Benjamin Fornarino

Board Director, CoDesign Studio

Ben Fornarino is a leading digital product advisor and developer, having grown profitable enterprises, scale ups, and startups for over a decade.

Latest

Intro to Community-led Placemaking with Valli Morphett, CoDesign Studio

Free placemaking training online for government, property developers, and community members. CoDesign Studio's free webinar series links the world with leading research on best-practice placemaking methods for social impact and financial return.
Place Plan
Placemaker Training for Government

Our successful 6-week accelerated program returns! Specifically tailored for government staff, become the go-to placemaker in your organisation. Designed to build participant knowledge of CoDesign Studio's effective and cutting-edge placemaking practice, this training course provides you with insights from real-world projects and experience across government, built environment firms, urban planning, and work with communities. Secure your seat here today.
Placemaking for Property: 30min insights with Samantha Choudhury

Join us online on Wednesday 20th November at 10AM for a free educative webinar with internationally experienced Sam Choudhury on the power of placemaking for property.

Co-Design Process + Workshop Facilitation

Co-Design Process + Workshop Facilitation
Placemaking Strategy

Facilitation of locally-led process through co-design for self-sustaining placemaking outcomes. Strategy, Engagement, and Activation based on award-winning methods grounded in world-first research by CoDesign Studio. Products included in this service include: - Design brief - Masterplanning - Participatory design - Strategic stakeholder engagement - Creative community engagement - Governance and place management plans - Placemaking framework development - Placemaking poli
Place Identity + Visioning

Authentic place branding through creative engagement and meaningful activation to inform place planning, property sales, and community development. Strategically uncover the authentic place identity of your property to make informed choices in place planning, activation, sales, and community development. Combine face-to-face creative engagement with technological advances: place measurement and data insights to map your users' journeys through place to maximise the uncovering of place val
Place Plan + Government Advisory

A strategic roadmap for how a place will be managed, activated, and altered over a fixed time period, a Place Plan specifies an action plan for local councils and government agencies through locally-led approaches. Most often, a place plan is created by council in response to a catalyst, which could include pressures due to change, or disruption in a community such as major infrastructure change.
Engagement

Integrated engagement for authentic place insights, purposeful stakeholder communication and effective community development. Engagement is a core component of designing places for people. Multi-stakeholder communication and pathways are critical for successful place outcomes. Understand what is truly happening on the ground through our proven methods that are: - Creative - Experiential - Strategic Receive full reports with authentic insights and actionable recommendations.
Activation

Placemaking activation for new developments, public spaces, property sales, community events that builds social capital. Have you ever noticed that award-winning, beautiful spaces are sometimes left empty once the initial launch is over? CoDesign Studio are specialists in community activation. We build the social fabric of a place so that it outlasts the design period. Unlock a local community equipped with agency, capability, connection, and mobility for self-sustaining place benefits.
Valli Morphett

Chief Executive Officer
Melbourne

An energetic optimist who knows that great places are founded on true collaboration. Gifted thought leader and public speaker, Valli is passionate about collaborative citymaking and has spent two decades driving systemic place-based change through Australia and the UK.
Brooke Williams

Principal
Brisbane

A highly experienced urban designer and placemaker, having worked on urban renewal and place-based economic regeneration strategies throughout Queensland. Brooke is passionate about creating vibrant cities and connected communities.
Samantha Choudhury

Principal
Melbourne

An international place development expert with specialties in precincts, property and government protocols, and heavyweight project experience in Australia, Dubai and the USA.
Madeline Menca

Senior Placemaking Consultant
Melbourne

A qualified industrial designer with a research speciality in Liveable Cities. Maddy has extensive experience in art and design, and is sought-after for her creative engagements and participatory events that attract results. She is also a gifted illustrator with branding experience.

Retail needs to create 'Sticky Places' to succeed

Is your mainstreet or retail centre in decline? We explore why the need to create ‘sticky places' has become more urgent than ever. Property developers, investors and managers are under pressure to plan for growth while facing low footfall and high vacancies.
Accessibility
Service Menu
Placemaking for Property: 30min insights with Samantha Choudhury

Join us online on Wednesday 20th November at 10AM for a free educative webinar with internationally experienced Sam Choudhury on the power of placemaking for property.
6-Week Online Program

A 6-week accelerated program in best-practice placemaking tailored for specific sectors and industries.
Placemaker Training for Government

Our successful 6-week accelerated program returns! Specifically tailored for government staff, become the go-to placemaker in your organisation. Designed to build participant knowledge of CoDesign Studio's effective and cutting-edge placemaking practice, this training course provides you with insights from real-world projects and experience across government, built environment firms, urban planning, and work with communities. Secure your seat here today.
Our Story

Lead by CEO Valli Morphett since 2018, and founded by Board Chair Lucinda Hartley in 2010, CoDesign Studio is the most advanced placemaking firm in Australia. Offices in Melbourne and Brisbane service government, property development, and community organisations to impact the resilience and financial viability of their district.
Collisionable Spaces
Community-Led Placemaking Guide 2019

The Community-Led Placemaking Guide is CoDesign Studio's premiere resource on the theory and practice to making better cities and better neighbourhoods through local empowerment and collaborative council process.
Example - Mission, vision, values

What you're all about -- but write to inform and inspire site visitors, not for yourselves