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City of Ballarat Creative City Strategy and Master Plan wins prestigious Planning Institute of Australia award

Posted October 31, 2019

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Marcus Spiller

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SGS Economics and Planning PIA Award
Image: SGS Consultant Andrea Ingham (second right) with the MGS Architects project team.

The City of Ballarat  Creative City Strategy and Master Plan project team received another prestigious award on Friday: the PIA Victoria 2019 Best Planning Ideas – Large Project.

Ballarat has a unique art and cultural ecosystem which has accelerated in recent years largely as a result of the ambition of local entrepreneurs, small business owners and community members. In May 2019, City of Ballarat released its Creative City Strategy and Master Plan with community support. The economically-sound strategy embraces the energies of Ballarat's makers, crafters, artists, innovators, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers. Our project team, led by Dr Marcus Spiller and Andrea Ingham, managed the co-design process with the Ballarat community which was key to shaping the Strategy and Master Plan.

The co-designed nature of the engagement meant that we collaborated with many active members of the arts and business community. We discussed their love for the city, its heritage and their commitment to supporting not only cultural and creative industries but taking creative and design thinking to the business community. The result is a confident and nuanced strategy that invites everyone to play a part in working alongside City of Ballarat to achieve its vision for a creative city and precinct that welcomes and sustains creatives to live, work and study.

— Andrea Ingham

Dr Marcus Spiller praised City of Ballarat's commitment to the co-design process in shaping a leading creative city.

SGS Economics and Planning Marcus Spiller

It was great to have a client so committed to the co-design process. Community stakeholders transformed the evidence and analysis prepared by the consulting team into a wonderfully cohesive and compelling strategy. The best thing is that the whole Council has taken ownership of the strategy and there is a genuine spirit of partnership with the community in making Ballarat a leading creative city.

— Dr Marcus Spiller

The City of Ballarat Creative City Strategy and Master Plan also won the Economic Development Australia National Award for Strategic Thinking, was shortlisted for an Australian Urban Design Award for Leadership, Advocacy and Research and was a finalist in the Victorian Premier’s Design Award for Design Strategy.

SGS worked with MGS Architects, Left Bank Co and Eleni Arbus on this project.

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Marcus Spiller

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  • Local government
SGS Economics Planning Marcus Spiller
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Marcus Spiller

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