Specialist urban and town planning consultants operating in Perth and regional WA
Challenging the norms to build vibrant, connected communities for tomorrow.
We’re a team of town planning and project management professionals who are known and trusted to deliver ground-breaking strategies that drive progressive growth
Our central premise is strategic thinking which pushes boundaries to meet the aspirations of our clients, ensuring we achieve innovative and sustainable town planning and design outcomes for the benefit of our communities.
With extensive networks and knowledge of policies, frameworks, legislation, and best practice principles across many disciplines, we’re amply equipped with the expertise to provide sound, reliable advice, and the ambition to overcome limitations on site or within the planning system.
Making places safe, diverse and adaptable for the future.
Everything we do stems from a genuine passion for creating thriving, connected communities. We want Perth’s future generations to grow up feeling safe, confident and inspired to live a great life—and to relish the fruits of our labours so they have every opportunity to reach their potential.
We love to work with clients who are as eager as us to make the kind of change needed to evolve Perth and WA as a culturally rich, sustainable and lively place for future generations.
If that’s you, we’d love to work with you.
Trent Durward
Founder & Director
From my childhood I had a curiosity for town planning and would spend time drawing cities and roads, exploring how they’d best be structured. I've always had a fascination for societies and how the intricate networks within them connect. After a time living in the UK in the 90s, this eventually led me to completing honours in a Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning.
I now have 20 years’ experience in planning and development having worked as a local government and consultant town planner, and as a development manager for one of Perth’s biggest boutique property developers.
Specialising in complex and controversial proposals that demand careful strategic thinking, problem solving, and stakeholder engagement, I’m able to combine my wide range of experience in town planning and development projects across residential, mixed use, commercial and industrial sectors. I’m also proficient in due diligence feasibility and project delivery across built strata, green title and survey strata subdivision.
My experience extends to State Administrative Tribunal representation, media engagement and strategy, along with regular presenting engagements for UDIA and West Coast Property Training professional development seminars.
As an active member of my local community through the local Town Team, Leederville Connect, I was Chair for three years and am currently Vice Chair and a key contributor to the Leederville Place Plan.
I have great respect for heritage and preserving history, which reflects in my passion for classic cars and great design. Community and family have always been a priority for me—I believe that in forming strong bonds and encouraging healthy neighbourly relationships, we can really influence how cities grow.
My wife Elsa and I have two children in primary school and they inspire me daily in my work and vision to create a future community they are proud of.
“I’ve worked with Trent on various projects spanning 17 years, from smaller commercial and residential subdivisions to large scale $80+ million-dollar luxury mixed use developments. He has assisted our company in delivering innovative solutions to suit our development models and is able to relate to different audiences to ensure effective communication from high levels of government through to local communities, ensuring maximisation of yields and project delivery in a timely manner. I highly recommend Trent for your development project.”
Matthew Pickford, Director
Megara Property
Leederville Connect and the
Town Team Movement
After chairing Leederville Connect for the last 3 years, I'm proud to currently be vice chair of one of the pioneering Town Teams, Leederville Connect, and of my involvement in place-based planning and civic engagement.
Town Teams are all about activating spaces, advocating for business, and looking after the community, always with a goal to promote positive growth for local communities and civil engagement.
We’re keen to explore opportunities to work with new town teams, developers who need place plans and local governments within the space, so if this is of interest, we welcome you to get in touch.
Team and partners
Method Planning has successfully partnered with a suite of development professionals across the following sectors:
Architecture
Sustainability
Transport
Acoustic engineering
Surveying
Community consultation
Engineering
Hydrological engineering
Environmental management
Water & waste management
Media training & public relations
Fire engineering
Built form & civil construction disciplines
Visual artists (for % of Public Art Schemes)
We look forward to helping to coordinate the relevant professionals to make your project a success.
Accolades, media representation and associations
Board Member, Town Team Movement 2022
Leederville Connect Chair, 2018-2021, Vice Chair, 2022
Asia Pacific Place Leaders Award, 2021, Leederville Connect
Corporate Member of the Planning Institute of Australia, since 2006
Presenter for UDIA, the Urban Development Institute of Australia
In the media
Excerpt from WA Business News | McCabe St project article
After the City of Fremantle recommended this project be refused, the Metro Inner-South Joint Development Assessment Panel cited design excellence, community benefit and landscaping, among other features, as reasons for approval.
“We were thrilled to receive an approval first time at JDAP and proud of the project team we assembled along with the JDAP’s consideration of the exemplary design and community benefit proposed."
Trent Durward
Development Manager