The City of Perth’s director of planning and development, Peter Monks, has recommended approaching 10 architecture and design firms as part of an ideas competition to improve the urban design of a handful of city sites in Perth.

The 10 firms listed by Monks in the report are: HASSELL, Donaldson + Warn, Cox, Iredale Pedersen Hook, Woods Bagot, Jones Coulter Young, Roberts Day Group, Urbis, Taylor Burrell Barnett, and Urban Design Centre.

If the proposal is approved by council, each practice will be paid $10,000 to design upgrades for 10 short-listed sites in the city.

The idea for the competition arose during discussions about a new urban planning framework for the city, and addresses the smaller-scale design problems in the city. “We know what the current big projects are, they’re being planning and underway, so what do we [now] turn our attention and ideas to," Monks explained.

After gaining approval for the Northbridge Link, he said the council were looking into “what next” projects. Many of the proposed sites would involve improving pedestrian and road access routes in and around the CBD.

Monks added that the work would be “pretty simple stuff’” saying: “We’re not asking for sophisticated design solutions.” The $10,000 fee reflects the time that would be invested in the scheme by each firm, he said.

Sites listed in the proposal are: Langley Park, the former Emu brewery site, Jacobs Ladder, Central TAFE Precinct Northbridge, Wellington Square, Kings Park Road and Parliament House precinct, Mitchell Freeway in front of Parliament House, the railway running from Pier Street to Swan Rover in East Perth, the railway reserve between Thomas Street and City West, and Mounts Bay Road between William Street and the Point Lewis roundabout.

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