marcus westbury

For those of you who are in Newcastle and want to find out more about the “Renewing Newcastle” proposals, we are holding an information night on Wednesday 10th of September at 6:30pm. The venue is the Lock Up (next to the now derelict Post Office) at 90 Hunter Street Newcastle.

I’m pleased to say that I’ve managed to convince Craig Allchin to come along and talk more generally about the planning and culture of cities and how this might apply to Newcastle. Craig is a very smart guy with a great track record.

The official blurb:

Renew Newcastle Information Night!

It’s time to put together some real strategies for turning Newcastle’s rotting CBD around. Come and find out more about proposed models that local, state and federal government can use to stop the rot and decay of the Newcastle CBD.

Community groups, artists, business owners, and concerned citizens are invited to come and join the campaign to activate the Newcastle CBD through low capital, community driven projects.

Guest speakers include MARCUS WESTBURY (host of ABC TV’s Not Quite Art) and Architect and urban planning consultant CRAIG ALLCHIN.

CRAIG ALLCHIN is currently working on a variety of inner urban, regional and international projects. He was a founding director of the award winning Melbourne architecture practice Six Degrees. He has conducted much of his work in the area of integrated urban renewal strategies creating new uses in unused or forgotten parts of the city. Six Degrees were initiators of the revival of Melbourne’s laneway culture, now a key strength in the revitalised downtown precinct. He was a board member of the Melbourne Fringe Festival from 1998 to 2002, and project architect and instigator of the recent refurbishment of Melbourne’s unsung monument, the Capitol Theatre. He divides his time between working on projects in Melbourne and Shanghai and in his home base, Sydney.

I’ve also established a Facebook Group for those who might want to stay in touch with the project.

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