Kate Drews: Director - Urban & Energy, Australia and New Zealand

Our built environments are dynamic places embodied by continuous evolution and change. By 2050, around 2.5 billion more people will be living in cities, with governments and developers facing pressing challenges to keep pace with the demand on critical infrastructure services.

 

The focus of urban development has shifted towards sustainability and resilience, with a greater emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and integrating green infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on the industry, with changes in consumer behavior and the need for more flexible and adaptable public spaces.

 

SMEC’s Urban Communities team takes an evidence based approach to planning, urban design, landscape architecture, engineering, survey and advisory to maximise value. We are passionate about helping our clients to manage risk and optimise the value of their assets, and to help them execute on their strategy.

 

Whether it be a mixed-use development, residential, industrial, or business park, we are ready to assist with visioning and strategy, considering market trends and commercial viability. Beyond the concept phase, SMEC can deploy a range of technical specialists to support detailed design, development management, construction supervision and asset management.

 

We are passionate about design and it’s relationship to the natural and built environment. Clients may come to us with an empty piece of land, or sometimes we will have clients with a completed master plan, but they need advice on how to execute it – how to translate the strategy into something that is buildable, profitable, and sustainable.