MDC Places Group is a small and energetic consultancy that facilitates the development of great spaces and experiences in the places where people live, work and play. Our team is made up of 3 core members and a number of other creative individuals who pop into projects as required. Mary Del Casale, Kathlin Mayer and Sue Crock are committed to helping grow healthy communities that have something for everyone. (Our fab community artist Charlotte O’Shea is also in this pic).

(More about us and the broader team coming up when they introduce themselves at the end of this page…)

A lot of our work focuses on neighbourhood planning and town centre revitalization projects where we creatively involve the people and organisations living in the communities. We have great facilitation skills which we also use to work with internal teams who want to get innovative and find new ways of working.

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We’re passionately interested in creating more meaning and vibrancy in the ‘third’ place – the social and community settings people spend their lives in. These places are vitally important as they are the spaces people feel creative and alive.

flickr:Austinevan

They’re the spaces where people meet and play and grow … where they find and create meaning.

Flickr: Leandroid

The spaces where people can explore and reflect … play games … have adventures … remember …imagine and dream.

Flickr: Andy Howell

These places are at the core of peoples lives … and should demand and deserve creative, value driven and purposeful development.

That is why MDC Places Group exists….

MARY DEL CASALE

I’m a multi-talented personality. I define myself as a facilitator, motivator, writer, foodie and global citizen. I love color and creativity and anything that is ‘out of the box’ thinking. I always thought that if I wrote an autobiography it would have to be called “a passionate life” because living life to the full, is definitely my mantra. I love to encourage people to tell me their stories and also their aspirations, and to work with them to bring some of their desires and wishes to life. My work as a Place Maker is in the main with local government in Western Australia – neighbourhood planning, community visioning, organisational team building and supporting the creation of more meaningful and connected spaces and places. My voluntary work is with the Slow Food Movement. Slow Food is committed to linking consumers with local growers and producers and food that is good, clean and fair. So I get involved with taste education, school and edible gardens and the politics of food. I am currently embracing technology and exploring how it can support good community conversations. On top of all that, I’m blessed to be able to travel regularly within Australia and overseas to learn and continue to grow my network of friends and colleauges. Check out my digital story as it tells the tale of my village in Italy and will give you more of an insight into where I’m coming from.

SUE CROCK

Hi, I’m Sue Crock and I’ve worked in the area of community development in Western Australia and the UK for longer than I can remember! I’ve seen lots of developments over time and now love the holistic nature of place making.  My passion is stories, both individual and community stories. They speak of who we are, how we make meaning, how we are connected and what happens when that connection is lost. Stories are central to place making and the sharing of stories is a powerful tool to value and connect people and communities.  I’m also interested in the ways in which our stories can limit us.  When we identify strongly with, and attach deep meaning to our story we may not be able to see that other stories are also possible, other realities available to us. How can we open to other stories? How can we reframe our stories to allow for growth? How can we, as place makers, support communities to frame their stories in ways that strengthen and value rather than limit and weaken that community?  I love early music, films and books that stretch me, meaningful conversations and travel. Mary took this photo on a ferry near Varenna, Lake Como where I lived for some time.  Oh, and I have a very loud laugh!

KATHLIN MAYER

Arts and cultural planning megastar and energetic project manager!

LIZ LENNON

I’m Liz Lennon and am delighted to be one of MDC Places international consultants. I live in the beautiful rural town of Ballinamore in County Leitrim Ireland. I moved to Ireland in 1993 after working [and growing up] in Western Australia for 26 years. My work has covered every area of community development and I pioneered many techniques that are now standard practice in action research and evaluation. I have a passionate interest in social media and how it can help create communication + challenge + creation spaces for people who are separated by time and distance. I works with MDC Places as their online social media & research mavin. I’m currently developing an online learning space for communities and organisations [SKIL2] … and …Life Dreaming … a whole package that helps people decide what’s important in their lives right now [ to be launched online in late 2010]. For me these 2 projects have a learning curve so steep that it’s vertical! Then again … I believe that innovation can’t happen in a comfort zone. When I’m not having fun working there’s the Coco dog to walk and friends to play with and dreams to dream … and make real. Life is good.

These people pop into projects from time to time and are highly valued…

MICHAEL SPARTALIS

An architect who is passionate about community engagement and place making!

GERALD ASHCROFT

CHARLOTTE O’SHEA

Cultural creative and community artist extraordinaire!

GREG WINNING

Fabulous photographer and regional resilience dude!

STEVE VERMONT

Information technology and social media guru!

JOHN BRESCACIN

Business coach and entrepreneur!