Director, Client & Strategy Lead

Neasa  is a founding member and Director of A Playful City, with over a decade of experience in designing and delivering bespoke stakeholder engagement processes, Neasa specialises in shaping people-centred places that reflect both local priorities and client goals. Her work bridges strategic consultation with meaningful community input—ensuring that engagement is not just a checkbox, but a catalyst for long-term, place-based impact.

Neasa trained and practised as a barrister-at-law from 2006 to 2015, bringing a work practice which reflects a commitment to inclusive processes, strategic clarity and long-term impact in the public realm  Her ability to navigate complex frameworks while championing community voices has made her a trusted collaborator for public bodies, design teams and local and private sector partners alike.

For six years, Neasa also co-designed and delivered a postgraduate module on the MSc Urban Environment at University College Dublin. In 2021, this module was selected by UCD to represent Irish educational excellence and community-engaged learning at the Global Higher Education Conference at Harvard University.

Director, Design Practice Lead

Naomi is a co-founder and director of A Playful City, with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of design, engagement and cultural strategy. With a background in Creative and Cultural Industries and a Master’s in Design Practice, Naomi brings a distinctive, user-led perspective to placemaking and community consultation—centring creativity, collaboration and inclusion in everything she does.

Naomi has led the design and delivery of engagement methodologies for a wide range of public space and urban development projects, working closely with clients, communities, and cross-disciplinary teams. Her approach champions innovative, accessible, and people-focused processes that uncover local insights and translate them into actionable design outcomes. Naomi’s work consistently helps shape more vibrant, responsive, and community-rooted places

Director, Engagement & Project Lead

Cathal has over a decade of experience in architecture and design practice across Ireland and the UK. With a strong background in both the built environment and participatory design, Cathal specialises in developing creative, collaborative approaches to stakeholder engagement and translating those insights into robust design briefs for buildings, neighbourhoods and cities.

Cathal has led multidisciplinary teams on complex urban projects, including Town Centre First initiatives and large-scale masterplanning frameworks. His ability to guide engagement strategies within these teams ensures that diverse perspectives-from local communities to statutory stakeholders-are meaningfully integrated into the design process. He is recognised for his strategic thinking, inclusive leadership style and capacity to align team efforts with broader policy goals and community needs.

Cathal is a lecturer in Urban Design Futures at University College Cork and the Cork Centre for Architectural Education. He coordinates the Master Course, Redesigning the Post-Industrial City, developed through the UNIC European alliance, focused on transdisciplinary approaches to urban transformation.

Director, Creative & Marketing Lead

Aaron is a co-founder and director of A Playful City, with over 20 years of experience working across education, public art and community-led placemaking. His practice is rooted in a deep belief in the power of collaboration, creativity and inclusive design to transform the public realm. Aaron has played a key role in shaping spaces that reflect the identity, needs, and aspirations of the communities who use them — from local neighbourhood interventions to large-scale urban strategies.

Aaron’s work has been recognised and awarded nationally as well as internationally for its innovative and impactful approach to public space and community engagement. He brings a unique ability to bridge sectors — working with local authorities, design teams and community stakeholders to develop creative, practical and participatory methodologies that unlock the potential of place.