Urban Transition Leadership Sprint Emerging Leaders

A learning program designed to connect a cross-system cohort of emerging urban leaders to develop innovation and collaboration skills on urban challenges.

This program is designed to support practitioners in urban development to navigate the challenges of rapid population growth by innovating and experimenting in a safe environment.

It has been developed to give emerging urban change leaders the opportunity to learn more about the urban development system, gain perspectives from urban change practitioners and understand their role in creating great places.

For the program, which will next be held in 2023, Studio THI convenes a cross-system cohort of 20 passionate and emerging urban leaders to:

  • Explore the purpose of urban development

  • Gain cross-sector perspectives on the urban development system

  • Shape future practice by building systems thinking and innovation

  • Define solutions to industry challenges

  • Amplify potential as an urban leader

Who is the program for?

 

  • High-calibre emerging leaders who have the potential to make a difference

  • Professionals in the urban development industry in government, private sector, universities and community organisations

  • Diverse disciplines including project managers, developers, policy makers, marketers, strategists, designers, accountants and other professional services 

Why be a part of it?

  • Develop your personal brand and build a lifelong cross-sector network with like minded people

  • Fast track your career with hands on experience solving real world and industry specific issues

  • Connect and learn from industry shapers from Australia and worldwide

  • Gain a system-wide understanding of the industry through peer-to-peer perspectives and work with a multi-disciplinary cohort

  • Develop a toolkit of frameworks to think differently and manage innovation and change programs within your organisation

What’s included?

 

  • INTERACTIVE sessions where the cohort will explore next-thinking stimulus, real life examples, practical frameworks, peer-to-peer knowledge and guest leading practitioner insights.

  • Individual and small group EXPLORATION activities that encourage reflective practice, deepen knowledge and networks and consolidate learning. 

  • CHALLENGE TEAMS working on an IDEAS SPRINT: Small working groups of 5-7 participants using design thinking and change management  methods to navigate urban challenges. 

  • PITCHING your ideas to industry leaders.

 

Knowledge and skills outcomes.

Broaden your understanding of the urban development system by exploring its purpose, the key actors, the operating environment and your individual and organisational role.
Increase your urban leadership capabilities increasing collaboration and innovation in complexity, navigating and influencing your operating environment.
Discover and practice key design thinking by challenge framing and system analysis, stakeholder and end-user insights, collaborative ideation, implementation and influence.

 

  • What is the urban development system? What is its purpose?
    Broaden and deepen your understanding through peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and individual reflection. Unpack the system’s key actors, its purpose, the operating environment and your individual and organisational role.

  • What are the urban challenges we can’t solve alone? Explore key frameworks for problem identification and apply them to establish industry challenges with a systems lens. Cohort defines 2-3 challenges to progress throughout the program, and individuals nominate themselves to a challenge team.

  • What is the systems’ view of this challenge? Explore key methods for establishing an holistice view of a challenge and broaden your understanding of your challenge area.

  • How do we develop ideas together? Explore techniques for collaborative ideation and use them to define a large and varied number of potential solution to you team challenge.

    How do we collectively prioritise the ideas to progress?
    Consider various processes for refining and prioritising ideas through the lens of different sectors and establish your team’s priority ideas.

  • What must happen to bring this idea to life? Practice the skills needed to navigate and influence the execution of your concept in the operating environment. Challenge teams develop a roadmap for executing their idea, outlining roles and responsibilities, enablers and disablers, key priority actions by sector.

  • How do we get a cross-system buy-in and support for the concept? Learn about storytelling for influence, develop a compelling narrative for your concept and deliver a test pitch to the cohort.

  • Pitch ideas to invited guests (including leaders in your organisation and those of your cohort plus guest practitioners). Strengthen presentation capabilities and build your profile and relationships within the sector.