Selected strategy reports I’ve led for government and private sector across urban placemaking, digital strategy, smart city and innovation strategy and cultural policy. Note: this page is not updated regularly.
In 2019 I formed part of the consultant team led by former Australia Council CEO Tony Grybowski to develop the South Australian Government’s first Arts Plan in 20 years.
This project involved deep and substantial consultation with the SA Arts Sector to develop a series of strategic recommendations for future arts investment by the SA Government over the coming years.
The final Arts Plan can be published here (PDF link)
Client: Tony Grybowski and Graham Gherashe
Role: Consultant
Report Design by Esem Projects.
I supported the head of CSIRO Future Cities Cluster in the development of a set of strategic communications tools and business development frameworks that articulated the vision, mission and strategic priorities for this new cross-divisional business development cluster.
The outcomes were a new Future Cities website and a framework for seeding and commissioning new Future Cities investments across CSIRO.
See Showcase.
Client: CSIRO
Role: Strategic communications advisor
In 2018 I was invited by Create NSW to conduct a review of existing approaches to social impact measurement in the arts. This body of work reflects my former experience as an arts policy adviser at the Australia Council and Department of Communications and the Arts.
During 2018 I led a team at the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University to review existing approaches to understanding and measuring the social impact of the arts. The review made a series of strategic recommendations regarding ongoing measurement and evaluation of social impact work within the arts sector.
Client: Create NSW
Role: Chief Investigator, Research Fellow, Western Sydney University
See Report here
During 2017-8 I worked with HASSELL and the Sydney Airport Corporation to develop supporting strategies for the Urban Design Masterplan for SACL.
Provided through Esem Projects, the first project was a Public Art Strategy to support the curation and commissioning of public artworks as part of the Masterplan, incorporating precedents on airport placemaking and programming being adopted worldwide.
The second project was directly commissioned by SACL and included a Heritage Trail and set of Interpretation designs concepts for the Botany Wetlands. For this project we collaborated with TILT Design and our favourite urban illustrator Richard Briggs.
Client: HASSELL and Sydney Airport Corporation
Role: Strategic Designer
In 2016 I was commissioned by Data61 to support the NSW Department of Planning and Environment in its development of an indicator framework through which to measure, through available data sources, the implementation of the NSW Government’s Metropolitan Strategy: The Plan for Growing Sydney.
The Greater Sydney Commission Pulse of Greater Sydney is here:
https://www.greater.sydney/dashboard
Role: Research Consultant and Data Strategist
Client: CSIRO / Data 61
Through my curatorial and arts practice Esem Projects, I led the strategic design of the new Rutherford’s Den redevelopment, a $2m restoration following the Christchurch earthquakes.
For this project I led a multidisciplinary team of interior designers, architects, and graphic designers to develop the Creative, Curatorial and Digital Strategy for this important space in the heart of Christchurch - and subsequently developed the interpretation materials and installations featured in the new Rutherford’s Den space today.
Client: Arts Centre of Christchurch
Role: Curatorial and Digital Strategist / Lead
Through Esem Projects I was contracted as a digital placemaking consultant to advise UNSW on the use of digital technologies to support a campus wide digital masterplan.
The Report included a series of project case studies and interventions being reviewed for implementation across UNSW in 2019.
Client: Place Partners
Role: Digital Placemaking Consultant
In 2016 I collaborated with SGS Economics to develop an online visualisation of Quality of Life Indicators relevant to the City of Parramatta.
The visualisation was accompanied by a report on the availability and utility of public data sets to support quality of life indicators. The project has supported SGS in its development of online dashboards for local governments across Australia.
See more about this Project here.
Client: WSU and SGS
Role: Research Fellow / Research Lead
Over 2016-8 I worked with CSIRO and Data61 as a smart cities adviser, to support the organisations in the development of a range of indicator development frameworks and data strategies for clients and partners.
This work contributed to the progression of the CSIRO Future Cities and Urban Living Labs initiatives, which you can check out here.
Clients: CSIRO / Data61
Role: Subject Matter Expert (Smart Cities); Data Strategist
In 2016 I was contracted by Urban Growth NSW to advise on the development of a smart cities framework and digital masterplan for the White Bay Innovation Precinct.
The advisory work I delivered to Urban Growth supported it in its negotiations with Google as an anchor tenant in the White Bay Innovation Precinct. Google would later pull out of the Precinct due to transport planning issues surrounding the precinct ;-)
Client: Urban Growth NSW
Role: Smart Cities Adviser
