City of Newcastle drives high-quality urban design through independent review panel

Renders of developments assessed by the Urban Design Review Panel.

City of Newcastle’s independent urban design experts assessed almost $1 billion in developments during 2025, with a strong emphasis on high-quality public domain design.

Across the year, the Urban Design Review Panel undertook 71 individual design sessions in collaboration with City of Newcastle, providing expert advice on projects across the city. 

These outcomes are detailed in the 2025 Urban Design Review Panel Annual Report, which was unanimously endorsed at last week's council meeting. 

City of Newcastle Executive Director Planning and Environment Michelle Bisson said good design is fundamental to creating a welcoming, walkable and liveable city.

“Our community expects development that enhances local character and the panel is critical in guiding this vision,” Ms Bisson said. 

“The Urban Design Review Panel plays a vital role in guiding development that enhances our public spaces, respects local character and delivers lasting value for our community.

“Their expertise helps ensure that even in a complex planning environment, we continue to see high-quality, thoughtful design outcomes across the city.”

The Urban Design Review Panel is an independent body comprised of specialists who provide expert advice to City of Newcastle and development applicants to support high-quality design outcomes.

Alongside major civic projects, the Panel reviewed a diverse mix of significant development proposals throughout the year. These ranged from a $2.9 million childcare facility in Tarro to one of the year’s largest projects, a $186.6 million, mixed-use development in Newcastle West featuring 14 and 15-storey towers accommodating 280 apartments and five commercial tenancies.

Urban Design Review Panel chairperson Dr Philip Pollard said high-quality design extends beyond the building line.

“Good design shapes the streets, landscapes and public spaces people use every day,” Dr Pollard said.

“This year, the panel continued to provide consistent independent advice across an increasingly diverse range of proposals. Our ongoing focus on public domain quality, landscape integration and contextual fit remains central to achieving places the community can be proud of.

“One standout project that has been shaped by input from successive design panels over many years, is the newly completed Newcastle Art Gallery. This space now provides a contemporary, purpose-built home for the city’s remarkable art collection and a cultural asset the community can be proud of.

“The panel places strong emphasis on ensuring new developments respond thoughtfully to their context and contribute to a cohesive urban environment for genuine public benefit. Our role helps applicants achieve outcomes that support the people who use these places and enhance their surroundings.”

The UDRP also acts as a Design Integrity Panel for nominated projects, ensuring design excellence is maintained through to delivery. In 2025, the UDRP provided advice for 17 different applications including major mixed-use, co-living and residential proposals across the CBD, Newcastle West, Mayfield and New Lambton.