Campbell 5 team wins planning award

The Campbell 5 complex: high-quality urban environment. Photos: File.

Work to enhance Haig Park and Constitution Avenue has won awards from the Planning Institute of Australia.

The Institute announced its four ACT awards virtually on Thursday, with the commending of seven other projects.

Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, and the Suburban Land Agency impressed the judges with their master planning process and delivery of a high-quality urban environment for Campbell Section 5 taking out the From Plan To Place category.

”With a major frontage to Constitution Avenue, Campbell Section 5, an urban renewal project, provides a cohesive relationship with the well planned and designed public open spaces and streets,” the Institute said.

”Campbell Section 5 reinforces the base of the National Triangle as a prestigious address of the National Capital.”

Haig Park in Braddon has long been under-utilised, perceived as unsafe and primarily used as a thoroughfare but the Haig Park Experiments adopted a community-led, place-planning approach that has changed that view.

The Institute said it had helped identify and drive park improvements, new infrastructure and long-term programming, leading to greater community custodianship of Haig Park.

The consortium of the City Renewal Authority, University of Canberra, Tait Network, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, and Dionysus won the Institute’s Public Engagement and Community Engagement award.

Haig Park in Braddon: space for community.

”With a major frontage to Constitution Avenue, Campbell Section 5, an urban renewal project, provides a cohesive relationship with the well planned and designed public open spaces and streets,” the Institute said. ”Campbell Section 5 reinforces the base of the National Triangle as a prestigious address of the National Capital.”

In the category Improving Planning Processes and Practices, judges awarded Inhabit Place for its data and analytical tool, which can monitor and evaluate public spaces, allowing for the quantifiable and truthful collection and analysis of place data.

The Young Planner of the Year award went to town planner Skylar Sin Chan at SPACELAB Studio.

”As a critical and strategic thinker Skylar has overcome several challenges in his professional career to develop strong advocacy and leadership skills with the PIA Young Planners and in his workplace,” the Institute said.

The ACT winners will go on to PIA’s National Awards for planning excellence.