SPEAKERS

Gilbert Rochecouste

GILBERT is a well-loved speaker and presenter. He is recognised locally and internationally as a leading voice in placemaking and the creation of vibrant, resilient loved places. He is a highly sought-after speaker and skilled facilitator for community and stakeholder engagement activities and has worked with over 2,500 cities, towns, mainstreets and communities over the past 33 years.

Tim Black

Tim leads large and complex projects. He is especially interested in infrastructure, strategic masterplanning, urban renewal and urban design projects that benefit many people. Tim has led BKK design teams for our largest infrastructure projects. These include the North East Link Primary Package, the current North East Link South Package, and the Lilydale, Mooroolbark and Merinda Park station Level Crossing Removal projects for SEPA (South Eastern Program Alliance). Tim enjoys business development, collaboration and professional relationships. These are crucial qualities for a leader of large projects with complex consultation requirements. Tim’s North East Link work incorporates Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung culture and knowledge profoundly and thoroughly. North East Link is the first road project to use the award winning International Indigenous Design Charter principles. Tim has lectured nationally and internationally on BKK Architects’ design practice. His MBA and civil engineering studies mean he brings to projects a deep understanding of business and construction.

Kaylee Anderson

Kaylee Anderson is an Aboriginal woman and community member from Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta/Bangerang
Countries in New South Wales and Victoria. She has worked in Aboriginal Affairs for the past 18 years across
the public, not-for-profit, Aboriginal community controlled, and private sectors.
Kaylee has industry experience in architecture and urban and landscape design. She has a comprehensive
understanding of major infrastructure projects and has led Traditional Owner collaborations that elevate
cultural wisdom, protect Country, and forge long-term relationships. With postgraduate qualifications, Kaylee
approaches business development and policy development analytically to achieve sustainable outcomes. Her
years of experience and go-getter attitude can transform companies into inclusive, diverse organisations that
navigate the landscape with ease.
Kaylee is passionate and dedicated to Indigenous women’s empowerment and improving outcomes to promote
gender equality. Kaylee was a Civil Society Delegate on the Australian Government Delegation to the 67th
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Kaylee also attended the 68th session of the CSW
in 2024.

Miriam Wassef

Miriam brings over a decade of experience in Local Government, with expertise in placemaking, economic development, stakeholder engagement and strategic communications. As Executive Manager at Burwood Council, she has led transformative projects that reimagine public spaces, build stronger community connections, and revitalise the night-time economy. With a background in psychology, Miriam is deeply committed to building inclusive, vibrant communities that inspire creativity, celebrate culture, and nurture a deep sense of belonging.

Victoria Moxey

Victoria is the Director of Programs at the Office of 24-Hour Economy Commissioner leading a portfolio of place-based economic development programs supporting collaborative working models - such as the Uptown District Acceleration Program and the Purple Flag accreditation scheme - to support a more vibrant, diverse and safe 24-hour economy for Sydney and NSW.

Shaun Gallagher

Shaun is a Senior Principal of Populous and sits on the Regional Board of the Asian Pacific office. He is an architect with over 30 years’ experience, particularly in Major Events, Stadia and Racecourses. He has been involved in Populous’ work on six Olympic & Paralympic Games including in the planning, bidding, delivery and Overlay stages and is passionate about developing a thriving legacy for a city once a Major Event is over.
Some of this experience includes feasibility for the 2032 Olympics in SE Queensland, legacy elements of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the London 2012 Olympic bid team, rigorous benchmarking and master planning studies for Beijing 2008 Olympics and overlay planning for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Populous was named 2019 Exporter of the Year and Shaun has a great interest in the importance and value of Services exports. He has been involved in the success of many Populous projects in the Asia Pacific Region, particularly in Korea, India, China and the Pacific.
He also has a special interest in working in the Pacific and encouraging the development of sporting infrastructure to help the health, education and wellbeing of people.

Andrew Coward

Andrew is an experienced placemaker, built environment strategist, and engagement specialist with over 15 years of experience working across Australia, South East Asia and Japan. With a focus on the nexus between place strategy and ‘real world’, on ground implementation, his consultancy works with a range of major Australasian development and funds management clients, local councils, state governments and community organisations to create thriving, successful destinations and vibrant, connected communities. Andrew is the Sydney District Council Chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a founding member of its Asia Pacific Placemaking Product Council, a member of the NSW Government’s 24-Hour Economy Advisory Group and was previously an advisory board member of the Design Futures Council in Australia. His consultancy recently won the Best Main Street Place Activation award in Australia as part of the 2023 Main Street Awards.

Ben De Marchi

Ben loves his work because he gets to creatively and collaboratively work with others to help create places that people enjoy and feel connected to. By providing urban design expertise that blends the highly-nuanced qualities of innovation and pragmatism, Ben helps his clients to achieve public equity, commercial fulfilment and a sense of place. Now with over 24 years of urban design experience under his belt, Ben joined TBB in 1997 and became a partner in 2003. He holds a Bachelor (Hons) in Urban & Regional Planning from Curtin University and a Master of Arts in Urban Design from Oxford-Brookes in the UK. He is a member of Planning institute of Australia. Ben was born in the tiny Wheatbelt town of Kununoppin and grew up in the Cable Beach waves and mango orchards of Broome. He now lives with his family in Como. He is most proud of the Perth City Link and The Village at Wellard projects for their focus on place and responsive design.

Ron Jones FAILA

Ron is a landscape architect who champions public space design that reveals a sense of place which is inherent rather than applied, and that prioritises making workable settings for daily life over flaunting creativity. He was one of the authors of the 1984 Royal Park Master Plan, which set out a vision for the park that continues to have widespread community support. Beginning in 1985, he played a key role in developing the City of Melbourne’s urban design strategy and varied projects supporting that strategy. Since establishing Jones & Whitehead in 2000 he has contributed to projects across Victoria. Ron is a valued design critic and mentor, has been a member of the Victorian Design Review Panel since its establishment in 2012, and was named one of ten esteemed Fellows as part of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architect’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016.

Brooke Williams

Brooke is an urban designer passionate about creating vibrant, connected and activated communities through inclusive decision-making in the built environment. With over 17 years of experience, she has championed placemaking and led several award-winning projects recognised for their fresh approach and demonstrated outcomes. Brooke’s achievements include launching Fourfold Studio, co-founding UR{BNE} Collective, co-hosting Australia’s first Diner en Blanc, and serving on design and placemaking advisory panels. Her work fosters innovative collaboration with local stakeholders to shape more dynamic and inclusive urban spaces.

Stephen Burton

Stephen is the founder of POMO, a multi-awarded Artistic Placemaking Design and Delivery practice. He is also the host of The Placemakers - a new podcast on Spotify. Stephen's practice threads layers of local meaning, storytelling into a wide range of public realm projects. He designs and delivers creative, bespoke outcomes - often in collaboration with artists and makers, that personalise places and help to create places that are meaningful and are widely championed by the communities in which they exist.

Dr Lissa van Camp

For the past 20 years, Dr Lissa van Camp has worked to ensure that some of our nation’s most complex mega infrastructure projects have appropriately considered sustainability, environmental and social outcomes. Lissa joined Suburban Rail Loop Authority in 2020 and leads the team responsible for developing Victoria’s first fully interactive digital Environment Effects Statement - a ground-breaking and innovative piece of work that has secured the necessary approvals to build the rail infrastructure for Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop. Lissa is now spearheading an unprecedented urban planning program, leading the precinct structure planning that will ensure the delivery of SRL as a rail line, while also providing for well serviced communities and more homes that will support Melbourne’s growth. As a highly accomplished and trusted expert, Lissa provides technical advice and leadership across major infrastructure project approvals, managing complex stakeholder relationships to cultivate a collaborative, transparent and delivery-focused project culture. Lissa has a broad range of experiences, having started her career in academia before moving into consulting where she worked on flagship infrastructure projects, ranging from channel deepening, flood mitigation and regional road and rail projects to nuclear waste storage facilities. Lissa holds a PhD in marine molecular sciences from Flinders University in South Australia, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours from James Cook University in Queensland. Lissa’s accomplishments include serving on the Board of the Committee for Adelaide, investigating South Australia’s opportunity to participate in the Royal Commission into the nuclear fuel cycle. She is a trusted and respected leader who has provided expert briefings to the Prime Minister, state premiers, federal and state treasurers and ministers.

Mark van den Enden

As Group Director of the Architectus Communities portfolio, Mark leads the national strategy, growth, and leadership development across the Education, Public, and Urban Futures sectors. With expertise in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design, he has played a pivotal role in shaping city-defining projects through strategic analysis, briefing, design, and delivery. Mark is highly adept at client and stakeholder engagement, fostering collaborative partnerships that drive innovative and successful design outcomes.

Georgie Birch

With more than 25 years of experience in city planning, economic development, and placemaking, Georgie is a passionate and pragmatic leader committed to creating vibrant, people-centered spaces. Currently leading a dynamic team in Stonnington, Georgie is driving economic growth through a place-led approach that connects communities with the places they love. With a background in town planning across state and local government, private consulting, and advisory roles, Georgie thrives on tackling challenges and delivering innovative solutions that enhance both communities and places. A Fellow of the Williamson Community Leadership Program (2023), Georgie’s leadership approach is grounded in values of authenticity, transparency, and kindness.

Tom Oliver Payne

Tom is the National Place Strategy Director at Hoyne, where he leads the team delivering place strategies for major precincts across Australia. With a background in urbanism from the University of Sydney and the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL), Tom brings a global perspective to shaping places that blend design excellence with community insight. His experience spans high-profile urban renewal, town centre and greenfield projects, working at the intersection of placemaking, branding, and development. Tom also teaches Urban Design and Placemaking at the University of Sydney and regularly speaks at industry forums about how purposeful placemaking can unlock both economic and social value.

Catherine Carter

Catherine Carter is a leader in the built environment, with a distinguished career spanning advocacy, urban policy and industry engagement. She is the CEO of national design practice DJAS Architecture, Founder and Managing Director of think-tank Salon Canberra and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra.

Catherine has made a significant contribution to shaping conversations about cities, design and Canberra’s future, bringing together leaders from government, business, academia and the arts along with the broader community. A regular media commentator, she has been recognised through a range of industry and community awards and continues to influence discussions about place, design, innovation and community, shaping the way we think about cities.

Michele McSharry

With over 25 years of global experience in architectural and urban design, Michele has shaped city-defining projects in Sydney, London, and Singapore—establishing herself as a leader in high-tech, high-density innovation precincts. Specialising in master planning, urban renewal, and mixed-use developments, she takes a strategic, design-led approach to creating future-ready, economically resilient places. Michele’s expertise in governance, economic models and community engagement ensures bold ideas are transformed into sustainable innovation ecosystems.

James Reid

James Reid is an urban planner who is committed to creating inclusive, sustainable places that evoke belonging and meaning for those who experience them. This commitment has been reflected throughout his career, in which he has gravitated towards values and purpose-driven organisations. He has held leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, having held a wide range of strategic, operational and regulatory portfolios. He is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia, a past President of its Victorian Division and former editor of Planning News. As the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust’s Chief Built Environment Officer, he leads a team responsible for sustainably designing, constructing, and maintaining over 620ha of public land to serve the needs of some of Australia’s most culturally diverse communities. James is particularly inspired by the vision for GMCT’s new site at Harkness, which seeks to reimagine how a public memorial park can best serve a 21st century social and environmental context.

Sara Stace

Sara is a city-shaper guided by a deep belief in streets as places for people and communities to connect. With 30 years working across government, not-for-profits and consulting – including as lead author of Australia’s National Urban Design Protocol in 2013 – she’s helped reshape how we think about urban design and streets. Now Director of Cities at Vivendi Consulting, Sara brings strategic clarity and purpose to creating walkable, inclusive neighbourhoods.

Mary Jeavons

Mary Jeavons is a Registered Landscape Architect, a Fellow of the Institute of Landscape Architects, and Founding Director of Jeavons Landscape Architects, with over 35 years’ experience.
Her fields of interest and experience include the design of public parks, play spaces, school grounds, early childhood and early intervention centres, therapeutic environments and play strategies for whole municipalities. Mary has a particular interest in inclusive, accessible design, has written and presented extensively on this topic. Mary represents Play Australia on the AS Standards Committee CS5 for playground safety and has a sophisticated understanding of the safety standards for children’s play environments. She is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars both within Australia and overseas.

Mark Gillingham

Mark Gillingham is a Registered Landscape Architect with over 25 years experience practicing in Australia and Europe. GLAS’ work includes a wide variety of design projects from large scale masterplanning down to the smallest pocket parks with a focus on creating social, biodiverse places that embrace natural systems.

Nick Bourns RAIA

Nick Bourns RAIA is a Director at NH Architecture, a Victorian Chapter Councillor and Chair of the Large Practice Forum. His design leadership is driven by a desire to embed a meaningful response to place and Country in his projects and informed by wholehearted engagement with the community, stakeholders and user groups.

Nina Sharpe

Nina is leading 300,000 Streets, an Earthshot within the Regen Melbourne portfolio and a declaration of intent to transform the city's 300,000 streets into a thriving, interconnected network of regenerative spaces. This work is about empowering Melbourne's citizens to step into their agency and actively participate in creating the climate-resilient neighbourhoods we need. Previously, she served as Head of Impact at a social enterprise, exploring regenerative agriculture and farm regeneration, new philanthropy models, and community leadership. This experience deepened her understanding of how systemic change happens when we connect people, purpose, and place. As a creative thinker and generalist, she navigates multiple layers of society to spot patterns of change and climate action, designing pathways to the future we need. Her background spans content creation, stakeholder relations, project management, and strategic communication - skills she uses to translate complex systems thinking into actionable community engagement. Having spent much of her career in education, Nina is a lifelong learner who believes that continuous growth is essential, especially as we rethink how we live to better care for our planet and protect future generations' livelihoods. She is passionate about empowering people to make positive change. When we can see transformation in our own backyards and streets, our hope brightens. If we have the courage to navigate ambiguity together, the future is incredibly hopeful.

Dorota Bacal

Dorota is a trusted advisor with expertise in strategic consulting, problem-solving, and organisational transformation. She specialises in assessing complex challenges, structuring actionable solutions, and guiding organisations through change to achieve meaningful outcomes. Her ability to analyse needs, engage stakeholders, and develop targeted strategies makes her a key resource for decision-makers. Throughout her career, Dorota has worked with organisations across diverse industries, providing advisory services in sustainability, digital transformation, and operational improvement. Her expertise lies in uncovering underlying business challenges, distilling complex information into clear recommendations, and delivering strategies that drive efficiency and long-term success. As a Business Consultant at ARKANCE, Dorota helps customers navigate complex challenges by developing tailored service offerings that enhance workflows, improve efficiency, and drive business performance. She works closely with stakeholders to align strategic objectives with practical solutions, ensuring every engagement delivers measurable value and long-term impact.

Nicole Allen

Nicole Allen works across urbanism and architecture leading complex, multidisciplinary projects that span urban design, architecture, strategy, and master planning. At Arup, she heads large design teams across Australasia, working on transformative precincts and infrastructure that aim to make cities fairer, more generous, and more ecologically regenerative. Nicole brings a principled, design-led approach to every stage of the project lifecycle—from conceptual design and research through to delivery. Her work is grounded in the belief that cities are the physical manifestation of our values—and that integrated design can help bend those values toward equity, resilience and reciprocity, for both people and planet. Her work leverages the power of multidisciplinary intelligence, drawing on the combined strengths of diverse disciplines to deliver richer, smarter, more enduring outcomes. She has led major urban and architectural projects across residential, education, commercial and public infrastructure sectors, navigating complex political and stakeholder landscapes. Previously an Associate at Grimshaw Architects in Melbourne and SHoP Architects in New York, Nicole has taught design studios at the University of Melbourne and Columbia University, and sits on the Urban Design Advisory Board at the Melbourne School of Design. Nicole holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She is a strong advocate for ecologically responsive, socially generous design—working to align economy and ecology to create places that give more than they take.

Dr Michael Cohen

Dr Michael Cohen is the director of City People, an Australian organisation committed to strategising, planning and implementing arts and cultural programs that build stronger communities and better places. City People's projects include creative placemaking strategy, implementation planning and project delivery. Current clients include Singapore National Arts Council, NSW Health Infrastructure, Transport for NSW and Bradfield Development Authority. With a background as a practising artist, Michael subsequently spent eight years working as a creative producer for NSW State government. Here he worked at the forefront of strategy and implementation for arts and culture-led placemaking projects in some of the most visited precincts in Australia. City People was founded in 2017 because the directors saw a gap between arts and cultural policy for places and the actual experiences of people on the ground. With over 50 years in combined experience as practicing artists, placemaking creative producers and arts strategists for governments, they decided to fill this gap as experts who could speak the language of artists, communities and government.

Louise Westwood

Louise Westwood is a Senior Associate at Hatch, specialising in Place and Engagement. With extensive experience in placemaking and community development, Louise is passionate about creating vibrant, resilient and sustainable urban spaces that reflect the needs and aspirations of their communities.

Join Louise Ford as she explores the transformative potential of digital technologies in placemaking.

Dr Anna Edwards

Dr Anna Edwards is a leading expert in night-time economies, urban governance, and economic research. She co-founded Ingenium Research, a consultancy specialising in data-driven insights. As a Research Fellow in Urban Studies at the Melbourne Centre for Cities, she works on the Night Shift project, a study that examines night work in Australia. Her PhD in Urban Analysis and Development / Economic Geography, completed in 2024, focused on night-time economy policymaking and governance in Australian cities. She also holds an MSc in Economic Development Research and Policy and a BA in Business Studies. With experience across government, academia, not-for-profit, and consultancy, Anna advises policymakers and businesses on creating safer, more vibrant 24-hour cities.

Nikos Kalogeropoulos

Nikos Kalogeropoulos is a Director of Molonglo, a property developer established in 1964 with projects in Athens, Melbourne and Canberra.

Molonglo sees property development as the willing of architecture into being; from an abstraction of drawings and ideas into something to be touched, inhabited and lived in. They are committed to the creation of landscape-led built environments that foster connections between people.

Molonglo’s diverse projects include the mixed-use neighbourhood of NewActon and Hotel Hotel (now Ovolo Nishi); a new centre for creative work in Collingwood, Melbourne; the sensitive restoration of a series of buildings in Athens giving them a new life through careful renovation and repair; and  a 14-hectare neighbourhood named Dairy Road in Canberra where light industry, working, living, recreation and entertainment will take place in a native landscape setting.

After initially studying philosophy and ancient history at the ANU, Nikos graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Commerce before completing a CPA. After various consultancy engagements including the Commonwealth Commercialisation Task Force and the International Education Foundation (New Delhi), he held a number of senior roles in Government. In 2007, Nikos received the Commissioner for Public Administration Award, recognising his contributions to Strategic Finance. In 2008 he was appointed CFO of Territory and Municipal Services and the ACTION Transport Authority before joining Molonglo in 2011.

Nikos is also co-founder and board member of the Australian Dance Party. He enjoys performing live music, stand-up poetry, and engaging in discussions on urbanism and philosophy.

Marc Debney

Marc leads Genton’s commitment to exceptional design across a diverse portfolio spanning transport, education, arts and cultural institutions, and bespoke residential projects. His architectural leadership draws on a background in visual arts and a passion for urban design, resulting in projects that are both contextually sensitive and community-focused. Working across multiple typologies and scales - from large public infrastructure to adaptive reuse, Marc places a strong emphasis on architecture that interacts meaningfully with the public realm. His approach centres on creating enduring, people-centred spaces that support sustainability, connection, and legacy. As a Principal at Genton, Marc ensures the delivery of high-quality outcomes through thoughtful design strategy, studio-wide collaboration, and strong client relationships. His dedication to design excellence and placemaking reflects Genton’s core values, with each project grounded in functionality, inclusivity, and long-term value for both clients and communities.

Dr. Cris Hernandez-Santin

Cris has over 15 years of experience in regenerative design and is one of the authors who first coined the term regenerative placemaking. She has a PhD in Biodiversity Inclusive Design from RMIT, a process to bring non-human voices into 'city-making' processes. Cris's passion for learning and sharing knowledge and her system-thinking skills translate into an evidence-based and nuanced understanding of your place. When she is not strategising how to help places and communities, you will find her teaching or volunteering at the Regenerative Melbourne Design Forum. Cris also enjoys, reading, cooking, spending time with her family and friends and helping people connect with nature.

Emma Hall

Emma is a strategic placemaker and innovator with experience in Architecture, Urban Design, Community Engagement, Social Programming, and Strategy. She has delivered Village Well's largest projects over the last years, such as Community Housing Placemaking Frameworks, University Master Plans, and city-shaping projects. Her strategic oversight ensures alignment with client and stakeholder aspirations, providing the best outcomes for places and communities and building the capacity of those involved. She oversees all Village Well projects to ensure the level of quality and impact that Village Well is known for. Her other passion for coaching football(soccer) means you might see her coaching marginalised women each week.

Claire Martin

Claire Martin is an award-winning landscape architect and Associate Director at OCULUS, known for her systems approach across a range of scales from insect hotels to public spaces, through to statewide greening strategies. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Claire has curated projects across Australia, focusing on material thinking and landscape performance, creating places that support connection and resilience. A Fellow and past National President of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, she is a sought-after speaker and design advocate. Passionate about mentoring, Claire encourages the next generation of designers to reimagine their role in improving our everyday.