Ludo Campbell-Reid

Ludo Campbell-Reid is an urban designer and planner, and a former competitive rower.^[1]

Campbell-Reid in 2016

He has notably worked on projects in Cape Town and London, before becoming the first Design Champion at Auckland Council's Design Office.^[2][3]

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.^[4] 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

Campbell-Reid became interested in rowing at school following Martin Cross's gold medal win the 1984 Summer Olympics. Campbell-Reid represented Great Britain at the 1986 World Rowing Junior Championships in Račice (which at the time was in Czechoslovakia).^[2]

From 1987, while at Hampton School he competed the school's rowing club, before going on to compete for Leander and Molesey Boat Clubs. While studying at Oxford Brookes University, he was stroke in their first eight.^[4]

During a career break from urban design, Campbell-Reid worked for Aylings Racing Boats as marketing manager. While at Aylings, he designed the boat used by Steve Redgrave to win his fifth gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.^[2]

Career

Campbell-Reid's career in urban design began in South Africa from 1992 to 1997, where he worked on the country's first ski resort, assisted in transforming Cape Town's Victoria and Alfred basins into the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, and worked on the city's bid to host the 2004 Olympic Games.

In 1997, he returned to London to work for Tibbalds Planning & Urban Design, before becoming senior urban designer at Tower Hamlets Borough in east London. Whilst there, 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][5]

Campbell-Reid moved to Auckland in 2005,^[6] and was appointed the City Council's first ever Design Champion in 2006, established following recommendations by a Mayoral Task Force on Urban Design. Following the 2010 Auckland Council amalgamation, he lead the Environmental Strategy and Policy Department, before becoming General Manager (Design Champion) of the council's Auckland Design Office in 2014.

In 2012, he and his team at delivered the council's first City Centre Masterplan in 2012. In his role, Campbell-Reid says his focus has been to put "people first" and has lead the creation of shared spaces in the city,^[7][6] including the redevelopment of Wynyard and Britomart, the 2015 redevelopment of Fort Street,^[7] and the award-winning Lightpath – Te Ara I Whiti project.^[3][8]

In 2018, he was the architect for Auckland Council's "Access for Everyone" plan; the council's planning committee unanimously supported a trial to pedestrianise parts of the central city.^[9] Some of his projects attracted controversy, including criticism from mayoral candidate John Tamihere in 2019.^[8]

Ludo Campbell-Reid resigned from Auckland Council in October 2019,^[8] 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.^[10][11]