Sustainable Development

Tony Chan, Sustainable Development 2003

“The challenge to design cities and the built environment in a sustainable manner is more pressing than ever before. Going beyond conventional land use planning, we now have to transcend and address not only local issues but also global ones, especially relating to climate change and natural resource consumption.

“Having graduated from the Bachelor of Town Planning degree in 1997 I was keen to explore and understand more about sustainability as well as integrating it into my core planning skills. Being a graduate of UNSW I was already very well aware of what the university as well as the various schools can offer in terms of its facilities and education quality. However at that time, the Master of Built Environment (Sustainable Development) program was the first in the world with a focus on sustainability, and of course I was immediately attracted to it.

“The program delivered a comprehensive set of subjects and provided a deeper understanding of the inter-related nature of what we do when designing and planning the built environment from the macro to micro scales including issues like climate change, energy, water, waste transport etc. I developed a firm understanding of the variety of issues related to planning our built environment, and gained qualification to speak on all things sustainable during the course of my work and when presenting at conferences.

“Since graduating, I have held several positions both in Australia and overseas. I was part of the team to set up the Planning & Design team for Arup in Shanghai in 2006 and watched it develop and grow as the most significant highlight so far. We have sought to make sustainability as the core framework which all our plans, designs and strategies are designed around.

“Apart from master plans at various scales from 2000km2 regional strategies to detailed urban design for smaller sites, our projects now also include low carbon roadmaps, sustainability frameworks and eco-indicators planning for both the public and private sectors. The breath of technical skills available within Arup locally and globally makes the entire process a lot more comprehensive in preparing for our required work. Rising up to today’s critical challenges, as professionals we have to improve our knowledge to be all encompassing in order to address this multitude of interrelated issues. We all have to go beyond the business as usual approach, to design communities and cities with a new non-renewable resource consuming dependant lifestyle. It is a long, arduous and challenging journey but one which we have to all rise up and face nonetheless.”

Warren Neilson, MBuiltEnv (SustDev) 2011

“Before attending UNSW, I was employed as a project manager for a renowned building firm specialising in the construction of large custom homes throughout central Florida (USA). During my last semester in the MBuiltEnv Sustainable Development program, I began an internship with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) to develop a robust database of Green Star Certified projects based on Green Star categories. On completing the program, I was offered a full time position and now I am currently a Case Manager for Green Star projects throughout Australia.

“UNSW BE appealed to me because it had a tremendous amount of resources relating to the sustainable development and design of the built environment. The program has an excellent reputation within the sustainable development area and is well acknowledged on a global basis. The faculty has an impressive track record of working on groundbreaking projects and the university also has a world renowned Photovoltaic program.

“One of the program’s strongest assets is it’s talented and diverse group of students who come from all corners of the world to better educate themselves in how to handle sustainability issues within the context of their own countries as well as the world. The opportunity to collaborate with a global student body appealed to me and I am proud to be a part of this elite community of graduating experts.

“Throughout the program, I gained an in depth understanding of the many complicated issues concerning environmental, social and economic sustainability within the built environment. I met, collaborated with and continue to hold strong working relationships with other graduates.

“One of my greatest achievements whilst studying at BE was cofounding, with other Sustainable Development students, the University of New South Wales Masters of Sustainable Development Student and Alumni Association. This Alumni Association has since linked an impressive network of sustainability professionals throughout 15 countries in an effort to share resources and promote sustainability on a global level.

“My degree from UNSW Built Environment has helped me to achieve my goal to progress into the highly sought after area of sustainability consulting. The professional experience I gained and the fact that the program is recognised on a global level set me apart from other professionals within the building industry.

“I would advise anyone studying the Masters in Sustainable Development to make sure you get involved with your peers. Do not let your time at UNSW go by without reaching out and collaborating with other students within the Sustainable Development graduate program.”