A number of current and former architects are running for office in the Victorian council elections in October.
In the City of Melbourne, Tania Davidge is running as an independent candidate on the ticket of current Lord Mayor and former property developer lobbyist Sally Capp.
Davidge is cofounder of OoPLA and president of Citizens for Melbourne, a campaign group formed in the wake of the Victorian government’s decision to demolish a part of Federation Square to make way for an Apple store.
Together with a group of architects, urbanists, planners and “lovers of public space,” Davidge launched the advocacy group Citizens for Melbourne in 2018. She has been an outspoken critic of the privatization of public space, and said of the Federation Square proposal that the state government was offering Melbourne’s “heart and soul” to Apple. The group’s campaign successfully stopped the demolition plans, quashed the Apple store proposal and led to the state heritage listing of the Federation Square, through a nomination of the National Trust.
It was during the campaign to stop that development that Davidge met the mayoral candidate Sally Capp, who had offered her support for the Apple store proposal during her tilt for the mayorship. Capp took a $1,500 campaign donation from Federation Square Corporation chair Deborah Beale.
Davidge says that while she and Capp didn’t agree on the Apple store proposal, she believes the incumbent lord mayor is committed to the city and its public spaces and is willing to listen to the community.
Davidge is standing down from her Citizens for Melbourne position for the campaign. She says she wants to use her expertise and experience as an architect and public space advocate to “help reactivate the city she loves.” If elected, she would act as an independent voice on council for better built outcomes and public spaces.
“So many of the decisions that are made at local council level shape our built environment,” she said.
“It was during [the Federation Square] campaign that I really saw the ability that local councils have to make a difference and advocate up to the state government level. And I think that at this point in time, especially with COVID, you can see that our built environment and our public spaces have never been more important.”
Capp’s most favoured opponent in the Lord Mayor race is current Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Woods. His team includes Peter Clarke, a former executive director of the Victorian chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, who is also a former City of Melbourne councillor, and a former vice-president of the Liberal Party in Victoria. Clarke is currently deputy lord mayor of the City of Nillumbik. “[Clarke] deepens that depth and breadth of experience as number two on the ticket,” said Wood of his candidacy.
Clarke was also chairman of Places Victoria but stepped down after 14 months amid an investigation from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.
Other architects running in the Victorian council elections include Jose Rodriguez, who is a candidate for the City of Greater Geelong. “Over the past decade, I have been vocal about my support for a design-led city,” he said. “I proposed plans to overhaul the CBD’s ailing mall, advocated for a Geelong City Library design competition, and petitioned to save a manufacturing icon, the Geelong Cement Silos. Because I believe these efforts would make best use of our resources, and strengthen our cultural, social and economic capital.”
Source: Architecture - architectureau
