Urban Change Festival

Bringing together leaders and practitioners to collaborate, innovate and shape the future of urban development.

The THI Urban Change Festival brings together industry leaders and practitioners to collaborate, innovate and to shape the future of urban development.

Curated for the thinkers, shapers and doers in urban development, and the built environment, the program includes interactive panel discussion, collaborative workshops and keynote guest speakers sharing their expertise across five days. Plus it’s all online, so you can join in from wherever you are in the world!

Festival attendees have the opportunity to hear from some of the best in the business, to network with practitioners and peers, and to collaborate and create outcomes that can help to shape more sustainable urban development. This is an exciting opportunity to tap into your creativity, to have some fun and to contribute to shaping lives and shaping practice - all part of THI’s vision to partner with those who live in, lead, plan for, design and develop cities, to amplify transition capability and maximise the social benefit of urban change.

Our 2021 Panellists & Speakers were:

Alana Marsh

WAYAPA WUURRK PRACTITIONER & REGENERATIVE SYSTEM RE-SETTER
Alice Howard-Vyse

DIRECTOR OF HUMANISE THIS
Alison Page

DIRECTOR - ART GALLERY SA & CO-AUTHOR DESIGNING FOR COUNTRY
April McCabe

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CRED CONSULTING
Ari Wallach

FUTURIST & FOUNDER OF LONGPATH
Bronwyn Adams

PROJECT MANAGER | CITY ACTIVATION SUNCENTRAL MAROOCHYDORE P/L
Brooke Williams

DIRECTOR, FOURFOLD STUDIO
Cameron Bruhn

DEAN & HEAD OF SCHOOL - SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Dr Cameron K. Murray

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE: VICE CHAIR, WEST END COMMUNITY ASSOC. & RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Cathryn Chatburn

FOUNDER URBAN ENQUIRY
Chris Girdler

MANAGER CULTURAL SERVICES, MORETON BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Claudia Bergs

SENIOR URBAN DESIGNER, MORETON BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Dr Danièle Hromek

CULTURAL DESIGN & RESEARCH
Elisapeta Heta

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL, JASMAX - ARCHITECTURAL GRADUATE - KAIHAUTŪ WHAIHANGA - MĀORI DESIGN LEADER ARCHITECTURE
Erin Marchant

PROJECT MANAGER - IPSWICH CITY COUNCIL
Greg Chemello

CEO MORETON BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Guy Gibson

FORMER HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT - QUEENSLAND, LENDLEASE
Jess Miller

CITY OF SYDNEY COUNCILLOR
Kate Doyle

FORMER CEO - ARCHITECTS ACCREDITATION COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
Kate Meyrick

DIRECTOR URBIS
Kate Peardon

EXECUTIVE COACH & FOUNDER OF ZENITH JOURNEY
Kerry Doss

STATE PLANNER (QLD) DEPT. OF STATE DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, LOCAL GOVT & PLANNING
Lachlan McCarthy

DATA ANALYTICS & SYSTEMS LEAD, LENDLEASE
Laura Hamilton-O'Hara

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LIVING FUTURE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA
Leya Hubbard

GROUP GENERAL MANAGER, INNOVATION, MIRVAC
Lindsay Humblet

DIRECTOR - PLANIT-IE
Malcolm Middleton

URBAN DESIGNER & FORMER QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT ARCHITECT
Malcolm Snow

CEO, ACT CITY RENEWAL AUTHORITY
Martin Haese

CEO BUSINESS SA & FORMER ADELAIDE MAYOR
Matt Collins

STATE MANAGER QUEENSLAND PLANNING INSTITUTE AUSTRALIA
Michael Jones

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AT URBIS
Michael Stone

GENERAL MANAGER – QLD PEET LIMITED
Natalie Rayment

CO-FOUNDER & CEO YIMBY QUEENSLAND
Natasha Mulcahy

CONSULTANT SHAPING PLACES
Professor Nicole Gillespie

KPMG CHAIR ORGANISATIONAL TRUST & PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Dr Shaneen Fantin

DIRECTOR PEOPLE ORIENTED DESIGN & ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ARCHITECTURE
Yen Dao

WORKPLACE STRATEGY & DESIGN, PLACE FUTURES, LENDLEASE

Who should attend?

Whether you’re an established practitioner with 30 years’ experience under your belt, or an emerging urban leader just embarking on a role in the urban development space, the festival has something to offer you! We welcome everyone and strongly encourage members of underrepresented communities to register.

We’ve designed the festival for the thinkers, shapers and doers in urban development, and the built environment, from around Australia and internationally, which could include (but is definitely not limited to):

Urban practitioners – designers, architects, planners – focused on sustainable urban development practice
Elected officials working with their communities
Government departments focused on urban planning, strategy and change management
Community development professionals working to increase citizen participation
Community groups including resident associations, housing and service providers
Community members interested in urban growth and change
Academics and teachers interested in building the skills and capabilities of future urban leaders
University students keen to learn more about shaping future cities