Refuge: An Urban Resilience Hackathon

A passionate urban designer, dedicated social researcher and leader of Arup’s Australasia Foresight team, Bree works at the edge of critical futures and built environment practice. Across a public and private sector career spanning policy development, strategic design, R&D and infrastructure delivery in Australia, Singapore and Aotearoa New Zealand, the connective thread in Bree’s career has been unpacking the multi-faceted relationships between people, place, technology and nature in cities. At Arup, Bree works with partners to explore and understand complex change to envision and realise alternative futures.

Bonnie Shaw is a world renowned leader in public sector innovation, data informed design, and adaptive leadership. She is the Chief Innovator in Residence for the Municipal Association of Victoria where she is focused on supporting local government adapt and thrive in changing climate, social, economic and technology conditions. Bonnie is also the Founder and Creative Director of SHTF SHFT (shift shift), an initiative focused on developing the skills and tools needed to survive and thrive in challenging times. Though trained as a landscape architect and urban designer, Bonnie has spent most of her career working at the forefront of advanced technology and innovation, strategic change management and community engagement with organisations as varied as NASA, the (Obama) Whitehouse, Capital One Labs, Foundation for Young Australians, NIKE, the World Bank, and Hilton Hotels.

Chris Speed is the newly appointed Professor of Design for Regenerative Futures a the RMIT School of Design and Social Context. Chris has recently arrived in Melbourne from The University of Edinburgh where he held two directorships: Director of the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Director of Creative Informatics. Previously, as Director of Creative Informatics Chris led the UK government-funded research and innovation cluster for five years, supporting the development of new products and services for the Creative Industries. Chris also has an impressive track record in directing large, complex grants and educational programs with academic, industry and government partners, that apply design and data methods to social, environmental and economic challenges.