Jonathan Drane

Background

About Jonathan Drane

Jonathan Drane PhD, MBA, MA (Research), B.Build (Hons), Jonathan is a city research director at Optimum City Research, the editor at online publication The City Whisperer and a mentor at Mentoring Men. Jonathan is a recognised expert in city precinct development with an emphasis on activation of dormant cityscapes. Jonathan’s doctoral research project (2011 to 2014) studied dormant cityscapes in several Australian regional cities and how they were bought to life. He founded the Optimum Search City Research Centre which focuses on key research areas including Multi-apartment-Dangerous Building Defects, Night Economy, City Dormancy and Activation, Expert Witness Advisory and Research Skills training. Going beyond just a research emphasis Jonathan was involved in the revitalisation of the Palmer Street Precinct (2003 to 2008) as a catalyst developer. In this way he has both researched and been involved as a practitioner in urban activation. Jonathan has been a certified property practitioner with the Australian Propery Institute. He has worked and consulted as development manager, client side project manager, and is also a recognised researcher, writer and self-publisher. Jonathan has been involved in executive positions in the property, infrastructure & building industry with corporations such as Davinci, Fortia, Leighton, Fletcher, Thiess, Girvan and CRI throughout the South East Asia / South Pacific Basin. Major property and building projects he has managed include Parliament House Port Moresby, LUTH Tower Kuala Lumpur, Maritime Plaza Sydney, Sydney Airport Centre Mascot, Gateway on Palmer and Dalgety Apartments Townsville. His clients have included national and international groups such as Fortia Funds Management, Quantum, Davinci Funds Management, Makita, Alfa Laval, Kerry Ingredients, Bond University, Leighton, Charter Hall, Sydney University, Macquarie Bank, Fisher Rosemount, K&R International and Matrix. In 2006 Jonathan launched his first book 'The Way of a Thousand Arrows, An Australian family's journey through the Camino de Santiago' which won the Messenger Marketing Prize at the 9th Australian Publishers and Author's Book Show ( NSW Writer's Centre Award). He published The First Pilot- an historical novel about events on the headland at Dunbogan on the mid north coast of NSW in 2021 which included a colonial and indigenous history. The latter in collaboration with the Birpai Aboriginal Land Council. See Specialties: Urban Development, Property Development, Project Management, Development Management