Ludo Campbell-Reid

Ludo Campbell-Reid is Design Champion and General Manager of the Auckland Design Office at Auckland Council. He is an urban designer and planning specialist, and a competitive rower.^[1]

Campbell-Reid in 2016

Early life

Campbell-Reid was born to an English father and a South African mother in Hampton Court, southwest London, in 1968.^[2] He was educated at Hampton School.^[3] He graduated from the University of Westminster in London with a BA with Honours in urban planning studies, then completed a MA and Diploma in urban design at Oxford Brookes University.^[2]

Rowing

While at school, Campbell-Reid was inspired by Martin Cross winning a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the coxed four competition. Campbell-Reid represented Great Britain at the 1986 World Rowing Junior Championships in Račice (which at the time was in Czechoslovakia). While studying at Oxford Brookes University, he was stroke in their first eight.^[3]

During a career break from urban design, Campbell-Reid worked for Aylings Racing Boats as marketing manager. During his time at Aylings, Steve Redgrave won his fifth Olympic gold medal (in Sydney in a coxless four) in a newly developed shell from Aylings.^[3]

Professional career

Campbell-Reid's achievements in urban design began in South Africa from 1992 to 1997, where he worked on the country's first ski resort, assisted in transforming the Victoria and Alfred basins into Cape Town's world-class Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, and worked on that city's bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games. In 1997, he returned to London where he worked for Tibbalds Planning & Urban Design before becoming senior urban designer at Tower Hamlets Borough in east London. He worked on the transformation of London's Canary Wharf, and in 2003 was shortlisted for the London Planning Awards in the category of best public sector planner.^[2][4]

Campbell-Reid was appointed Auckland City Council's first ever Design Champion in 2006 following recommendations of The Mayoral Task Force on Urban Design. Campbell-Reid and his team at Auckland Council delivered the first City Centre Masterplan in 2012. This plan set in motion the people-centric urban renaissance of the downtown area and seven years on, they are now out consulting with Aucklanders on its refresh. They have been instrumental in creating shared spaces throughout the city, they have played a key role in the redevelopment of Wynyard and Britomart, and they have made their mark on globally award-winning projects like Lightpath – Te Ara I Whiti.^[5]

Ludo Campbell-Reid finished at Auckland Council at the end of 2019 and went to the City of Wyndham in early 2020, where he was for two years. Afterwards, he was at the Suburban Rail Loop Authority for two years, before joining the executive leadership team at the City of Melbourne.^[6][7]