UrbanTalk Podcast

2024 PIA Congress Podcast Episode 03 - Doing it Differently

UrbanTalk has teamed up with the Planning Institute of Australia to bring you a special series of podcasts centred around the 2024 PIA Congress being held in Melbourne on the 22nd - 24th of May. We're joined by Ross Harding, who's looking to the future and finding new ways to transform our cities with his team at Finding Infinity. Finding Infinity were responsible for “A New Normal”: a $100 billion strategy to transform Melbourne into a self-sufficient city together with 15 architecture firms. 

2024 PIA Congress Podcast Episode 02 - The National Awards (Part 2)

UrbanTalk has teamed up with the Planning Institute of Australia to bring you a special series of podcasts centred around the 2024 PIA Congress being held in Melbourne on the 22nd - 24th of May. This second episode is split into two parts and focuses on the National Planning Awards. In this second part we speak with the 2023 National Young Planner of the Year, Bunfu Yu. Bunfu speaks about her passion for planning, the importance of mentors and she reveals her strategy for winning the 2023 National Young Planner of the Year.

2024 PIA Congress Podcast Episode 02 - The National Awards (Part 1)

UrbanTalk has teamed up with the Planning Institute of Australia to bring you a special series of podcasts centred around the 2024 PIA Congress being held in Melbourne on the 22nd - 24th of May. This second episode is split into two parts and focuses on the National Planning Awards. In this first part we speak with Megan Adair, a National Awards judge and the state awards convenor for Western Australia. She talks about how the awards are judged, what she loves about them and why they’re important for the planning profession.

2024 PIA Congress Podcast Episode 01

UrbanTalk has teamed up with the Planning Institute of Australia to bring you a special series of podcasts centred around the 2024 PIA Congress being held in Melbourne on the 22nd - 24th of May. In this first episode we speak with the CEO of PIA, Matt Collins to hear about his vision for the Institute and what people can expect from the 2024 Planning Congress.

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.