On 19 March, the Canberra Innovation Network hosted TEDxCanberra Adventure: Awakening City Hill - a live design challenge that brought 60 people together to shape the future of one of Canberra's most significant public spaces.
Participants from across Canberra's design, planning, architecture, construction and community sectors worked in teams to develop practical, permissible activation concepts for City Hill - the heritage-listed parkland at the heart of Griffin's original city plan. The brief was tight: temporary, low-cost, reversible, and grounded in community feedback already gathered by the City Renewal Authority.
After 90 minutes of facilitated work, eight teams presented their concepts to a judging panel that included representatives from TEDxCanberra, the City Renewal Authority, the Canberra Innovation Network, Brand Canberra and BlockPlanner.
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DNA Architects were selected as the winning team. Their concept was ambitious and deeply considered: practical in its approach, connected to community priorities, and deliverable within real site constraints. The team will receive up to $10,000 in government funding, supported by the City Renewal Authority and BlockPlanner, to bring their concept to life on City Hill in 2026.
The event was presented by TEDxCanberra in partnership with BlockPlanner, the City Renewal Authority, the Canberra Innovation Network, Impress Design, Synergy Group, Region Media, Yellow Edge and key input from Brand Canberra.
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