Welcome to the third edition of City Chats, Shaping Cities Through Design Since 2016, where we reflect on a decade of creating places, communities, and opportunities through integrated design thinking.
Our feature story sees City Collective Founder and Managing Partner, David Cooke looking back on the firm’s first ten years, sharing the lessons, milestones, and relationships that have shaped our journey, while exploring the challenges and opportunities that will define the decade ahead. We also sit down with David to discuss City Collective’s long-standing commitment to sport, community infrastructure, and creating places that leave a lasting legacy. Finally, we shine a spotlight on David and Justin Kearnan‘s recent appearance on the As Built Podcast, where they reflect on the origins of the practice, multidisciplinary design, housing, community building, and the future of our cities.
Author: Silvio Francisco
For media inquiries, email citychats@city-collective.com
City Collective is proud to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2026.
Founded in Adelaide in 2016 by David Cooke, City Collective was established on a clear and ambitious vision: to create remarkable places for people by addressing complex challenges, and shape cities through a design-led approach. From the outset, the studio set out to bridge disciplines, integrating urban design, architecture and planning to deliver holistic design outcomes that generate lasting value for clients, communities and the built environment.
Over the past decade, City Collective has grown from an Adelaide-based practice into an internationally recognised studio, with studios and projects across Australia and the United States. This growth has been supported by a commitment to design excellence, innovation and the belief that the best outcomes are achieved through collaboration, not only within the studio, but alongside clients, stakeholders and the communities each project serves.
This people-first philosophy has enabled City Collective to work across a wide range of sectors, including housing, mixed-use developments, sports and community infrastructure, and large-scale urban renewal. The studio has played a key role in guiding projects for community housing providers such as UnitingSA, helping to deliver well-designed, adaptable housing that responds to growing demand while prioritising dignity, affordability and long-term community outcomes. In 2025 alone, City Collective delivered $115 million in developments and more than 200 new homes into the South Australian community, with a pipeline for more in 2026 globally. In parallel, we have embraced innovative delivery methods, including volumetric modular construction, to improve efficiency, scalability and build quality across its residential portfolio.
In the sporting sector, City Collective has established itself as a trusted partner to clubs and organisations seeking to align performance, identity and community impact, having designed and delivered over 100 sports facilities globally, with a further 10 currently under construction and due for completion this year. The studio has worked closely with AFL clubs on the planning and design of training, administration and community facilities, with a strong emphasis on supporting the continued growth of women’s sport, through equitable, future-ready environments. Internationally, our work with Major League Cricket has contributed to the planning and positioning of new venues in emerging markets, helping to shape the next generation of sporting infrastructure in the United States.
City Collective continues to influence broader city-shaping outcomes. Our work in South Australia reflects an ongoing commitment to local impact through strategic planning, precinct development and civic design, while across the United States, the studio is contributing to growth-focused, place-led urban development. Across these regions, City Collective brings a consistent approach, combining long-term vision with practical delivery to unlock social, economic and environmental value.
The Next 10 Years
As City Collective enters its next chapter, the focus remains on innovation, collaboration and impact. The studio continues to explore new technologies, embrace evolving urban challenges and invest in its people, ensuring it remains at the forefront of design and planning.
The 10-year anniversary will be celebrated throughout 2026, recognising the projects, people and partnerships that have defined City Collective’s journey so far, while looking towards the opportunities that lie ahead.
Author: Silvio Francisco
For media inquiries, email citychats@city-collective.com
From grassroots clubs to the professional level, communities are feeling the pressure of ageing venues, limited court space, and precincts that no longer meet growing participation rates. This national shortfall is now shaping how cities plan for recreation and community wellbeing, and it calls for partners who understand both the urgency and the opportunity.
Our Solution: Designing for a Sporting Future
Modern sporting precincts should support more players, while also serving as places for gathering, learning, and strengthening community identity. Our approach begins with strategic siting and precinct integration, ensuring each facility is connected to community services, active public spaces, and surrounding neighbourhoods.
We’re responding with a rapidly expanding portfolio, having designed and delivered over 100 sports facilities globally, with a further 10 currently under construction and due for completion this year. Each project represents more than new courts or playing fields, it’s an investment in inclusion, diversity, and the long-term resilience of the sporting landscape.
Brisbane 2032: A Catalyst for Long-Term Legacy
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a pivotal moment for sporting and community infrastructure. While the global spotlight will be brief, the impact of decisions made now will shape cities and regions for decades.
Drawing on both local and international experience, we sees Brisbane 2032 as an opportunity to embed legacy thinking from the outset. This means prioritising projects that deliver long-term community benefit, not just event readiness. This is where our experience across 100+ sporting facilities becomes most valuable, not just in delivery, but in designing for what comes after.
Key to this is ensuring venues are embedded within broader urban systems, accessible to communities, and capable of adapting post-Games. Global examples demonstrate that legacy is not guaranteed; it should be deliberately planned through governance, design, and ongoing use. By aligning investment with participation, community needs, and urban growth, Brisbane 2032 can leave a lasting network of inclusive, high-performing places, not just a collection of venues.
What We’ve Learnt
Over the past decade, one lesson has remained constant: the success of any sporting facility depends on how well it reflects the people who use it. Designing with stakeholders in mind means going beyond the immediate brief, engaging not only core user groups but also those who may not yet have a voice. This includes the rapid growth of women’s sport, which has reshaped expectations around equitable access, amenities, and visibility. By broadening participation early, we uncover opportunities to create more inclusive, active, and well-utilised precincts.
We’ve also learnt that integration is critical. The most successful sporting environments are not standalone venues, but connected parts of a wider urban and community network. Whether embedded within dense urban areas or growing suburban precincts, facilities must link to surrounding neighbourhoods, public spaces, and services. This approach allows projects to respond to community aspirations, not just sporting demand, and strengthens their long-term relevance.
Finally, flexibility and adaptability are essential to creating lasting value. Sporting infrastructure performs best when it supports multiple uses, from events and competitions to health services, education, and community programs. By planning for scalability and layering complementary functions, we enable facilities to evolve over time, maximise utilisation, and act as catalysts for broader urban regeneration.
The Takeaway
Sporting infrastructure is no longer just about meeting demand, it is about shaping communities. For decision-makers, the priority should be clear: invest in integrated, inclusive, and adaptable precincts that deliver long-term social and economic value.
Author: Silvio Francisco
For media inquiries, email citychats@city-collective.com
As part of City Collective’s 10-year anniversary celebrations, Founder and Managing Partner, David Cooke and Managing Partner, Justin Kearnan recently joined GraphicMachine‘s Patience Jones and Brian Jones on the As Built Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the studio’s journey, values, and vision for the future.
The episode explores the origins of City Collective, the thinking behind our multidisciplinary approach, and how architecture, planning, urban design, and strategy come together to create more connected communities. David and Justin also discuss some of the industry’s biggest challenges, from housing affordability and the “missing middle” to social infrastructure, sports precincts, and the future of city-making.
Reflecting on a decade of practice across Australia and the United States, the discussion highlights the people, projects, and partnerships that have shaped City Collective, while looking ahead to the opportunities and challenges that will define the next ten years.
It’s a thoughtful conversation about cities, communities, design, and the enduring belief that better places start with integrated thinking.
Listen to the As Built Podcast
