Elevations in the team for 2023
Change is as good as a holiday (maybe) for two of our team of leaders who are enjoying recent promotions in their professional roles. Congratulations to Matthew Edwards, Senior Urban Designer and Urban Planner Daniel Marotti. Here’s what Daniel and Matt have to say about their new roles.
Describe your new role at Jensen PLUS?
Matt
”My new role involves working in a more client-facing role and taking a lead on bigger urban design and landscape architecture projects, including some of our streetscape and public realm designs’, and city centre master plans.
The other big change is managing our small team of designers and making sure resourcing demands are managed for my colleagues.”
Daniel
”I have recently been promoted to the role of Urban Planner (only 13 months after finishing university). The welcome promotion comes with new responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities, which I have been wanting as it will help grow my professionalism and skills.
My role involves managing development approvals from start to finish, as well as providing strategic and data analysis for projects, conducting GIS mapping, and assisting with the development of Structure Plans and Master Plans. I’m also spending more time dealing directly with clients, technical consultants, taking the lead in projects, and finding ways to tackle problems to deliver high-quality outcomes for our clients.”
What has been your most interesting project in the last year ?
Daniel
”In my one year as a professional urban planner … one project that comes to mind is the Adelaide Park Lands Management Strategy – Best Practice Case Studies for Adelaide City Council.
Although not the grandest in terms of scope, duration and cost, the project really spoke to me as a born-and-bred South Australian, who values greenery and biophilia and the significance of these parklands to our local community and to the global environment.”
Matt
”The most interesting project I have been involved in recently is our work in the Victorian city of Mildura, where we have been developing concepts to revitalise some of the key CBD streets, as well as researching urban redevelopment options for catalysts sites.
The city has a strong street grid oriented north-south, making east-west access to the shops in the Mall quite difficult. The client was keen to explore ideas to improve this with new connections, which is ambitious and interesting urban design work. We also proposed upgrades to the ‘Feast Street’ section of Langtree Mall, where the city’s pubs, clubs and restaurants are concentrated. The biggest change option was the most popular in community consultation.
To see how passionate, involved, and optimistic the community members are about enacting change for their town has been really inspiring.”
What is the best thing about working in our team?
Matt
”Through visiting for workshops and researching online, I have become more familiar with lots of different regional areas of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales that I otherwise would not have known anything about!”
Daniel
”I am very lucky to work with people from a variety of backgrounds that provide the wider team with different perspectives and stories. The team are down to earth and easy to talk too. This has been beneficial to me as I have only recently transitioned from an engineer-to-student-to-urban planner.
The team also laughs at my constant stream of dad jokes, even if it’s just a supportive laugh. In any case a laugh is always welcome to lift the office vibe.”
