be placed on the ACNU website www.acnu.org in June.

The TOD Master Class spent three days developing design solutions for two distinctly different TOD sites – one in Woodville, an incremental intensification project around a station in an older established part of Adelaide, and the other in the northern suburbs – Elizabeth Regional Centre – a huge enclosed mall in a sea of car parking, with an empty site across the rail tracks.

During the Congress, delegates toured Mawson Lakes, now transforming into a surprisingly dense and lively mixed use place with a newly-built station, catalysed by university students and defence personnel. Other tours went to the emerging infill projects of Lights View and Lochiel Park, and incremental intensification projects throughout the City Centre. Delegates also got to experience Adelaide’s lively nightlife, as well as an opening reception with the famed Zoo pandas, Wang Wang and Funi.