A strategy to inform and guide strategic planning

Wollondilly Centres Study

Surrounded by the splendor of the Southern Highlands, Wollondilly Shire has an elected council that strives to manage growth and development while protecting quality of life and the environment. In 2020, they sought an experienced consultant to develop a centers strategy for the Wollondilly Local Government Area (LGA), so they looked to us. We provided a strategy that would inform and guide strategic planning decisions for the centers and communities of the Shire over the next 20 years.

Core to the strategy? Recognizing that each centre is unique and emphasizing that its value to the community extends to creating a sense of place with walkability and adaptable building typologies with health, wellness, and sustainability at top of mind. Our approach relied on a long-term and multidisciplinary local knowledge of the Shire—an innovative and collaborative mix of strategic planning, place-making, and economics disciplines focused on the characteristics of each place and developing tailored opportunities. And finally, we used findings to create clear directions for future changes to the Local Strategic Planning Statement and future studies.

The Centres Strategy provides Wollondilly LGA with a deep understanding of the unique place-elements of its centers, a framework for measuring aspects of place that make better community, and a series of recommendations to help these values inform decisions around development and land use into the future.