The status quo in Melbourne’s built environment is siloed and profit- heavy, leaving little room for social or ecological impact. Professionals deserve more than transactional networking; they need a space for radical collaboration.
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Lack of cross-industry connections and opportunities to collaborate.
In an industry where 61% of professionals report ‘siloed communication’ as their primary barrier to innovation, we provide the cross-sector bridge to drive creative breakthroughs.
FOR INDUSTRY
A gap between profit driven projects with people and planet- driven outcomes.
With 88% of real estate financing now tied to net-zero and ESG benchmarks, we offer the strategic forum where developers and designers turn ‘compliance’ into ‘competitive advantage’.
FOR SOCIETY
A need for inclusive, innovative forums tackling real urban and sustainability challenges.
We are designing for a city of 8 million. With Melbourne’s population forecast to grow 65% by 2043, we provide the essential forum for the inclusive, high-density innovation required to protect our public realm while scaling our economy.
OUR SOLUTION
A purpose-driven community designed to break down barriers and facilitate cross-disciplinary projects, contributing towards real-world tangible solutions. Together we drive innovation to enable a better future for our cities.
A networking group that is place-led.
The Place Network is community for professionals shaping urban places across Australia. We bring together practitioners across architecture, planning, design, development, strategy and placemaking who care about creating places that are better for people, better for the planet, with better profitability.
Based in Melbourne, we host curated events and discussions focused on collaboration, regeneration and long-term impact in the built environment.
Our events are designed to be practical, considered and grounded in real experience. We share honest stories about what truly works, offer tools for better collaboration, and create space for thoughtful conversations that move beyond theory.
Our Values
Built
Together
Great places aren’t created in isolation. We bring together developers, architects, planners, consultants, designers and many more. The best outcomes happen when the right people are in the same room.
Giving
a Damn
We see the precincts and developments we create as a responsibility, not just an asset class. We care about what gets built, how it gets built, and who it ultimately serves.
From Ideas
to Impact
We create space for honest, cross-disciplinary conversations that move the industry forward, turning ideas into action.
Better Places, Better Future
Everything we do is in service of cities that work better for people, better for the planet, and better for business.
Founders
Janine Kariyawasam
Janine is an interior architect and designer with over thirteen years of experience spanning Melbourne, London, and New York. She specialises in crafting hospitality and public realm experiences that prioritise the connection between people and place.
Her background integrates creative vision with strategic foresight, a skill set she’s sharpened as Head of Design at Air Design Studio. Currently completing an MBA, Janine bridges the gap between design thinking and business strategy to ensure projects are as commercially viable as they are inclusive.
Driven by the belief that meaningful change requires cross-sector collaboration, Janine co-founded The Place Network. She is dedicated to activating the public realm through design that delivers measurable social impact and lasting cultural value.
Co-founder Rosie is a brand designer and brand strategist with eighteen years of experience working across property, mixed-use precincts and hospitality.
Her background spans leading design agencies and more recently an in-house development role, where she worked with architects, developers, consultants and stakeholders to bring property developments and precincts to life from vision right through to execution, across placemaking, branding and marketing.
Rosie brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, creative direction and real-world development understanding. She founded The Place Network to create space for innovation to deliver projects that are better for people, planet and profit.
Co-founder