Strategic Urban Design

At kinetica, we facilitate large-scale urban renewal and urban development through master plans, structure plans, urban design frameworks, urban design controls and policies. 

Our work spans greenfield and large infill sites, the renewal of activity centres, transit precincts, shopping centres, housing estates, industrial areas and low-density residential neighbourhoods.

At kinetica, our work is focused on creating liveable, sustainable, resilient, healthy and inclusive environments.

Our urban design team has qualifications in urban design, architecture, landscape architecture and planning. We undertake commissions for the public and private sector. 

Together, this ensures that our work benefits from a strategic perspective, design intelligence and creativity. It balances sensitivity to social and environmental concerns with commercial awareness.

At kinetica, we give impartial advice and seek to influence decision-makers to share our vision of bold new futures.

Our recommendations are always carefully developed and tested, so that we present proposals with confidence at planning panels.

Mark Sheppard and Julia Bell are highly experienced expert urban design witnesses, offering the potential for compelling evidence at panel hearings as required.

Recent strategic urban design projects include:

The District Docklands Development Plan

Postcode 3081 Urban Design Framework

Hobsons Bay Precinct 15 Built Form Strategy

Why have we changed our name?

kinetica was formerly known as David Lock Associates (DLA).

David Lock Associates (Australia) Pty Ltd changed its name to Kinetica Studio Pty Ltd on 21 February 2020 to reflect the significant reinvention of the business.

Starting with the crystallisation of our vision and values, continuing with a transformation of our planning offer, and culminating in our move to a ‘grown up’ office in the CBD, we are no longer the business we were.

Paralleling these changes, we agreed with David Lock Associates Limited (the English business which gave birth to DLA Australia) that it is time to undo our formal corporate ties, while retaining a strong informal relationship.

This reinvention of the business needed to be expressed outwardly and we began the process of refreshing our graphic identity. DLA has been predominantly known for urban design expertise, and the name reflects our history as a satellite of an English business. A new name offered the opportunity to establish a refined brand, based on a home-grown organisation featuring planners and urban designers trusted for their expertise and independence.

Our new company name, kinetica, reflects our passion for change.  We facilitate and shape changes in the use, ownership and development of land to create a better lived experience.

kinetica retains the best of DLA—highly regarded independent urban design expertise—and combines it with highly regarded independent planning expertise.