"The Future Embraced" Masterclass by Kobus Mentz

Following the publication of “The Future Embraced”, Kobus Mentz is offering the opportunity to benefit from his extensive experience with a masterclass to develop a framework of thinking and doing. UDIA members can apply directly for the advanced course and will be awarded 6 CPD points for successfully completing this course.

Course Background and Details

The courses will commence with a 40-minute introductory videoconference. Each participant will receive a copy of The Future Embraced in advance of the workshop, as well as a template for their own Framework of Thinking and Doing (FTD). They will be expected to read the book and partially complete their FTDs. The one-day workshops will comprise

of presentations and tutorial style reviews of the participant’s draft FTDs. The emphasis will be on what the insights mean for each participant personally. Ten days or so after the workshop a conclusionary videoconference will be held to finalize each participant’s action plan.

The following topics will be covered:

1. Be Future Relevant.

2. Develop your own Compass.

3. Convert Global Challenges into Local Opportunities.

4. Shape your Career.

5. Be an Effective Player.

6. Be an Agent for Change.

7. Be a Cross-Border Raider.

8. Be an Urban Choreographer.

9. Be a Thought Leader.

10. Embrace the Future.

CPD points per course

• Architects, landscape architects, planners, transport planners and urban designers are welcome on the course.

• Urban Design Institute of Aotearoa members will earn 6 CPD points per course.

• NZIA and NZILA members will also earn points.

Venue

Education Partnership and Innovation Trust, Level 1, 8 Gloucester Park Road, Onehunga, Auckland.

Registration

Email contact@urbanismplus.com with your: Name / Mobile number / Delivery address (for a copy of the book) and which course you wish to attend. We will advise you of availability and provide payment details.

• Intermediate Course - (under 6 years’ experience): 6 May 2025, 9h00 – 17h00 ($800 + GST).

• Advanced Course - (6 years’ experience or more): 7 May 2025, 9h00 – 17h00 ($1,000 + GST).

• Both courses consecutively - 6 and 7 May ($1,500 + GST).

Facilitator Profile

Kobus has been the director of Urbanismplus since 2004. He became an architect in 1977 and earned a postgraduate degree in urban design in 1987 from the Joint Centre for Urban Design in Oxford. He has worked in Africa, the UK, and New Zealand since 1994, with additional experience in Australia, India, China, UAE, USA, UK, and Canada. Urbanismplus, a boutique urban design practice, specializes in complex urban issues globally and has worked in over 80 locations. The firm has received numerous national awards, including Best Master Planned Community in Australia. Their Dunedin Warehouse Precinct project is featured in the RIBA book: 20/20 Visions as a top example of collaborative planning. This project attracted $52m in private investment from just $1.1m private sector spending. Their Melbourne 2030 Growth Strategy saved the Victorian economy $25-43m and reduced travel time by 23%, cutting carbon emissions. Kobus has trained over 1,000 professionals and contributed to the National Urban Design Curriculum under the NZ Urban Design Protocol. He has lectured at 10 universities, including as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Auckland, and co-authored New Zealand's first national urban design guide.

For his practice profile see: https://www.urbanismplus.com/ for his book see: https://www.TheFutureEmbraced.com. For book reviews and interviews see: https://spacing.ca/vancouver/2024/08/19/embracing-the-future-an-interview-with-kobus-mentz/  and https://urbandesignforum.org.nz/2024/10/general/the-future-embraced1/