2027 PLACE LEADERS ASIA PACIFIC AWARDS
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Recognition, evidence and practice that others can use.
Recognising the people, projects and place-led systems improving how places are shaped, delivered and cared for across the Asia-Pacific.
The Awards celebrate strong outcomes — and the leadership, partnerships, governance, design, experimentation and stewardship behind them.
NEWCASTLE 2027 · NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN
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RECOGNITION THAT TRAVELS BEYOND THE AWARDS NIGHT
The 2027 Place Leaders Asia Pacific Awards recognise people, projects and place-led systems that improve the way places are shaped, delivered and cared for across the region.
Recognised work becomes part of a wider Place Leaders practice exchange — shared through the network, Summit, Community of Practice and practical knowledge resources so others can learn from what was actually done.
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WHY ENTER?
RECOGNITION
Recognise the people and partnerships behind work that has made a measurable difference to place.
EVIDENCE
Document the delivery model, evidence and lessons — not just the finished result.
PEER LEARNING
Share useful practice with an Asia-Pacific network of place leaders, practitioners and peers.
CONTRIBUTION
Add to a practical body of place knowledge and be considered for category recognition and the Jan Gehl Centrepiece Award.
WHAT THE AWARDS RECOGNISE
JAN GEHL CENTREPIECE AWARD​
The Jan Gehl Centrepiece Award is the jury’s overall-excellence recognition across the Awards field. It recognises placemaking that combines strong outcomes with exemplary place leadership and practice. The jury may select one Centrepiece recipient where the field warrants it; the award is not automatic.
PLACEMAKING FOR PROSPERITY
Placemaking for Prosperity asks a broader question than economic growth alone: how does good place leadership create the conditions for people, communities and local economies to thrive?
In 2027, Place Leaders will explore prosperity through public life, cultural identity, local business, investment, resilience, access, environmental quality and the long-term stewardship that keeps places working.
NINE AWARD CATEGORIES
PLACE LEADERSHIP AWARD • Mobilising relationships, evidence and action to improve places.
PLACE GOVERNANCE AWARD • Governance and stewardship models aligned around long-term place performance.
PLACE ENGAGEMENT AWARD • Participation that builds local capability and shared ownership.
INDIGENOUS PLACEMAKING AWARD • Indigenous leadership, cultural authority, knowledge and stewardship shaping place.
DESIGN EXCELLENCE IN PLACEMAKING AWARD • Physical form, access, public life, identity and long-term performance resolved together.
PLACEMAKING FOR PROSPERITY AWARD • Local economic vitality and resilience created alongside public value.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLACEMAKING AWARD • Environmental performance made part of everyday place quality.
DIGITAL PLACEMAKING AWARD • Digital tools improving a real place, without technology becoming an end in itself.
POP-UP PLACEMAKING AWARD • Temporary interventions that activate place, test ideas and create value beyond the pop-up.
12
OCTOBER
2026
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Award nominations open
4
MARCH 2027
11:59PM AEDT
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Submissions close​
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8
APRIL 2027
AWARDS PRESENTATION AND DINNER
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Winners announced
The Summer Fund
A Summer Session @ Moama Soundshell, 2021
SECTION 2: AWARD CATEGORIES AND STRUCTURE
Award Type: Overall Excellence
Award Name:
Centrepiece
Recognition:
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Recognition as Category Award winner
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Trophy & Certificate
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Promotion by Place Leaders in 2026 through a range of mediums
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Ability to utilise the Place Leaders brand to promote the award-winning initiative or organisation throughout 2026
Award Type: Category Award
Award Name:
• Place Leadership Award
• Place Governance Award
• Place Engagement Award
• Indigenous Placemaking Award
• Design Excellence in Placemaking Award
• Placemaking for Prosperity Award
• Environmental Placemaking Award
• Digital Placemaking Award
• Pop-Up Placemaking Award​​
Recognition:
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Recognition as Category Award winner
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Trophy & Certificate
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Promotion by Place Leaders in 2026 through a range of mediums
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Ability to utilise the Place Leaders brand to promote the award-winning initiative or organisation throughout 2026
Award Type: Commendation
Award Name:
Commendation (forCategory Awards)
Recognition:
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Certificate
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Promotion by Place Leaders in 2026 through a range of mediums;
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Ability to utilise the Place Leaders brand to promote the award-winning initiative or organisation throughout 2026
AWARDS STRUCTURE
The Place Leaders Asia-Pacific Awards are based on a two-tier system.
Centrepiece Award
This award is allocated as a Jury’s choice award and is given to the individual or organisation that has displayed overall excellence in placemaking from all categories in Australasia and the Asia Pacific in any given year. There is only one winner in any given year. An award may be given regardless of the number of eligible entries. If the jury so determines, no Centrepiece award will be given.
Category Award
This award is given to the individual, organisation, project or initiative that has made the most significant advancement in a particular award category in any given year. There is only one winner per category award in any given year. An award may be given regardless of the number of eligible entries. If there are no suitable nominees no Category Award will be given.
For the Category Award, commendations may be made, with more than one commendation given. Commendations may be given regardless of the number of eligible entries.
Dance Locale
Darling Harbour, 2021
SECTION 3: JUDGING PROCESS AND CRITERIA
The Jury will consider each nomination against the criteria listed for the Award (for projects delivered over 2026). It is essential that your nomination addresses the criteria for the award. Please review the 'Entries should showcase' and 'Criteria' for each Category Award in the 2027 Place Leaders Awards Guide.​​
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SECTION 4: ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
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All individuals and organisations (public, private and community) committed to and involved in placemaking are eligible to enter the Place leaders Asia Pacific Awards Program. There is no restriction on the number of entries that can be submitted.
Separate nomination forms must be completed for each project or initiative; however, entrants can choose to lodge each project or initiative in multiple categories on the one nomination form.
All nominees will be considered for the Asia Pacific Awards, subject to meeting the criteria.
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Initiatives submitted should be at practical completion prior to entering. The initiative should provide a clear evidence basis of the success using qualitative and quantitative data. The entry should not have been submitted to the Place Leaders Awards in a prior year. Place Leaders has the sole discretion to refuse an entry or remove it from consideration for an award if Place Leaders is of the opinion that the entry:
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Does not comply with these guidelines
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Is not consistent with the nature and spirit of the awards or is inappropriate, offensive, indecent, or illegal
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Breaches or is likely to breach copyright
SECTION 5: TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
No confidential information should be submitted with your nomination as all information, except for contact information and referee information may be made available through the Place Leaders website within 48 hours of submitting your application.
EDITING YOUR NOMINATION
Once you have submitted your nomination you are no longer able to edit it so please check your documentation carefully prior to submission. In the event that a significant error has been made please contact the Chief Executive Officer of Place Leaders and they will use their discretion as to whether an edit can be made.
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COPYRIGHT
By entering the awards, you agree that Place Leaders Asia Pacific will publish your nomination on the Place Leaders website.
You will also agree that Place Leaders Asia Pacific may reproduce, exhibit, publish, and/or communicate the material and information you give about your nomination and adapt or use your nomination and any portion of it, or give permission to others to do so, in different ways or contexts that Place Leaders sees fit for the purposes of the Awards for as long as required.
For this purpose, your nomination includes all words, images and other materials (including models, film and video) whether in digital, printed or 3D format, you submit online or give to Place Leaders in connection with your entry.
Place Leaders requires that either:
• You personally, or your organisation own(s) all copyright and you authorise the use them as needed for the Awards, by way of non-exclusive license - including for publicity; OR
• You promise that you personally have, or your organisation has, the authority of each and every owner of the copyright to authorise and you do authorise Place Leaders to use them as needed for the Awards, including for publicity.
SECTION 6: ENTRY FEE
Members of Place Leaders Asia Pacific are able to register according to membership benefits, whilst non-members will pay an AUD $675 (+GST) non-refundable registration fee per nomination. This nomination fee includes one complimentary Awards Presentation and Dinner ticket.
In some special circumstances the nomination fee may be waived, please contact Place Leaders for further information. Waiving of the nomination fee is at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer of Place Leaders.
SECTION 7: HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR AWARD NOMINATION
Entries for all categories are made by completing an online entry awards nomination form or by emailing an Awards Submission Form to awards@placeleaders.com by Thursday 4 March 2027, 11.59pm (AEDT).
Separate nomination forms must be completed for each project or initiative. However, entrants can choose to lodge each project or initiative in multiple categories on the one nomination form.
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FILE NAMING
All supporting images must be JPG or PNG. Please label in the following format;
1 of 5 (number each photo in order)_Project Name_Project Completion Year_Photographer Name (or other attribution)_Brief Photo Description
e.g. 1 of 5_Little Park_2021_Jo Blo_Park Opening Day.jpg
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Other supporting documents:
Project Name_Project Completion Yr_Name of Supporting Document Type​
e.g. Little Park_2019_Small Place Project_Document Description.pdf
Supporting videos or webpages
Submissions can provide up to 2 video URL links and 1 web page link
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For further information regarding the awards email awards@placeleaders.com with the subject line ‘2027 Place Leaders Awards’
Central Park, 2021
AWARDS JURY
Our Awards Jury brings together Place Leaders who embody the vision, resilience, and creativity that defines place leadership.
Director Design and Place, Placemaking NSW​
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Annie Tennant is an architect and urban designer whose work spans public space, design excellence, sustainability, inclusion and projects that celebrate Country. She holds a Master of Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley, and has held senior sustainability and diversity leadership roles in the development sector. As Non-Indigenous Co-Chair of Reconciliation NSW, Annie brings the jury a strong understanding of design quality, cultural responsibility, collaboration and the systems needed to turn public-space ambition into delivery.
Global Ports and Waterfront Planning Leader, Arup
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Shy Tay is Arup’s Global Ports and Waterfront Planning Leader, specialising in the planning and design of waterfront precincts, ports, and city-shaping infrastructure. An architect and urban designer, he works at the intersection of cities, maritime infrastructure and public realm, leading multidisciplinary projects from vision through delivery. Shy also serves on Brisbane City Council’s Independent Design Advisory Panel and the Queensland Government’s Urban Design and Places Panel, supporting design excellence and long-term public value.
Director, Creative Spaces, Create NSW
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Marcus Westbury OAM is an urbanist and cultural strategist with a deep connection to Newcastle. He founded Renew Newcastle in 2008, using vacant CBD buildings for creative enterprise and inspiring similar renewal programs nationally and internationally. He later founded Renew Australia and led the transformation of the former Collingwood TAFE site into the creative precinct now known as Collingwood Yards.
Founding Director, Greenaway Architects
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Jefa Greenaway is a Wailwan/Kamilaroi architect, design advocate, and founding Director of Greenaway Architects. He co-authored the International Indigenous Design Charter and co-founded Indigenous Architecture and Design Australia. His projects include the Koorie Heritage Trust and RMIT’s Ngarara Place, embedding Indigenous knowledge, cultural authority, and Country-centred design in contemporary places.
Coordinator, Placemaking and Revitalisation, City of Greater Dandenong
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Yoge Biju is Coordinator, Placemaking and Revitalisation at the City of Greater Dandenong and Vice President of Victoria’s Design Excellence Network. An architect, urban designer and artist, her portfolio includes Noble Park Revitalisation and Muderra Way - Greater Dandenong’s first Bunurong-language place name and recipient of the 2025 Indigenous Placemaking Award - bringing together community, culture, and public-realm renewal.