Bronwyn Slater
Element
Bronwyn's career is built on both town planning and urban design, with a focus on enhancing the quality of our regional places and communities, where complex issues require a unique, creative response along with building groundswell, relationships and trust within the community.
Suzie Zuber
Element
As a creative urban strategist, Suzie brings over twenty years’ experience in the building design industry. She has worked in architectural practices and not for profit in London and Hong Kong as well as design advocacy amongst communities and decision makers. Suzie now brings place strategy and frameworks to life to improve our community's public spaces.
Catch 22: how our regional centres can remain unique through change
Our regional towns are under increasing pressure from new development alongside economic and social change.
Statistics show that in Australia we are experiencing an overall migration from cities to the regions. Between 2016-21 census, there was a 20% increase in capital-to-regional movement. In Western Australia alone we have seen a 5% increase in movement from cities to regional areas (Regional Australia Institute).
This tree and sea change reflects a new generation, fueled by the experience of Covid restrictions and a taste for remote working, wanting to return to hyper local living.
These regional areas are facing a paradox: their treasured 'country charm', is attracting tourists and an increasing population, which puts pressure on maintaining their unique and much loved characteristics whilst accommodating growth.
We understand how to define those unique, often intangible qualities of a place, in a way that will support resilience through change - enough to allow a place to evolve, but to ensure it remains true to its character.
We have been helping regional local governments across WA capture the unique qualities of their towns, many under pressure from change and development.
Our Place Frameworks set the overall direction and vision - aligning community priorities with broader local government actions and strategies - whilst our Character Studies delve deeper into capturing the qualities and characteristics that define the form of a place.
Using our recent case studies with the Shires of Capel, Dardanup and Augusta-Margaret River, together, we will demonstrate how these Place Strategies can help regional governments set the vision and direction for future investment, planning, and delivery whilst retaining that unique sense of place our regional places and communities are loved for.
