The humble 27-year-old said she felt she was out of the running for the outstanding achievement by a young planner award and was shocked when she won the accolade.

"They'd asked all nominees to sit up the front of the auditorium in Melbourne so it was easy for them to be called up," she said.

"I never expected to win so I was sitting further back.

"I'd just told my friend I was going to head to the bathroom when they called my name."

Ms Liau was recognised for raising the profile of the planning profession within her role at the Federal Department of Infrastructure and many voluntary initiatives she has undertaken.

"I run the PIA mentoring program and I'm also the national young planning representative for the ACT," she said.

By day, Ms Liau is involved in the second Sydney airport project at Badgerys Creek.

In her spare time, she joins T One 5, a band of young planners which formulates innovative ways to revitalise Tuggeranong town centre and change the way residents use public space.

Ms Liau said Canberra had a planning edge but had to grapple with serious issues such as an ageing population, and creating an active connections between work and home.

After arriving in Canberra from Melbourne in 2012, Ms Liau quickly embraced the capital's distinctive planning culture.

"We are the planned capital, I think there is a distinct culture of planning in the ACT," she said.

"I think the quality of public realm is something that Canberra does really well. Here on Bunda Street, there has been consideration for everyone in the space."

As a young leader in her field, Ms Liau said she hoped to illustrate how planning always focused on the question of how to do things better.

"The value that planners bring to the table is they can bring together all the different viewpoints people have," she said.

"Beyond jargon, it's important to think about what the impacts are for people."