Call for Kūmara Awards nominations

Nominations close on Friday (October 1) for the Kūmara Awards, showcasing placemaking that makes a difference to people and place.

The awards were held last year for the first time in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and have now been extended to Te Panepane o Te Ika Greater Wellington Region and Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Smales Farm was one of last year’s winners. Honoured for going “Beyond the Brief, with its revolutionising workspace that embraces technology, flexibility, sustainability and community to deliver a smarter, sustainable and healthier workplace where lifestyle and work can effortlessly blend.”

Smales Farm was one of last year’s winners. Honoured for going “Beyond the Brief, with its revolutionising workspace that embraces technology, flexibility, sustainability and community to deliver a smarter, sustainable and healthier workplace where lifestyle and work can effortlessly blend.”

An initiative of Placemaking Aotearoa, the awards are supported by organisations around the country: Catalyse, Eke Panuku, Hutt City Council, ACS Marketing and Gap Filler. Projects have to be nominated to win, and can be temporary or permanent, small or large scale. They can be led by locals or professionals - any project that transforms a random space into a meaningful place.

“There is fabulous placemaking happening across Tāmaki Makaurau all the time, even if we don’t always call it placemaking”, says Denise Bijoux, a founding member of Placemaking Aotearoa.

“Local things like food swap tables, a black fence offered to neighbours for chalking in Alert Level 4 lockdown, singing on the porch to make neighbours smile and much larger things like the Te Auauanga restoration and upgrade or Silo Park – anyone can be a placemaker and help create positive change, and we want to celebrate all kinds of placemaking”.

The Organic Market Garden received an award in the category of “Saving the World One Place at a Time” for showing people the role urban farming can take in achieving sustainable and regenerative food systems and helping people reconnect with the place.

The Organic Market Garden received an award in the category of “Saving the World One Place at a Time” for showing people the role urban farming can take in achieving sustainable and regenerative food systems and helping people reconnect with the place.

Criteria include: 

  • putting people at the centre of place 

  • bringing positive change to the people in and of a place, and to the place itself

  • Is inclusive and participatory

  • Helps people grow aroha, connection to each other and to our places

  • Forges strong kaupapa, identity, belonging and meaning

  • values local knowledge and the lived experience of everyday people as well as the experts

  • is democratising, so that everyone in a neighbourhood benefits when a place is improved

  • uplifts the mana of communities, making them stronger and healthier: environmentally, culturally, socially and economically.

The 312 Hub was acknowledged as “Most Gracious Survivor of Red Tape” for believing and persisting in their mission to create “A Place Where Youth Lead”, and generously helping existing systems to evolve at the same time.

The 312 Hub was acknowledged as “Most Gracious Survivor of Red Tape” for believing and persisting in their mission to create “A Place Where Youth Lead”, and generously helping existing systems to evolve at the same time.

The project has to have been live between October 2020 and September 2021. There will be five winners in each area, decided by a panel of local judges. Winners will be announced in early November.

Inaugural winners were:  Bayview Community Centre, The 312 Hub, Smales Farm, O.M.G Organic Market Garden and Ara Journeys.

Placingmaking Aotearoa says: Kōre te kūmara e kōrero ana mo tōna ake reka. The kūmara does not brag about its own sweetness … but others do! So please share other people’s success stories and encourage them to share yours.

You can find more information here.

Awards, PlacemakingGuest UserKūmara Awards