Last month at Parliament House, something quietly impactful happened.

(above image: Milton Dick MP welcoming address. PF UD Launch, Nov 2025)

Across party lines, parliamentarians joined planners, architects and landscape architects to back the idea that how we design and plan our cities really matters – and that it should sit at the centre of Australia’s future.

The launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Urban Design, co-convened by the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and the Planning Institute of Australia, marks an important step forward in how we think about the design and quality of the places we live.

Hosted in the Speaker’s Courtyard by Hon Milton Dick MP, and co-chaired by Lisa Chesters MP (Bendigo), Cameron Caldwell MP (Fadden) and Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP (Ryan), the event brought together MPs, Senators and built environment professionals who share a simple belief – that good design and good planning improve the quality of life for everyone.

 

Designing Places Where People Thrive

How we plan and design our communities shapes how Australians live, move and connect.

When planning and design work hand in hand, they do more than improve how places look. They build stronger, healthier communities, support local jobs and create environments where people feel they belong. In doing so, they directly improve our quality of life – how easily we get around, how connected we feel to others, and how safe and comfortable we are in the places we call home.

Across Australia, we’re dealing with overlapping challenges – housing affordability, a changing climate, and the need to strengthen local economies and social connection. All of these issues meet in the same place: our streets, neighbourhoods and town centres.

That’s why good urban design isn’t a “nice to have” – it’s essential.

 

Getting Density Right

As housing demand grows, it’s tempting to focus only on the numbers. But good planning and design are what make the difference between density done well and density done badly.

Changing zoning rules can unlock more homes, but without upfront strategic planning, it can overload existing services and create the kind of growth communities resist. Experience here and overseas shows that density works best when it’s located near public transport, jobs and services, designed well, and backed by the right infrastructure: schools, sewerage, parks and public space.

When design and planning lead the way, growth feels considered. People trust that new housing will come with the things that make a neighbourhood liveable – shade, open space, walkability and access to what they need day to day.

(Co-Chairs and Speaker PF UD Launch Nov 2025)

 

The Connective Tissue of Cities

Urban design is the connective tissue that holds cities together. It brings together architecture, landscape and planning to shape the experiences we all have every day – how we move through streets, how we interact with nature, how we connect with each other.

Yet for too long, urban design has been missing from national discussions. Housing and infrastructure debates often come down to numbers, how many homes, how many roads; rather than the quality of the places we’re building.

The Parliamentary Friends of Urban Design gives us the opportunity to change that conversation, and to put design quality and planning leadership at the heart of how Australia grows.

 

A Shared Vision for Better Places

Our three institutes share a belief that stronger national leadership in urban design can deliver lasting benefits for people, communities and the environment.

Together we are calling for:

  • A stronger National Urban Policy – a clear vision for how our cities and regions grow.
  • Leadership in “density done well” – ensuring good design underpins housing diversity and affordability.
  • Investment in sustainable, well-designed communities – places that are climate-ready, inclusive and connected.

This group creates a direct link between parliamentarians and the professionals who know how to make these goals real. It’s a space for collaboration and for sharing what works.

 

Planning Builds Confidence in the Future

Planning and design aren’t roadblocks – they’re what make urban change work.

When good planning and design are invested in, development and growth progress faster and with fewer objections. When infrastructure keeps pace with growth, new neighbourhoods flourish.

Good planning and design ensure that cities grow in ways that support people’s daily lives – with access to transport, green space, and the services that make them work.

And it gives us something bigger to aim for: a clear ambition for the kinds of places we want our kids to grow up in – places that are safe, welcoming, sustainable and full of opportunity. Places that lift everyone’s quality of life.

(Tom FRench MP Matt Gregg MP PF UD Launch Nov 2025)

 

A Moment Worth Celebrating

The launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Urban Design is a shared commitment to put the quality of our cities and towns at the heart of Australia’s future.

The places we design today will shape how Australians live and connect for generations.

When Parliament unites around good urban design, it sends a clear message: the quality of our cities and towns is fundamental to Australia’s wellbeing and success.

Good planning and design build more than places – they build trust in the future we’re creating together.

 

Nicole Bennetts is National Head of Advocacy at the Planning Institute of Australia

 

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