Twenty-seven projects across three categories have been shortlisted for the 2026 Australian Urban Design Awards.
Three of four categories have disclosed their shortlists. These include Built Outcomes, Research and Advocacy, and Strategic Design and Policy. A fourth category, Urban Design Champions, has not released a shortlist but will reveal the category winner during the awards ceremony in Canberra on 24 March 2026.
The 2026 Built Outcomes jury comprises Matt Pullinger, director of Matthew Pullinger Architect; Bill Tsakalos, city architect and director of transformational design at Blacktown City Council; Leigh Woolley, director of Leigh Woolley Architect; and Emily Wong, editor of Landscape Architecture Australia.
The 2026 jury for the Research and Advocacy, and Strategic Design and Policy categories includes Anna Chauvel of Design and Place, Placemaking NSW; Cameron Caldwell, Member for Fadden, Liberal National Party of Queensland; Ben Driver, senior lecturer in urban development and design at UNSW; and Bridget Smyth, city architect and executive manager of city design and public art at the City of Sydney.
The 2026 Urban Design Champions jury consists of Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Member for Ryan, Australian Greens; Tina Perinotto, managing editor of The Fifth Estate; Danièle Hromek, director and design lead of Djinjama; Ian Woodcock, senior lecturer in urbanism at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, the University of Sydney; and Jennie Officer, director of Officer Woods Architects.
Since 1996, the awards program has recognised urban design contributions and innovations that improve the performance of Australian cities for communities.
Built Outcomes
Balam Balam Place – Kennedy Nolan, Open Work and Finding Infinity
Barangaroo Station Park – Arcadia
Campbelltown Multi-storey Mobility Hub – Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects
Green Square Public School and Community Spaces – BVN
Jewell Station Village – Neometro
Merri Northcote – Six Degrees Architects
Metro Tunnel – Hassell, WW+P Architects and RSHP
New Footscray Hospital – Cox Architecture, Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) and Tract
St Kilda Pier Redevelopment – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects with Site Office Landscape Architecture and AW Maritime
Surry Hills Village – SJB, Studio Prineas and Aspect Studios
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Research and Advocacy
Adaptive Reuse City House Initiative (ARCHI) – City of Adelaide
Design for Climate Design for Change – Marra and Yeh Architects
Learning to Walk Again – Learning to Walk Again
Safer Cities program – Transport for NSW
Sydney’s Food Landscapes: Agriculture, Planning, Sustainability – Dr Joshua Zeunert and Dr Alys Daroy
The Grassening – “The Grassening” Team
ULI Australia, and Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) Net Zero Imperative: Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) – Street Trees as Essential Infrastructure – The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Australia, and the Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria)
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Strategic Design and Policy
Base Farm Greendale Master Plan – Terroir in association with Matthew Pullinger, Realm Studios, Yerrabingin, Atelier Ten, Costin Roe and Urbis
Campbelltown 3D City Centre Digital Twin – McGregor Coxall
City of Vincent – City of Vincent and the local businesses of Vincent
Doomadgee Future Planning Project – Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council, Circ Design and Meridian Urban
Kanamaluka/Tamar Master Plan: Infrastructure and Amenities – Fitzgerald Frisby Landscape Architecture
Ku-ring-gai Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Alternative – A Place-Led Strategic Planning Framework – Ku-ring-gai Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Alternative – A Place-Led Strategic Planning Framework
NSW Housing Pattern Book – Government Architect NSW with the NSW DPHI Strategic Planning and Policy Team
Redleaf Masterplan – Oculus and Landcom
The Rocks/Tallawoladah Women’s Safety Strategy – Placemaking NSW with Arup and Transport for NSW
Thebarton Masterplan – Renewal SA, Arup, Breathe Architecture and TCL
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The Australian Urban Design Awards are co-convened by the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and the Planning Institute of Australia, and supported by principal partner Bondor Metecno and supporting partner Dulux.