Speakers

Featured speakers

**Minnie Baragwanath**
**Chief Possibility Officer– Global Centre of Possibility**

The concept of “designing with” is absolutely fundamental to this approach. It is distinct from designing to or designing for which are the common defaults when approaching any type of design with the access community.

Over the last few years Minnie has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award, the Westpac Women of Influence Diversity award, the Zonta women’s award and was placed as a top 10 finalist for the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.

**Henriette Vamberg**
**Partner and Managing Director - Gehl Copenhagen**
Henriette leads the work focused on city transformations at Gehl. As a graduate of Jan Gehl’s Urban Design School and one of the firms longest serving employees - starting as an architect over 20 years ago - Henriette now oversees all teams and projects as the Copenhagen Office’s Managing Director. As a trusted advisor helping some of the world’s best-known city’s transform their key public spaces and streetscapes, to an urban strategist cocreating housing and development concepts with developers and foundations, Henriette’s work is constantly evolving to meet today’s most pressing challenges. This work has brought her to different destinations in Europe, the USA, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand, leading the change for more humane, intuitive, and equitable places for people in her signature ‘pragmatic idealist’ style.
In New Zealand Henriette has conducted public space public life studies in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch bringing forward data analysis on the quality of public space and the character of public life locally. Over the years Henriette has worked with many different client types from municipalities to the property industry constantly focused at improving the public realm and the experience of the city.

**Nigel McKenna**
**Founder & CEO– Templeton Group**

**Nicole Rosie**
**Chief Executive - Waka Kotahi NZTA**
Nicole Rosie has had a 20-year executive career at Board, CE and Senior Executive Level across the public and private sector. She has passion for roles that link care for people with economic outcomes having deep experience in transformative change, systems thinking, high-risk regulated industries and health. safety and environment.Joining Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency as Chief Executive in February 2020, she brought with her more than two decades of CE and senior executive experience across the public and private sectors, including leadership roles at Toll NZ, KiwiRail, Vector, Fonterra and three years as CE of Worksafe.
She currently holds or has held a number of governance roles including being a Director of Auckland Transport and the Establishment Unit for Light Rail Auckland, and a steering committee member of the New Zealand Construction Accord and Let’s Get Wellington Moving.Originally from Gisborne, Nicole studied at the University of Otago and University of Auckland graduating with a First Class Master of Laws degree and undergraduate degrees in Law and Arts.
In 2002 she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the USA to undertake a Master of Public Health degree at Harvard.

**Katja Lietz**
**General Manager, Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities**
Katja Lietz is a sustainable urban development professional with 20 years’ experience. Her career has spanned local government, freelance research and for the last 12 years property development. She is the General Manager – Urban Planning and Design at Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities and holds an Executive MBA from Auckland University and a Bachelor of Technology from UNITEC.

**LIST MP Chris Bishop**
**Infrastructure, Housing, RMA Reform - Urban Development**
Chris is in his third term as a Member of Parliament and is National’s Spokesperson for Housing, Infrastructure and RMA Reform – Urban Development. He is also National’s Chair for the 2023 Election Campaign. From 2017-2020 he was the MP for Hutt South (the first time National had ever held the seat) and is now a National List MP based in Hutt South. He has previously served as National’s Spokesperson for Transport, Regional Development, Police, and Youth.
Chris was born and raised in Lower Hutt, attending Eastern Hutt School, Hutt Intermediate and Hutt International Boys’ School. He has a first class Honours degree in Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University of Wellington, and has been admitted to the Bar as a barrister and solicitor. He is the co-captain of the Parliamentary cricket team. He loves good coffee, good BBQ brisket, red wine, and rock music.

**Dr Tony Matthews**
**Senior Lecturer in Urban & Environmental Planning, Griffith University, Australia**
**Keynote Sponsored by Boffa Miskell**
Dr Tony Matthews MRTPI is an urban planner and an international advocate for good cities. A faculty member at Griffith University, Australia, his work addresses current and emerging urban challenges through research, engagement and practice. Aa a highly in-demand speaker, Dr Matthews regularly translates research insights into actionable urban innovations for ministers, policymakers, business leaders and civic champions. Dr Matthews has informed policy decisions and shaped real-world outcomes in cities through advocacy and communication. His award-winning research on urban greenery, for example, has informed urban planning policy and design in Australia and beyond. His wider research has been translated into French, Italian and Spanish. Dr Matthews is also an active public and media commentator, with thousands of print, radio, television, online and podcast appearances.

**Bernadette Pinnell**
**Global Business Director, Home in Place**
Urban renewal projects typically start with masterplans that investigate the physical, social and environmental aspect of the area under renewal. However, as the project lifecycle progresses through the more ‘problematic’ environment, construction, commercial and political /consent processes. The social aspects of the projects often get negotiated out or reduced. It’s not intentional … it just seems to happen over time.
Bernadette’s doctoral research investigated the social sustainability of urban renewal projects in Australia. After 15yrs in Sydney, she returned to NZ and established an affordable housing organisation in partnership with developers and government, which now accommodates over 600 households.
She is currently working on projects to deliver affordable housing in the Pacific and in the North West of the USA with development partners.
Bernadette is on the Board of the Urban Development Inst of New Zealand.

**Jason Twill, LEED Fellow**
**President, Urban Apostles**
With a career spanning over 24 years in climate change, education, sustainability and urban regeneration, Jason has been at the forefront of social, ecological, and economic transformation. A globally recognised pioneer in regenerative development and design, Jason’s work is advancing next generation solutions to reverse global warming and restore planetary health. His career experience includes managing and planning award-winning urban regeneration projects throughout North America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, serving as a world change advisor to Paul G. Allen, and heading sustainability and innovation for Lendlease Australia. More recently, Jason has served as an advisor to multiple local and national governments on climate action, urban transformation, and social equity strategies including creation of a 10-year national legacy framework for Qatar drawing on the country’s investment in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

**Hon Michael Wood**
**Minister of Immigration; Minister of Transport; Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety; Minister for Auckland; Associate Minister of Finance**
Following the 2020 General Election, Michael became a sworn Member of the Executive and was appointed by the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern as the Minister of Transport and Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety. He was also given the role of Deputy Leader of the House. In June 2022 the Prime Minister announced a reshuffle of Cabinet portfolios and delegated added responsibilities to Michael. He has also taken up the role as the Minister of Immigration.
Michael is driven by the core belief that all people deserve the opportunity to flourish and reach their potential regardless of background, and that this is most likely to occur when we build strong, fair, and supportive communities. He believes that an economy and public institutions that are focused on people’s wellbeing will lead to a society that is both more prosperous and just.

**Dr Danièle Hromek**
**Director, Djinjama**
Dr Danièle Hromek is a Saltwater woman of the Budawang tribe of the Yuin nation, with French and Czech heritage.
Danièle is a spatial designer and Country-centred designer. Danièle is the first Indigenous person in Australia to achieve a PhD in built environment and spatial disciplines. Her research and experience contributed to the Connecting with Country framework and Designing with Country discussion piece by Government Architect NSW.
As director of Djinjama, Danièle’s methodologies lead their approach to working with Country. Her work as a researcher, educator and cultural advisor brings Country, culture and community to the built environment by creating spaces to substantially affect Indigenous rights and culture. Danièle holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Design), and Bachelor of Design (Interior Spatial Design, Performance major). Her research considers Indigeneity in the built environment.

Chris Bruntlett

Marketing and Communications Manager, Dutch Cycling Embassy

Chris Bruntlett is Marketing and Communication Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, a public-private partnership that represents the best knowledge, experience, and experts from the Netherlands. As a long-time campaigner in Vancouver, he fell in love with Dutch bike culture in 2016, inspiring him to co-author the book, “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”. Chris uses his knowledge and passion to share practical lessons for global cities wishing to follow their footsteps, and become better places to live, work, and—of course—cycle.

**Prof Iain White**
**Professor of Environment Planning, University of Waikato**
Iain has been Professor of Environmental Planning at the University of Waikato since 2013 and is currently the Associate Dean Research for Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Science. Prior to this he was the Director of the Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology at the University of Manchester in the UK. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia (2019-2022) and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester (2022-2024). He is also the Co-Chair of the Australasian Cities Research Network and the Co-Chair of the forthcoming State of Australasian Cities Conference.
Iain has an international reputation as being an academic committed to engaging with researchers, practitioners and communities to generate real world impact. He has recently applied this approach to researching the ’20-minute City’, and analysing why systemic change is so difficult, in particular with regards to climate change adaptation and new forms of spatial development. In 2020 he won the University of Waikato Vice Chancellor's award for Research Excellence and in 2021 he was awarded the New Zealand Planning Institute John Mawson Award of Merit.

Dr Rebecca Kiddle

Director, Te Manawahoukura, Centre of Rangahau Excellence

Becky is Ngāti Porou and Ngā Puhi and is Head of Urban Development at Hutt City Council. She has been an academic in NZ, China and the UK for the past 10 years in Architecture, Environmental Studies and Urban Design. Her work – both research and practice – has to date focused on Māori identity and placemaking in Aotearoa New Zealand and the nexus between community creation, social processes, and urban design. She also works to develop better participatory design processes to ensure rangatahi and tamariki voices are heard in built environment decision-making processes. She has a PhD and MA in urban design from Oxford Brookes University, UK, and under-graduate degrees in Politics and Māori studies. She is the author/editor of three books.

**Adrienne Miller**
**CEO, Urban Development Institute of New Zealand (UDINZ)**
Adrienne Miller was recently appointed as CEO at the Urban Development Institute of New Zealand (UDINZ) and before that was General Manager, NZ for rating tool provider the Infrastructure Sustainability Council. For more than 20 years she has worked as an adviser and executive in and around construction and infrastructure: working in waste (WMNZ), building products (CHH), construction companies (Downer & Fletchers), a public sector water utility (Watercare) and consulting (private practice and her own boutique consulting firm, Cupola). As well as her executive roles, she writes and speaks on industry issues and volunteers her time to various boards. She has served a term on the Building Advisory Panel at MBIE, was part of the inaugural WIN Advisory Board at INZ, is in her second term as is a trustee on the Board of Diversity Works New Zealand (in which capacity she chaired the project Steering Committee for the Construction Diversity Roadmap, a Construction Sector Accord project) and was recently appointed as a member of the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group for the Construction Sector Accord.

Hon Julie Anne Genter MP

Green Party's spokesperson for Transport, Energy and Resources, Finance, Urban Development, Building and Construction, Infrastructure and State Owned Enterprises.

Julie Anne Genter believes we have an incredible opportunity to create ecologically sustainable, fair and thriving communities through good policy. She is particularly passionate about how a different approach to transport could support healthier, happier communities. She is also currently Deputy Chairperson of Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee.

Before entering politics, Julie Anne worked as a transport consultant in Auckland for several years. It was here she produced ground-breaking research into transport economics and urban design, authoring research reports for the NZTA as well as a chapter on reducing carbon emissions from transport in the book Carbon Neutral by 2020: How New Zealand can tackle climate change. Even after more than ten years in Parliament, Julie Anne remains as motivated as ever to combat the climate crisis and ensure a liveable future for her children and their peers.

Lisa Mein

Director, Mein Urban Design and Planning Limited. Co-chair, Urban Design Forum Aotearoa (UDF) Committee

Lisa is a qualified Urban Designer and Planner with in excess of 27 years’ experience in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Her experience has spanned a range of areas from stakeholder and community engagement, master planning, town centre regeneration strategies, through to design advice, strategy and guidance and research into medium density residential developments and alternative models of housing.

Lisa is actively involved in championing quality urban design outcomes in our urban environments, including in her role as co-chair of Urban Design Forum Aotearoa, through her many panel positions and in the advice she provides to her clients and colleagues on urban design matters.

In both her professional and personal life, Lisa is passionate about reinforcing a sense of place for communities, involving local communities in decision-making and creating places all people can enjoy. She is a mother to two young adults and enjoys nurturing in them her love of urban places and the diverse communities that dwell in them.