nairvaer Planning
Social Impact Assessments for community shaping projects
N a i r v a e r (from the Danish word “nærvær”) means presence — being attentive, grounded and engaged.
That’s the approach we bring to every Social Impact Assessment: clear thinking, thoughtful analysis, and practical advice that supports sound planning decisions.
What we do
Nairvaer Planning is a Sydney based planning consultancy specialised in Social Impact Assessments and Social Impact Scoping reports for complex development applications. We support project teams through the approvals process with well-structured, evidence-based social impact analysis and recommendations.
We focus on identifying key social considerations early, assessing likely impacts, and providing clear mitigation and enhancement recommendations to support positive community outcomes and efficient assessment.
Our services
We provide tailored Social Impact Assessment support across the design and development application process through to approval, including:
social impact assessments (SIA)
For Development Proposals, including State Significant Development Applications
social impact Scoping (SIS)
For Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Review of Environmental Factors (REF)
Stakeholder engagement inputs and consultation summaries
We engage with local government and community organisation stakeholders
Social baseline analysis and community context profiling
Identification of social risks, sensitivities and opportunities
Mitigation measures and recommended social commitments
Local and state-ready documentation to support development applications
Our approach
We provide social impact assessments for a wide range of projects, including:
Major residential and mixed-use development
Built-to-rent (BTR) residential development
Affordable housing
Co-living and student accommodation
Commercial and hotel development
Seniors living residential
Industrial and warehouse distribution facilities
Data centres
Educational establishments
For all projects we identify the social baseline and social impacts relevant to the proposal and develop mitigation and enhancement recommendations that respond to the local planning, social, cultural, environmental and economic context.
Our work is known for being:
Easy to navigate, easy to assess
Clear and structured
Grounded in data, policy and local context
Evidence-based
Focused on implementable mitigation and enhancement recommendations
Practical
Aligned with statutory planning processes and decision-making needs
Approvals-aware
why
nairvaer
Nairvaer Planning combines social planning capability with statutory and strategic planning experience, ensuring assessments and reports are fit-for-purpose, proportionate and assessment-ready.
We prioritise strong community and impact analysis, sound judgement and practical recommendations to support timely assessment and better outcomes for communities and proponents.
about
Nairvaer Planning is led by Louise Popowitz, a Danish-Australian planning professional with demonstrated experience delivering high-quality Social Impact Assessments for complex development proposals.
With her Scandinavian roots, Louise is passionate about creating communities that thrive socially and environmentally, promoting well-being, inclusivity, and resilience.
Her background spanning statutory and strategic urban and social planning, Louise has worked across a range of projects and sectors.
She leverages her technical knowledge and communication skills to manage client and stakeholder relationships, driving quality project outcomes.
Louise brings strong analysis and report writing skills, stakeholder engagement experience, and a practical understanding of how development interacts with community needs and lived experience, ensuring social risks and opportunities are clearly assessed and communicated in a way that supports sound planning outcomes.
Master of Urban Planning & Environment (RMIT University)
Bachelor of Natural Resources - Nature Management (University of CPH)
Full Member, Planning Institute of Australia (PIA)
Board Member, Better Streets Australia