Humans of City North: Kate Dundas
You’ll find Kate Dundas at 15 Lygon Street, just opposite Trades Hall, where the UN Global Compact Network Australia is based. As Executive Director, she works at the intersection of business, sustainability, and global impact—helping organisations across the country align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. But Kate’s connection to City North goes much deeper than her current role.
Originally from Glasgow, Kate has built a life and career that spans continents, disciplines, and causes. With a background in design, urban planning, and sustainability, she has always been drawn to cities—not just how they look, but how they function, and more importantly, how they can change for the better. Years ago, while working at the City of Melbourne, Kate helped shape the City North masterplan. Now, years later, she finds herself back on the same patch of ground, this time driving forward a different kind of vision—one rooted in global sustainability, but grounded in local community.
Kate’s journey to Melbourne wasn’t exactly a straight line. She first visited in the early 2000s and took a job in a call centre. One of her earliest memories is having all of her clothes stolen from a washing line in St Kilda—a moment that, at the time, seemed to mark the end of her Melbourne chapter. She returned to Scotland, thinking she’d never be back. But in 2011, the city called her back, and this time, it stuck. Melbourne became home.
What keeps Kate anchored here is more than just work—it’s the way the city feels. She lives in the northern suburbs and commutes into City North by bike, enjoying a protected 8km ride that’s become part of her daily rhythm. It’s a small thing, but one that speaks volumes about what makes Melbourne special: the blend of urban density and green space, the diversity of its neighbourhoods, and a kind of accessibility—both physical and cultural—that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Whether she’s with her family, on the tennis court, or deep in policy discussions about sustainable development, Kate is driven by a clear purpose: to make a positive difference. She sees Melbourne—and City North in particular—as a place of huge potential. For her, this district could become a living example of the SDGs in action: a circular economy precinct where people from all walks of life come together to learn, share, socialise, and create. A place that not only acknowledges but actively embeds First Nations leadership and knowledge into its foundations.
To get there, Kate believes we need more than good plans. We need holistic thinking—an understanding that climate, gender, health, and economics are all interlinked. And just as crucially, we need community spirit. Kindness. A willingness to listen, collaborate, and act with care.
City North has already changed a lot since the days she helped draft its masterplan. But if Kate has anything to do with it, the next chapter will be even more transformative—written not just with ambition, but with integrity, imagination, and heart.
This is Kate’s story.
