Towncentres
With a passion for transforming city landscapes through innovative urban design and architecture, Design Urban is a well-respected expert in the field. Our dedicated team of professionals brings together creativity and practicality to craft inspiring and sustainable urban environments that uplift communities. Specializing in urban planning, architectural design, and revitalization projects, Design Urban offers bespoke solutions tailored to the unique needs of each location. Our commitment to excellence, sustainability, and customer satisfaction ensures that every project we undertake exceeds expectations. Explore our gallery below to witness the work we have done internationally.
Town Centres
Darwin City Centre Master Plan
Steve Thorne led a team of multi-disciplinary consultants including Urbacity, Space Syntax, Clouston and Michels Warren Munday to produce a master plan for the City of Darwin. The project included four large public workshops as well as 90 smaller stakeholder workshops held over thirteen months to ensure a high level of stakeholder involvement and input. The project included new techniques for determining future land values. These methods ultimately led to Federal Government investments to increase infrastructure for the city centre, including the new Garramilla Boulevard. This link was proposed in the master plan and has now been constructed. The Darwin City Centre Master Plan included 72 design concepts aimed at improving streetscapes, public amenities, access, recreation and living opportunities, job creation opportunities, and new parkland. More than 50% of these concepts have been funded and completed. The Master Plan was awarded the Planning Excellence award by the Victorian Planning Institute of Victoria.
Ginninderry
Design Urban collaborated with Urbacity and Place Logic to design a new street-oriented town centre which forms the focus of the Ginninderry development in the Australian Capital Territory. The centre is consciously designed to be street-oriented with buildings facing public streets, while still incorporating the elements which make up large-format shopping centres. The intention is to provide “address-value” to attract commercial and residential uses which support the retail core. The town centre is designed to incorporate future light rail and includes a public square, a pedestrian-oriented “eat street”, as well as “parking streets” which reduce the need for large surface parking lots. An “urban forest” with a high level of tree canopy cover is included in the design of the centre and its streets, along with dedicated walking and cycling infrastructure.
Gosnells Town Centre
As City Designer for the City of Gosnells, Steve Thorne devised a revitalisation plan for the Gosnells Town Centre. The plan included strategies to increase the residential base of the town, improve the local economy and improve access to the town, including the relocation and redevelopment of a railway station. Community safety strategies formed a significant part of the rationale for revitalisation. A new Main Street was constructed increasing access and new opportunities for street-oriented retail outlets. State Government, Local Government and private sector investment in the town centre increased dramatically leading to an economic recovery of the centre.
At commencement the town centre was 40% vacant. Following the implementation of the Revitalisation Plan, significant funding was forthcoming for “key catalytic projects”. Vacancy rates have fallen to zero. The project has received numerous local, national and international awards, including the State and National PIA Award of Excellence for Urban Design and the Universal Design Award, judged in New York, Tokyo and London.
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