Cathy Smith

Dr. Cathy Smith is a registered architect, interior designer, and academic at the School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales (UNSW). With dual PhDs in Urban Planning (UNSW) and Architectural History and Theory (University of Sydney), she bridges research and industry practice. Her work focuses on Meanwhile Use, Creative Placemaking, and DIY Architecture, emphasizing equity in the built environment.

Her research has been supported by prestigious grants, including the

• 2021 UNSW New Staff Grant
• 2018-2023 Turnbull Foundation Women in Built Environment Scholarship
• 2018 Richard Rogers Fellowship at Harvard GSD

She has contributed extensively to journals like Australian Feminist Studies and Architectural Theory Review.

Key awards include the

• 2018 Richard Rogers Fellowship
• 2011 University of Queensland Teaching Excellence Award
• 1997 University of Queensland Academic Medal and Dean’s Award

Her supervision areas span Creative Placemaking, DIY Urbanism, and The Urban Interior.