Select Projects + Experience

Department of Planning + Environment

The Planning Studio has assisted DPE Agile Planning to support the finalisation of a number of precinct plans, including for Glenfield, Rhodes and Bays West.

The Planning Studio has worked with DPE on the Bays West Precinct Stage 1 over numerous stages. For 18 months, Kate Bartlett consulted to DPE on the preparation a draft Master Plan and Place Based Transport Strategy, which formed the basis for new planning controls for land in and around the White Bay Power Station and future Metro Station. Other staff from The Planning Studio have also been involved with the preparation of various strategies and technical reports while employed in positions prior to The Planning Studio.

The masterplan and planning controls seek to deliver a precinct that provides for new employment, mixed use, cultural and community facility uses that are also integrated with the continuing port and working harbour uses. Provide for new harbour parklands and public domain spaces throughout the precincts, adaptive reuse of the White Bays Power Station for community, cultural and commercial uses and new active and public transport connections.

The Planning Studio continue to work with DPE and Placemaking NSW to realise the vision for one of the last harbour precincts in Sydney.

[image source: Department of Planning +

Bayside Council

The Planning Studio worked with Bayside Council to finalise their 2022 Development Control Plan (DCP), the key planning instrument guiding development across the LGA. A key deliverable was to successfully integrate the planning controls of the previous two LGA’s (Rockdale and Botany Bay) into a consistent and consolidated document that also utilised ‘best practice’ principles and streamlined unnecessary overlap with other existing statutes.

The Planning Studio completed a detailed review of existing DCPs, preparation of a ‘gap’ and ‘overlap’ analysis, along with existing ‘best practice’ to agree structure and recommended changes.

The comprehensive DCP was included amendments and new development controls, within a revised structure that aligned to ‘best practice’ contemporary planning and policy structure. The consolidated DCP also supports a more consistent, clear and effective assessment of development applications for both staff and applicants.

The DCP was prepared collaboratively with Council staff every step of the way. This included detailed working sessions with DA and strategic planning staff ensure the proposed DCP controls responsive to issues and supported delivery of good development assessment and planning outcomes for the Bayside communities.

The Planning Studio also provided recommendations to Council about ‘future updates’ required to the DCP as further urban design work was progressed in the LGA.

[image source: Bayside Council]

Department of Regional NSW

In partnership with HillPDA, The Planning Studio designed + delivered a comprehensive stakeholder engagement program to inform the development of strategic directions and recommendations for six sub-regions across the North Coast and New England North West regions of NSW. These recommendations were developed with councils to tackle housing affordability and availability issues within their LGA and across the sub-regions.

Engagement with councils, industry and key community stakeholders was a critical part of the primary research. The engagement provided a more detailed understanding of key housing challenges and opportunities across the LGAs and regions.

[image source: Department of Regional NSW]

Hawkesbury City Council

The Planning Studio, in partnership with SGS Economics & Planning and Impact Policy AU, is leading the preparation of the Hawkesbury Social Infrastructure Strategy to support Council, the community, businesses and organisations to identify priorities specific to the local spatial context, quantity gaps and community expectations that will contribute to building a connected, resilient, and equitable LGA.

At the heart of this project will be the extensive engagement with local communities, Aboriginal Elders and knowledge holders, businesses and community groups to understand the needs and aspirations for the future.

Social infrastructure connects places and people together, contributes to increased community wellbeing and leads to happier people. They can be places that people, no matter who they are, where they are from or how much they have can feel a sense of belonging. These uncertain times have made it even more important to build and maintain community cohesion.

[image source: Hawkesbury City Council]

The Planning Studio works regularly for both private and government clients to progress planning proposals, development control plans (DCPs) and other strategic instruments through the NSW statutory planning system.

We assist our clients in the Preparation and review of Local Environmental Plans (LEP) + Development Control Plans (DCP), State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPP), as well as undertaking an independent peer review for Councils or the Department of Planning and Environment for planning proposals.

Our team can lead and coordinate the development of major precinct planning projects and have delivered successful outcomes for agencies such as DPE, local Councils, and the Greater Cities Commission from establishing and coordinating multi-disciplinary project teams, through to structure planning, and plan making, including drafting of statutory development controls and guidelines.

[image source: NSW Government]

April McCabe has worked with the Northern Region team on multiple engagement projects. For this project, The Planning Studio designed and delivered an online engagement program to support the finalisation of the North Coast Regional Plan 2041.

Community members across the northern rivers and mid-north coast of NSW were engaged through a number of online workshops. Interviews + meetings were also conducted with Chambers of Commerce, universities, regional arts and cultural organisations, local Council Advisory Committee members and key stakeholders.

A detailed engagement report was prepared, which included the key themes and priorities discussed as well as strategic planning recommendations to inform the finalisation of the Regional Plan based on strategic planning expertise and engagement findings.

[image source: Department of Planning + Environment]

Department of Planning & Environment

The Planning Studio worked as the statutory planning lead consultant as part of a wider consultant group led by Ramboll. With DPE, this project aimed to provide streamlined delivery mechanisms to achieve the vision of a year-round tourist destination for the Snowy Mountains.

With DPE, National Parks and Wildlife Services, and Snowy Monaro Regional Council, The Planning Studio partnered with Ramboll and prepared: a new Development Control Plan (DCP) for Jindabyne, a Delivery Plan (DP) for the Jindabyne Catalyst Precincts and a new DCP for the Alpine Precincts.

The DP and DCPs provide a place-based framework responding to the natural, physical and socio-economic characteristics of the local area. Overarching design principles support the vision and provide a link between the precincts and the wider regional context.

These documents are critical to implementing the SAP vision through resilient design and planning objectives, development controls that set a benchmark for best-practice development through a streamlined assessment process.

[image Source: Department of Planning and Environment]

City of Sydney

The Planning Studio, in partnership with Spark & Co. designed and delivered a collaborative engagement approach and with a LGBTQIA+ and business community working group, co-authored the Oxford Street Precinct Pride Business Charter.

The Pride Business Charter aims to create a consistent approach to diversity and inclusion within the Oxford Street Precinct with specific focus on the diverse LGBTIQA+ community, support visibility and understanding to create a welcoming space and create a thriving business precinct that aligns with the LGBTIQA+ identity.

At the heart of our approach was establishing a working group, who were the co-authors of the Pride Charter. The working group represented a diversity of businesses and LGBTIQA+ voices and importantly members of the LGBTIQA+ community that are typically underrepresented. This group demonstrated the intersectionality of the Oxford Street Precinct community resulting in a suite of documents that will contribute to the definition of the contemporary LGBTIQA+ experience.

Read the Charter here.

[image source: City of Sydney]

The Planning Studio works with many government and not-for-profit organisations across NSW to support the delivery of affordable housing and other critical community services such as pre schools and temporary accommodation.

The Planning Studio works with our client and St George Community Housing to obtain development consent for multiple sites across Sydney for a minimum of 25 years of affordable housing consistent with the Government’s Social and Affordable Housing Fund.

We also have worked with multiple Government agencies include DPE and Sydney Olympic Park Authority to prepare affordable housing policies and programs.

We also work with regional government bodies to assist with improved delivery of housing and affordable housing in regional areas of NSW.

[source image: affordable housing development Marrickville, Nordon Jago]

Cultural Organisations + development clients

We pride ourselves on working with cultural and creative organisations as well as our private sector clients that are looking to provide additional social value through the redevelopment of their property assets.

Using our experience in social and cultural planning, we provide advisory services to clients about the types of social, community, cultural + creative uses that could be integrated within the development proposal to provide public benefit. By mapping the existing activities + infrastructure, we are able to provide informed recommendations that balance the needs of the project, client + will benefit the wider community.

We also work with cultural and creative organisations to help navigate the development assessment process in a way that is responsive to the needs of the individual organisations.

[image source: The Planning Studio]

City of Canada Bay

Working alongside the City of Canada Bay, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW and The Burdekin Association, The Planning Studio designed and delivered a bespoke and affirming training program for emerging community leaders to increase social cohesion within the Canada Bay LGA.

This leadership program aimed to broadening the capabilities of emerging leaders so they have the skills and abilities to establish connections, and broaden their community networks with diverse people and other community groups across the LGA. The program also aimed to facilitate stronger networks and partnerships between Council and community groups/leaders.

The program was delivered over 10 sessions, and covered skills development areas including what makes a good leader, through to community engagement and event management skills.

[image source: City of Canada Bay]

Greater Cities Commission

The Planning Studio was engaged by the Greater Cities Commission to assist the strategic planning team to review and provide options to amend existing statutory planning policies and regulations, to achieve the Commission’s goal to increase the supply of diverse housing types and tenures, including affordable rental and social housing as part of the District and Region Plan Review.

Throughout this project, we provided an expertise and comprehensive understanding of the strategic and statutory planning framework governing the delivering of housing in NSW, as well as the strategic, social planning perspective and a political understanding of the issues relating to housing delivery - which are complex and nuanced.

The report outlined the multi-faceted problem definition, including the complexity of legislation and delivery timeframes through to the financing and feasibility. We also provided the Greater Cities Commission with a detailed listing of existing statutory levers and legislative changes that would contribute to the increase of housing across Greater Sydney, including social and affordable housing typologies.

[image source: Australian Bureau of Statistics]

Department of Planning + Environment

The Planning Studio, in partnership with Patch Planning undertook research + a preliminary review of the current signage + advertising planning provisions to modernise the approach and assessment of signage + advertising in NSW.

Engagement with local Councils, industry representatives and academic experts is a critical aspect of the primary research to inform the development of options.

Understanding what makes smart cities and the digital innovations supporting out-of-home advertising into a media platform — something more engaging and interactive than a traditional billboard — and how we ensure planning provisions respond to these changes through a more contemporary planning framework is at the heart of this research.

[image source: Department of Planning + Environment]