We solve urban challenges by:
- Embracing complexity; offering a multi-disciplinary and end-to-end integrated approach that considers the spatial and planning implications early.
- Increasing the certainty that your project outcomes can be achieved by negotiating the necessary commitments from stakeholders.
- Balancing wellbeing outcomes and impact goals with the commercial viability and deliverability of your project.
- Making information accessible and inclusive; we use creative visuals to interpret and present complex information and to communicate clearly and concisely.
Meet the Team
As a multidisciplinary team with skills as diverse as our services, we are problem solvers who thrive on the challenge of helping you to deliver your projects.
We have expertise in engagement, project planning, systems thinking and co-design, research, anthropology, architecture, urban design, planning, economics and commercial advisory.
Dr Natalie Allen
Dr Natalie Allen
Natalie works with our clients to make the seemingly complex simple when it comes to designing and delivering our built environment. She specialises in designing neighbourhoods that enhance wellbeing and is passionate about supporting our clients to innovate when it comes to delivering quality, resilient, and people-centric developments. Natalie has a background in architecture, urban/spatial design, and urban governance and extensive research experience across a range of critical urban topics: integrated urban planning and community visioning, urban growth and increasing density, and housing preferences and demand. She maintains wide-ranging industry networks in both the public and private sectors and brings a creative, long-term strategic perspective to all our work.
Turangawaewae: Natalie grew up in Tāmaki Makarau and spent alternating weekends growing up visiting her tīpuna in Paihia, Te Tai Tokerau and Ngāmotu, Taranaki. She also spent formative time living in Costa Rica, Uganda, and Cheng du.
Qualifications and Affiliations
PhD in Urban Design
MArch (Master of Architecture, first class honours)
BArch (Bachelor of Architecture, first class honours)
BAS (Bachelor of Architectural Studies)
Urban Auckland
Architecture + Women
Areas of Expertise
Urban Research
Urban Regeneration
Housing Strategy
Housing Needs Assessments
Community + Stakeholder Engagement
Thought Leadership
Natalie regularly speaks at conferences, delivers webinars, is a panel moderator and writes about housing issues and delivering citizen-centric neighbourhoods.
- 5th Annual Affordable Housing Development and Investment Summit 2021 | Full-day workshop lead | Tools and techniques to diversify the housing system
- Corenet Symposium: Resilience the Next Wave 2021 | Presenter | Resilience through urban design
- CBRE Residential Advantage Summit 2021 | Keynote | Scanning the horizon of changing housing trends
- RIBA Global Knowledge Exchange (Virtual) 2021 | Keynote | The Future of cities – Revitalising/reimagining cities post-CovidDesign Experience Series Queenstown, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland 2021 | Keynote | Shaping citizen-centric communities.
- NZILA Conference 2021 | Presenter + Panellist | Neighbourhoods as Cohesive Landscapes
- ADNZ Medium to High Density Housing Summit (Virtual) 2021 | Presenter | Diverse housing solutions for our diverse people.
- Hamilton City Councilor Briefing 2020 | Keynote | Housing for Wellbeing
- MfE Seminar 2020 | Keynote | Housing for Wellbeing - Options for everyone
- NZIA Seminar 2020 | Keynote | The Architecture of Equity: Housing for Wellbeing
- ADNZ National Conference 2020 | Presenter | Housing for Wellbeing and the Role of the Neighbourhood
- Property Council Residential Development Summit 2019 | Panel Chair | Disrupting the Property Industry
- International Study Tour 2018 and 2019 – Led government officials to Europe, the U.K and U.S to explore sustainable regeneration and community-led development solutions.
- Housing New Zealand away day 2019 | Keynote | Who are we building for?
- Spatial Survey Conference 2019 | Presenter | Creating Integrated Neighbourhoods and building community, from the start.
- Build to Rent Forum 2019 | Presenter | How BTR projects can help drive urban regeneration and renewal in our cities
- ATEED away day 2019 | Keynote | Thinking spatially about economic development
- AAA Awards 2019 | Keynote | Visionary Architecture? Beyond housing, towards integrated neighbourhoods
- UNITEC Scala Seminar Series 2019 | Keynote | Urban Innovation and Strategic City Making
Greer O’Donnell
Greer O'Donnell
Greer brings a unique perspective to the industry, having legal and anthropological training. Her expertise is at the front end of projects; bringing together iwi partners and stakeholders, to deeply understand the context, test assumptions and identify opportunities. Her skills in building relationships that form the basis of partnership, and setting projects up for success, have been applied to urban development and regeneration programmes, as well as housing and social infrastructure projects in the civic, arts and culture, parks, sport and recreation sectors. Greer’s strength is in co-designing a pathway to implementation, and working across sectors to turn strategy into delivery. Greer values innovation and creativity, and is passionate about changing the way we think about city-making, and holding space for mana whenua to guide us on how to restore Aotearoa’s ecological and cultural richness.
Turangawaewae:
Greer was brought up on a hill country farm in Whanganui, has strong connections to Ōtautahi where she spent over a decade living and working, and now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Qualifications and Affiliations
IAP2 Public Participation
Prince 2 - Project Management
Thomas Kilmann - Mediation and Resolving Conflict
Institute of Directors - Management, Finance and Strategy
LLB/BA (Political Science, Anthropology)
Founder & Chair - Society for Housing Innovation 2018-2022
Westpac Women of Influence Finalist 2019 - Business Enterprise
Areas of Expertise
Urban Development
Urban Regeneration
Community Housing
Affordable Housing
Project feasibility
Thought Leadership
- Recreation Conference 2022 | Delivering Wellbeing through Community recreation
- Auckland central regeneration Think Tank 2021-22 | Participant | Thinking a hundred years into the future
- Retirement Commission Older Persons Forum | Presenter | Barriers to community-centric affordable housing
- Better Renting through New Housing Models - Greater Auckland 2021 | Co-Author | Cooperative ownership and Build-to rent
- How we Live - Creating housing that puts people and the planet first 2021| Co-Author | A systems change view of housing
- A Cooperative Housing Pathway 2020-21 | Advisor and Reviewer | Open sourced development pathway by SCOOPNZCoHoHui 2021 | Organiser | Collective Housing Conference
- Housing Innovation Society 2021 | Advocacy | policy/legislative settings that are impeding the development of innovative and affordable housing options in New Zealand
- 5th Annual Affordable Housing Development and Investment Summit 2021 | Full-day workshop lead | Tools and techniques to diversify the housing system
- Urban Futures Conference 2020 | Presenter| How to plan for more people-centric cities
- Creative Conversations Palmerston North City Council 2020 | The future of medium density housing and regeneration
- GLO Government Land Organisations Australia and New Zealand (Presenter, 2019) – Urban Innovations; rethinking how we build our cities
- International Study Tour 2018 and 2019 – Planned and led a group of government officials to Europe, the U.K and U.S to explore sustainable regeneration and community-led development solutions
- Developing New Zealand (Panel Moderator and Round Table Chair, 2019) – Innovations in the planning industry Sustainable and affordable housing solutions for greater liveability and wellbeing
- Spatial Survey Conference (Presenter, 2018) – Creating Integrated Neighbourhoods and building community, from the start
Meredith Dale
Landscape Architect
Meredith Dale
Meredith is an Urban Designer and Urban Strategist with experience in civil engineering and urban design in the public and private sector in Aotearoa. She is a design thinker and systems thinker, skilled at working with complexity, across scales and collaborating with diverse stakeholders to develop strategies for change. Meredith has a unique multi-disciplinary perspective that is supported by a balance of skills from spatial and visual design to engagement, qualitative and quantitative research. As tangata tiriti, Meredith values meaningful partnership, integrating a bicultural approach to her work, to support iwi and hapū entities to realise their development aspirations.
Turangawaewae:
Born in Asia, and grew up in Kirikiriroa / Hamilton (rohe of Waikato Tainui), Meredith now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.
Qualifications and Affiliations
Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), Civil & Environmental Engineering, (First Class)
Master of Urban Planning (Prof) and Urban Design, (First Class)
Urban Design Forum
New Zealand Green Building Council, Future Thinkers
Areas of Expertise
Urban Design
Urban Regeneration
Housing Strategy
Monitoring + Evaluation
Community + Stakeholder Engagement
Thought Leadership
Future Thinker of the Year 2021, New Zealand Green Building Council
International Leadership Visitor Programme, Sustainable Housing and Smart Cities (2021)
Emerging Planners Network - Beyond the RMA, (Panelist, 2021)
Rory Overton
Rory Overton
Rory has recently completed studies in Architecture and Urban Design and has been a long-term supporter of TUA by developing visual content and workflows. He is interested in how architectural solutions integrate intimately within their context by considering connections to urban scales with strategic thinking. As an interdisciplinary designer who embraces the complexity of problem-solving, Rory is passionate about honest, respectful, and well-considered design. These characteristics form Rory's design philosophy of incorporating sustainability, resilience, and temporality as foundations for any solution. Rory believes that being inclusive, committed and perceptive are essential to creating meaningful change in our urban environment.
Turangawaewae
Born in Whangārei, grew up across Tāmaki Makarau and lives in Central Auckland.
Qualifications
BAS - Bachelor of Architectural Studies
MArch(Prof)UrbDes - Master of Architecture & Urban Design (Ongoing, TBC Mid-2022)
Areas of Expertise
Architectural Design
Urban Design
Visualisation/Graphic Design
Perwez Abdullah
Perwez Abdullah
Perwez has over 10 years experience in property covering everything from property management to property development analysis in both the public and private sector. His strength lies in his ability to apply an analytical mindset and his creativity to complex problems. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, he brings with him his passion for people-centered cities and neighborhoods, spatial redress and restitution and financial markets. His diverse working background and lessons learnt working in South Africa and Aotearoa New Zealand allows him to bring a unique perspective to The Urban Advisory clients. Perwez loves the challenge of working within tight parameters and interesting briefs as it stimulates his creative energy and drive!
Turangawaewae:
Perwez was born and grew up in Kēpa Tāone / Cape Town, Āwherika ki te Tonga / South Africa and moved to Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland in 2019.
Qualifications and Affiliations
Master of Science, Project Management
Bachelor of Science (Hons), Property Studies
Fundamentals of Analysing Real Estate Investments
The Real Estate Financial Modelling Bootcamp
Areas of Expertise
Financial modeling & analysis
De-risking complex projects
Project management
Development feasibility studies
Strategic property analysis
Property research and advisory
Key Collaborators
The Urban Advisory has a strong network of collaborators who add depth to the work that we do. This includes in te ao Māori, to engage Māori appropriately throughout the life of a project.
Affiliations
Being connected across the built environment industry helps to keep our diverse perspectives fresh.
Panels + Supplier List
We are recognised as leaders in our field and have been appointed to the following Panels and Preferred Supplier Lists.
Certifications + Awards
We are recognised as a values-driven company, doing our best to be good citizens.
Research Partners
Research Hub
Always learning, we’d like to share our insights with you. We’ve developed a Research Hub to keep our live research projects, research reports and articles all in one easy place.
