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Join our host Belinda Barnett as we explore what makes our cities tick. The UrbanTalk Podcast aims to spark a thriving, inclusive and progressive dialogue around urban planning, design and development. We‘ll be inviting industry professionals and representatives from the public to discuss issues and areas of concern in an effort to promote a shared understanding of cities and the people living in them.
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
Sydney YIMBY is a group advocating for more development in response to Australia’s housing crisis. In this episode of the UrbanTalk Podcast, we’re joined by Sydney YIMBY Deputy Chair, Melissa Neighbour. She talks about the YIMBY or “yes in my back yard” movement, what the group is trying to achieve and why it’s important.
Visit Sydney YIMBY - https://www.sydney.yimby.au/
Visit the UrbanTalk website - https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Monday Nov 17, 2025
Monday Nov 17, 2025
We delve into how the Heart Foundation’s Healthy Active by Design program is creating healthier, more walkable communities. Our guest, Anna Gurnhill, discusses the crucial impact of neighbourhood design on public health, highlighting evidence-based strategies, key design features, and practical case studies that show how thoughtful urban planning can improve liveability, physical activity, and wellbeing for all Australians.
See the Healthy Active by Design resources: https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/
Visit the Heart Foundation website: https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/
Visit the UrbanTalk website: https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
Along with the need to increase housing density, our cities need to also keep up with adequate green infrastructure. It will be more important than even to ensure there is enough green space and access to active transportation for the happiness and health of the broader community. In this episode we’re joined by Jua Cilliers – Professor of Planning and Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Design and Society at UTS Sydney. Jua discusses how a more wholistic approach to planning that includes adequate green infrastructure will improve the liveability, sustainability, health and safety of our communities.
Visit the UrbanTalk website:
https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Thursday Sep 11, 2025
Thursday Sep 11, 2025
New South Wales Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully joins the UrbanTalk Podcast to talk about the low-rise Pattern Book, who it’s for and what the brief was. We also touch on the Housing Development Authority, manufactured homes and the relationship between state and local government.
Visit the UrbanTalk website:
https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Thursday Jul 17, 2025
Thursday Jul 17, 2025
What are design competitions, how do they work and how do they ensure a good design outcome? Paulo Macchia, the Director Design Governance at the Government Architect NSW joins the UrbanTalk Podcast to discuss design competitions and continues our discussion on design excellence from episode 13.
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
UrbanTalk completes a trilogy of podcasts focusing on suburbia. In this episode we’re joined by Guy Gibson, a Director at Suburban Futures and co-editor of the book “The Next Australian City: The Suburban Evolution”. We take a quick overview of the past, present and future of Australian suburbia.
Buy The Next Australian City: The Suburban Evolution: https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/THE-NEXT-AUSTRALIAN-CITY-THE-SUBURBAN-EVOLUTION--EDITED-BY-GUY-GIBSON-ROSS-ELLIOTT_p_601.html
https://www.amazon.com.au/Next-Australian-City-Suburban-Evolution/dp/1923224050
Visit the Suburban Futures website: https://suburbanfutures.com.au/
Visit the UrbanTalk website: https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Wednesday May 28, 2025
Wednesday May 28, 2025
The Planning Institute of Australia has once again partnered with UrbanTalk to create a series of podcast in the lead up to the Planning Congress 2025 in Darwin. We speak with Ika Trijsburg, who leads the Disinformation in the City project across five Australian universities, and in 2024 was the lead author of the world first Disinformation in the City Response Playbook.
Planning is not an area commonly associated with disinformation, but recent narratives and campaigns have caused the issue to burst onto the planning scene. Ika talks about just how much of a threat disinformation poses to planning, some of the knock-on effects and strategies to respond to disinformation.
Disinformation in the City Playbook: https://www.gmfus.org/news/disinformation-city-response-playbook
Planning Congress Website: https://eventfrog.eventsair.com/planning-congress-2025/
PIA Website: https://www.planning.org.au/
UrbanTalk Website: https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Tuesday May 27, 2025
Tuesday May 27, 2025
The Planning Institute of Australia has once again partnered with UrbanTalk to create a series of podcast in the lead up to the Planning Congress 2025 in Darwin. We’re joined by Anthony Burke, a Professor of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and host the of Grand Designs Australia and Culture by Design.
Anthony talks about quality design and how they can help create better cities, better homes and address some of the most pressing planning challenges.
Planning Congress Website: https://eventfrog.eventsair.com/planning-congress-2025/
PIA Website: https://www.planning.org.au/
UrbanTalk Website: https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Thursday May 22, 2025
Thursday May 22, 2025
The Planning Institute of Australia has once again partnered with UrbanTalk to create a series of podcast in the lead up to the Planning Congress 2025 in Darwin.
CSIRO Principal Research Scientist, Dr Tim Muster discusses some of the work the Organisation has been undertaking in collaboration with private business and government to help make our cities more resilient and sustainable. He also talks about how the Urban Living Labs in Sydney and Darwin are helping to accomplish this.
Sydney Science Park CSIRO Urban Living Lab: https://research.csiro.au/ssplivinglab/
CSIRO Darwin Urban Living Lab: https://research.csiro.au/darwinlivinglab/
Planning Congress Website: https://eventfrog.eventsair.com/planning-congress-2025/
PIA Website: https://www.planning.org.au/
UrbanTalk Website: https://www.urbantalk.com.au/
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
The Planning Institute of Australia has once again partnered with UrbanTalk to create a series of podcast in the lead up to the Planning Congress 2025 in Darwin. Ross Elliott is a founding director of the policy group Suburban Futures and has over 35 years of experience in property and urban development.
As a sequel to our previous episode about suburban retrofits, Ross discusses ways Australia can better embrace our suburbs and fulfill housing needs.
Planning Congress Website: https://eventfrog.eventsair.com/planning-congress-2025/
PIA Website: https://www.planning.org.au/
UrbanTalk Website: https://www.urbantalk.com.au/