Dr Mike Gillen is an urban advisor with over 30 years of planning and development project experience across the UK, Asia and Oceania. Mike is a passionate advocate for cities, how they are governed, function, look and become sustainable and resilient. In his work he is focused on identifying land use economics, planning, property and design outcomes to maximise community and value uplift and unlock enterprise opportunities.
Mike is the immediate past-President of the Committee for Brisbane and in this role he offered advice and leadership on the types of activities, projects and discourse that will help elevate and support the goal of making Greater Brisbane one of the world’s greatest liveable cities. Much of this includes a focus on social infrastructure, quality of life and prosperity. Mike was directly engaged in Australia’s first ever City Deal, acting as the principal advisor to Townsville City Council to help deliver major water, sporting and cultural infrastructure.
1. What inspired you to join the industry?
I’ve always had a passion for cities. They are a melting pot of people, ideas and culture – each with unique characteristics including transport infrastructure, geography and terrain. They are governed differently and will therefore have different responses to opportunities, shocks and crises. That’s why I’ve never bored of working in this field – it is constantly changing irrespective of who the city client is, whether it be government or private sector. Being a Queenslander, I am extremely excited at the opportunity we have ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics to create a truly city-shaping Games and leave a legacy that we can all be proud of.
I think I can ultimately thank my schooling for my curiosity about cities. I was fortunate to have very good teachers in urban geography when I was at school and I went on from there to study urban studies at Sheffield University in the UK. I have continually embellished my understanding of cities as an academic – researching and writing on things as broad as placemaking to urban vulnerability, and on projects ranging from high-speed rail to regional economic regeneration.
2. What is your favourite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
The first one is aptly named ‘Gillen Housing’ based in Alice Springs which we began in 2015. What started as a client meeting to provide advice around possible divestment of assets, has turned into a seven year relationship where we have conducted condition assessments on over 200 separate pieces of housing infrastructure. We have since investigated various options for refurbishment and redevelopment and are now tendering for construction on a number of these sites. That was a great piece of work because it brought in a large number of technical disciplines including planning, cost management, engineering and architecture, all working in collaboration to provide a fantastic outcome for our client. In my 32-year career so far, this is one of very few projects that I’ve seen all the way through to something physical and tangible, which was established early on as either a costing exercise or an early-stage concept. I’m extremely proud of the work that the team has put in over the last seven years to bring this project to fruition.
Although not a project, one of the most interesting initiatives that I’m part of is an exploration of how the Olympic Games can be a catalyst to shape cities for the better. At AECOM, our global experience in major sporting events, including the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, is second to none. In Australia we’re really leaning into our global colleagues to ensure we learn from this experience and to help our clients locally to ensure we make the most of the upcoming 2032 Brisbane Olympics. We’re only going to get one opportunity to do it. The top two lessons learned that can be applied to Brisbane include early costing and programming engagement with design disciplines to identify cost efficiencies and early carbon budgeting that allows a dynamic appreciation of direct and residual emissions and savings targets. This is such an exciting opportunity to elevate Brisbane and southeast Queensland to a new world global city status.
3. The new world order – what are the challenges and opportunities that you think lie ahead as a result of the pandemic?
City centres have really borne the brunt of the pandemic. They must now adapt to ensure they’re more than just places of business and provide a daytime and a night-time economy. That’s what will make city centres thrive again, and it will take some time given the habits we have developed over the last two years. By concentrating on specific locations across the inner city, we can provide a much richer experience to people. We can do this by improving the public realm, making better choices on land use, and by creating clear timeframes that encourage people to engage and enjoy everything the city has to offer. Enabling new mixed zone precincts and low-carbon corridors close to public transit in the inner city will kick start new and innovative clean industries to thrive and encourage the night-time economy.
More broadly, climate change poses one of the most significant challenges we have ever faced and will impact every part of our lives. Abrogating responsibility and burying our heads in the sand is not the smart way to do things. This is where I think we’re in a really privileged position at AECOM. We have such a diverse technical capability and it’s the integration of these disciplines where the magic can really happen, unlocking value for our clients and making real gains in low and zero carbon futures.
4. What excites you about the future of practice?
There’s some irony in this in that my answer to this question is something which I’ve been researching ever since I became a student of urbanism! Integrated and systems thinking is now more obvious than ever in that what we do in one field has significant implications and knock-on impacts on a whole series of others. In terms of infrastructure, we recognise that no piece of linear infrastructure can be developed without understanding its impact on communities. We’ve got to a point now where we’re talking about people-oriented infrastructure, planning and exploring the values and benefits of this early in design.
Technology is now allowing us to capture data and reveal impacts from infrastructure. This is probably one of the most exciting things that we have at our fingertips – in that it enables us to explore better ways of doing things. It will also encourage more holistic thinking on projects and will ensure every dollar spent on new public infrastructure works harder to derive better public benefit. We’ve never been in a better position as an organisation to apply integrated thinking, with a dedicated digital team to unlock innovative outcomes and enable more informed decision making.
5. Reflecting on your career journey so far, has there been a pivotal moment that has impacted your approach to leadership?
To become a good leader, you must develop trust early on with team members – trusting them to make informed decisions, but also allowing your team to make mistakes and to learn from them. This can be difficult for leaders who are very hands-on and this is something I struggled with early on in my career. Over time, I’ve realised that it’s important to set a clear direction, set a good example and trust will quickly develop.
6. Is there a piece of career advice you have received which had a lasting impact on your career?
I received some advice from my father many years ago and it was very simple – to model the behaviours you wish to encourage in others. This helps to develop trust, establish clear values and beliefs, and ultimately creates a great culture. If you can do that, then you will earn respect and will be more likely to develop an engaged team.