With nominations now open for the 2013 Australia Award for Urban Design, what can we learn from the 'box office'?

Image - 415 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, AUS. What do the users think of this new place in Brisbane? Have the designers asked them? As a place, it didn't appear to have enough functions to make me want to stay. 

Posted by: Andrew Hammonds

As a member of a previous judging panel for the Australia Award for Urban Design I encourage you to nominate. While your project will be assessed by your peers - we won't always get feedback from the people using it. Should they get a say? Aren't the users the ultimate judge of place?

I was reminded of a quote from Australian film director Peter Weir:

"I actually squirm a little at that word “art” [laughs]. My priority is to entertain an audience and I want my movies to do well at the box office. I’m still surprised by how snobbish European directors can be at the Cannes Film Festival. They make good films but their manner can be so superior."

I was struck by the corollary between film and urban design. Are we trying to design pieces of art for awards... or places for people? 

Why shopping centres and supermarkets make us fat and what we can do about it.

Image Hibberson St, Gungahlin, Canberra, ACT, AUS: A very active main street with retail 'sleeving' big box retail. 

Written by: Mike Cullen at Urbacity Mike was a member of the consultancy team that designed this town centre and he sat on the Gungahlin Development Authority Board for 6 years, effectively implementing the plan he helped create in the early 1990s. I am keen for Mike to share his insider's view into what it takes to build a traditional town in another blog. There might be a book coming 

Edited and posted by Andrew Hammonds (Mike sent me this after reading our blog Forget the gym - focus on place!.)

We have organised our planning around a big food (corporate) model and it's making us sick. 

1. The bigger the supermarket the more obese we are.

2. Shop in a two level mall - You will walk less than ½ the distance of a street based centre.

3. Shop in a three level mall - You will walk less than ¼ the distance of a street based centre.

4. The more retail we have in malls & supermarkets the more obese we are.

5. The more we drive the more obese we are.