Our Founding Story
Urban Access, born from Spatial Design Hub in 2015 by CEO James O'Brien, stemmed from the transformative experience of the London 2012 Olympics Games, with a vision to enhance the built environment. Specialising in GIS consultancy, Spatial Design Hub focuses on data-driven solutions for urban planning, such as Public Transport Accessibility, Proximity to Services and Amenities, Pedestrian Movement analysis, and Connectivity. Leveraging our GIS development skills, we created Urban Access, streamlining urban data analysis for all planning professionals. Our platform provides instant insights into transport accessibility and population density, empowering efficient decision-making for vibrant, accessible, and sustainable cities.
James O’Brien
Creative Director
James's extensive experience in the urban and transport planning industry, coupled with his expertise in GIS, data visualisations, and CAD data, motivated him to establish a business to offer user-friendly solutions tailored to non-technical audiences, equipping them with valuable insights to plan better spaces and places.
Michael Kavanagh
Solutions Specialist
Michael brings over 10 years of IT consulting experience, spanning startups to enterprises in Utilities, Facilities Management, Oil & Gas, IoT, Transportation, and more. Specialising in modern cloud-native app development, he aids teams in tech stack upgrades for digital transformation.
Derek Taylor
GIS / Front-End Developer
Derek has over 8 years of experience, designing, coding and creating interactive geospatial web apps, dashboards and visualisations. His work bridges the gap between data scientists and policymakers to ensure clear communication between all stakeholders.
Nick Eastwood
GIS Expert
With almost a decade of GIS analysis experience, Nick specialises in transport and pedestrian modeling, enhancing urban accessibility. His expertise in cartographic design turns complex spatial data into visually engaging maps, effectively communicating insights..
Simplify Urban Planning with URBAN ACCESS
Unlock the power of data to create accessible and thriving cities.