The Australian Urban Design Awards were announced last night at Parliament House, Canberra.  TCL with our key collaborators were awarded top awards in two categories – Southbank Boulevard won the top award in “Built Projects – Local and Neighbourhood Scale”, The Greenline Project won the top award in “Leadership, Research & Advocacy - City and Regional Scale”.

Southbank Boulevard

TCL worked with the City of Melbourne and Mike Hewson to develop and deliver the design of Southbank Boulevard – a premier street - creating a pedestrian-focused destination. This “transformational urbanism” is realised by rationalising road infrastructure alongside a legible, connected open space. 

City of Melbourne’s vision for Southbank Boulevard was founded in three key themes, resulting in improved biodiversity and an ecologically connected urban landscape development. The three themes explore pre-European settlement, the boulevard as a biodiversity corridor, and connecting people to nature.   The site has been transformed - once heavily focused on auto transport - into a scenic connection for visitors to the city via a green corridor. A new connective thread was achieved for people to experience the City and the Yarra River.

The jury said, "The transformation of Southbank Boulevard seized an opportunity to prioritise space for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport. Designers working with multiple state authorities and more than 50 stakeholder institutions worked to imagine how 22,000 m' of space liberated from vehicles could offer more to its community. As Australian cities are asked to accommodate increasing densities, the transformation of Southbank Boulevard demonstrates that streets become the setting for vibrant and sustainable community life when they are appropriately valued and well designed."

The Greenline Project

The Greenline Project is a collaboration between TCL, ASPECT Studios and City of Melbourne.   The Greenline constitutes a regenerative, ecologically focused transformation of central Melbourne. The project will reposition the City’s relationship with Birrarung (Yarra River) and create an emblematic new parkland and urban promenade. Led through the ASPECT X TCL joint venture, uniting two of Australia’s leading Landscape Architecture and design studios, the project will make a profound point of difference for Melbourne and a generational gift to the city and its river.

The project recognises the Birrarung as a living entity, with Traditional Owner values, underpinning opportunities for reconnecting people with a diversity of authentic experiences. The Master Plan provides a curatorial framework to integrate the many factors involved in revitalising this essential part of the city. It defines new places where a city and its people come together to embrace the beauty, history, culture and biodiversity of the river.  It will deliver significant value for Melbourne, contributing to the city’s economy, environment, tourism, health, wellbeing, and overall resilience.

The jury said, “..the project has catalysed a shared vision that can support the delivery of reconnected space across many landowner and management layers. Embracing the values of the Traditional Custodians, the project is grounded in recognising the river as a living entity, with the opportunity for reconnecting people with diverse experiences. This ambitious project will deliver a revitalised north bank that will transform the relationship between the city and the river for decades to come."