It might be too soon to say that Urban Design has 'arrived', but it has entered the consciousness of the nation's psyche through now having three of its proponents honoured with Order of Australia awards - alongside sports people, pop stars, politicians, business types, scientists and social workers.

William Joseph Kelly OAM

In January this year, Bill Kelly became the most recent recipient of an Order of Australia award. The official citation says: For service to the arts as a visual artist, and to urban design. Kelly literally grew up in four of Olmstead's parks and, as a very young artist, created small drawings and paintings on site in each of them. He has since exhibited his art in over 20 countries and 100 cities from Melbourne to New York City to Durban to Tokyo. Much of this work reflects his commitment to human rights, social justice, reconciliation and peace - acknowledged by his receipt in 2006 of the Courage of Conscience Award (USA) - values also reflected in his urban design work.

Though always an artist first, Bill puts great credibility in the relationship of public space and architecture to culture and to the evolution of community, and believes firmly in the power of true collaboration to achieve positive outcomes.

He was a founding member of Urban Design Forum, collaborated on the design of Westgate Park, All Nations Park, was artist consultant to the Docklands Authority for eight years, artist collaborator on Balaclava Community Housing (City of Port Philip), and a member of the team for Inkerman Oasis which won the Stockholm Prize for planning toward sustainable development.

Robert John Adams AM

In June 2007, Rob Adams was made a Member of the Order of Australia. The official citation was 'For service to urban design, town planning and architecture through the implementation of programs, projects and policies that have transformed the City of Melbourne.'

Rob was a founding member of Urban Design Forum. Rob has played a central role over the past two decades in making Melbourne one of the world's most liveable cities. He has consistently taken a proactive and highly professional role, displaying leadership as well as responding to public and political concern in a career that has reshaped Melbourne and set an example for cities throughout Australia.

Crucial to this is Rob's understanding that making a good city requires not only bright ideas, but the work of many talented and creative people capable to turning ideas into reality and capable of maintaining the qualities that make a city liveable. Testament to this is the 100 design awards won by the City over the last 15 years.

Rob also was the recipient of the SACS Local Government Award 2007 and the Committee for Melbourne's Achiever Award 2007

Juris Greste OAM

In January 2007, Juris Greste was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. The official citation was: 'For service to urban design, particularly through raising community awareness of the need for high quality and sustainable environments, to professional associations and to education.'

Juris has been a long standing senior committee member of the Australian Institute of Urban Studies (Qld) and the Urban Design Alliance of Queensland, active as a community representative and urban design advocate, writer and educator in Queensland.

Following 20 years as a practicing architect, Juris moved to education. He taught design and a range of other subjects at Queensland University of Technology as a full time academic member of staff for over 10 years, and continues to teach part time. He has a Master of Arts degree in Urban Design (with Distinction) from the Joint Centre for Urban Design, Oxford Brookes University. and was a Queensland recipient of '2004 Year of the Built Environment' exemplar award.

Juris has extensive knowledge and experience in urban design and development both as an employed senior urban designer and as a consultant. After leaving QUT, he worked with some of Queensland's largest architectural firms designing a range of large local and international projects. He is a regular contributor to Urban Design Forum.