UrbanTalk Podcast

12 - Defining Density in a Housing Crisis

In the latest episode of the UrbanTalk Podcast we welcome Karla Castellanos, Director of Urban Design at Audax Urban. Karla has lived and worked in cities all over the world and sits on a number of design excellence panels in NSW. With Karla, we talk about how density is perceived by the public and defined by government, which are often at odds. We also discuss the way planning policy is formulated and examine some of the initiatives put forward by the NSW Government to address housing shortages like pattern books.

11 - Community Tension in Urban & Rural Development

The landscape of urban development in Australia often involves a tension between local communities and new development. In this episode of the podcast we’re joined by Andrew Butt, Associate Dean in Sustainability and Urban Planning at RMIT University. Andrew specialises in rural and peri-urban planning issues, observing that development related community tension in these areas mirror those in urban areas. He discusses underlying causes of development opposition and NIMBYism, as well as how our planning system creates the ways in which opposition can be mounted.

10 - Planning for the Future

UrbanTalk had the great privilege of speaking with a legend of the urban planning and development world, Dr. Ed Blakely. Ed has decades of experience leading disaster relief, teaching, sitting on panels & committees. As a result, we dive into just about every part of urban planning and outline what a city should be like and how we plan for that future vision. 

09 - Strategic Planning

In this episode of the UrbanTalk Podcast, we’re joined by Mehra Jafari, Director of Policy & Urban Analytics at urban planning consultancy, Mecone. Mehra discusses the current landscape of strategic planning in Sydney, how different entities work together, what is and is not working and how policy could move forward to create better outcomes for the city.

08 - Designing with Country and Public Art

Acting as a companion to the last episode, we speak with Danielle Mate. Danielle is a First Nations artist working in large-scale mural design and public art. She’s also a cultural ambassador recognised by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Danielle speaks about Country and engagement with First Nations communities. She also speaks about public art and the role it plays in storytelling and bringing people together.

07 - Landscape Architecture and Designing with Country

In this episode, the UrbanTalk Podcast welcomes Dean Boone – Director and Founder of landscape architecture firm, distinctive Living Design. Dean speaks with us about the role of the landscape architect and how projects can get the best possible landscape outcome. In addition, he gives a brief introduction to Designing with Country, explaining what it involves and how a developer might begin the process.

06 - Mixed Use and the Architect’s Role in Development

Mixed-Use developments make up many of the new projects that are constructed in our cities, but they aren’t all created equal. When done correctly mixed-use can provide an affordable, sustainable, inclusive and convenient way of living that contributes positively to our cities.

Gary Henighen – Senior Associate at award-winning architecture and design studio, Architectus – joins us to discuss architecture and mixed-use development.

05 - How Demographics Shape Australian Cities

We're joined by Simon Kuestenmacher, Director of Research and co-founder of The Demographics Group, to discuss some of the findings from the 2021 Census and what they mean for Australia. The data from the census can play a huge role in how we plan our cities and approach development in the future. A demographer like Simon has the ability to see problems years in advance, so how can we respond to challenges like housing, aged care, worker shortages and the decentralisation of our cities?

04 - Measuring Liveability

Belinda speaks with Kylie Legge, founder of social research company Place Score to discuss how we measure and think about liveability in our cities. Place Score has done fantastic work in collecting data from communities all over the country to discover what they value, need and want from their neighbourhood. The goal is to use this data to help councils and the private sector create great, people centric places and spaces.

03 - Pandemic Planning Perspectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shift in the way we use our cities and interact with our local neighbourhoods. More people are shopping local, working from home and using local amenities as a result of lockdowns.

Our host, Belinda Barnett, speaks with Sonny Embleton, head of urban design at Gyde Consulting, to talk about the implications this will have on city and town planning in the future.