Leading The Conversation About Urban Change And Growth.
We help developers, Councils, and Government Agencies communicate complex planning and development projects with strategic intent, clarity, transparency, and trust.
UrbanTalk Promotes Smart Urban Communication.
As Australia enters a decade of unprecedented housing and infrastructure growth, misunderstanding and misinformation can easily derail good projects.
UrbanTalk mitigates that risk by turning complicated planning documents into simple, accessible, and visually clear Project Listings that help communities understand, not resist, urban change.
Born from Real-World Planning & Communication Challenges.
UrbanTalk was founded by Belinda Barnett, an urban planner and communications professional with decades of experience working alongside developers, Councils, and Government Agencies.
She saw the same challenge over and over again. Projects being delayed or opposed simply because information wasn’t clear, accessible, or well-communicated.
UrbanTalk was built to fix that.
By combining a deep understanding of planning frameworks with modern communication strategy and digital storytelling, UrbanTalk empowers clients to lead the narrative – not chase it.
UrbanTalk Helps Communities To Understand, Not Fear, Urban Change.
Our mission is to make information about urban development transparent and easy to understand.
We believe that when communication is handled effectively, trust grows, projects move faster, and everyone wins, from developers and Councils to local residents and planners.
We’re not just a platform. We’re a communication partner
for progress.
Trust
Transparency
Progress
Strategy. Clarity. Communication.
UrbanTalk combines 3 core strengths:
1
Strategic Communication
We translate complex development outcomes into clear, community-friendly Project Listings.
2
Smart Digital Design
Project Listings present information in a visual, mobile-friendly format that’s easy to navigate.
3
Ongoing Collaboration
Project Listings evolve and keep pace with the project from start to finish.
This combination helps reduce objections, ease workloads,
and improve engagement for every stakeholder involved.
Meet the leadership behind it all.
“With only one moment in time to express their views, often after design is finalised, communities were frustrated.”
Leading change is our Founder and Managing Director, Belinda Barnett.
Belinda Barnett
BTP (HONS),CERT MKG (UTS) MPIA
Founder and Managing Director
Belinda is a leading urban planner and communications specialist with decades of experience in the Australian development sector. She is recognised for her strategic insight, industry leadership and commitment to improving community engagement in planning.
She holds a Bachelor of Town Planning (Honours) from UNSW and a Certificate in Marketing to the Public Sector from UTS.
Belinda’s career spans Local Government roles, including the City of Sydney, senior private-sector planning positions, and Communications Manager for the Homebush Bay Development Corporation during the transformation of the Olympic precinct.
In 1994, she founded Urban Concepts, now a nationally respected consultancy built entirely on referrals. She is known for navigating complex regulatory environments and delivering clear, practical engagement strategies for major projects.
In 2021, Belinda launched UrbanTalk to modernise and simplify community engagement. She also hosts the UrbanTalk Podcast, featuring conversations with industry experts on contemporary urban issues.
Cooper Lindsay
Creative Producer
Creative Producer
After completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney, Cooper pivoted into content creation and went on to complete a Bachelor of Film at SAE. He then spent three years producing engaging short films, music videos, corporate pieces, and promotional content.
With a keen interest in urban planning and the built environment, Cooper joined UrbanTalk as Creative Producer in 2020 to help bring Belinda’s vision of modernising and simplifying community engagement to life. He now manages content for the UrbanTalk website and produces much of the site’s multimedia, including the UrbanTalk Podcast.
Trusted by Developers, Councils & Government Agencies.
UrbanTalk works with some of Australia’s most respected developers and Government Agencies, helping them deliver better community outcomes and faster approvals.
What Our Clients Say.
UrbanTalk supports a wide range of developers across a broad range of projects – from boutique residential to state-significant projects, master plans, mixed-use precincts and even out-of-home advertising.
1
Audrey, St Leonards
“…the proposal has benefited from extensive consultation between the Applicant, Council and community and concurs with Council that the DA achieves the required standard for development…”
— Sydney North Planning Panel, Audrey in St. Leonards
2
Dubbo Residential Rehabilitation Centre
“The UrbanTalk Project Listing launched the project with confidence and clarity. It has been in place through site acquisition, design, development approval and now construction, becoming the trusted hub for community inquiry and project updates. It has been invaluable in building community understanding about the project, so much so that the concept and stage 1 development applications attracted zero public submissions.”
— Thomas Kwok
Partner, Holding Redlich Lawyers
3
Glebe Island Silos
“The consultative process and project listing were key to the low number of objections and fast approval process.”
— Anita Burgermeister
Commercial Director, oOh!media
Make Urban Communication Smarter.
Whether you’re a Government Agency managing rapid growth or a developer seeking faster approvals, UrbanTalk helps you communicate with strategic intent.
Book a short discovery call with our team to explore how we can support your next project.
UrbanTalk acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of this nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
Contact Us
The Commons Surry Hills,
Level 1, 285A Crown Street,
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
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© Copyright 2025 UrbanTalk. All Rights Reserved.
ABN 17 646 538 203