Endangered Urbanism Series

The annual Festival of Urbanism is a series of conversations where researchers, practitioners, community advocates and industry leaders come together to debate the threats and opportunities facing our cities.

The 8th Festival of ‘endangered’ Urbanism featured a wide diversity of speakers and free online events across Sydney and Melbourne.  Brought to you by the Henry Halloran Trust with the assistance of the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, in partnership with Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA), the free panel discussions, films and podcasts focused on the existential threats facing urban environments from the global pandemic to social division, economic turmoil, and deepening climate risk.

City Road is revisiting five panel discussions from the festival.

Endangered Country? Indigenous Perspectives on Planning, and Development

A panel of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experts discuss their perspectives on planning, land management, cultural heritage, economic opportunity and what must be changed.

Chair: Elle Davidson, Aboriginal Planning Lecturer, University of Sydney

Panel includes:

Chels Marshall, Urban Apostles and Director Flying Fish Blue

Christian Hampson, CEO, Yerrabingin

Belle Arnold, Consultant, Zion Engagement and Planning

Endangered Communities and Resurgent Urbanism

With ongoing processes of dispossession, marginalisation, gentrification and exclusion threatening urban and regional communities, what forms of insurgent and resurgent urbanism are emerging and how might urban policy makers and planners support these efforts?

Chair: Professor Nicole Gurran, University of Sydney

Panel includes:

Warren Roberts, Redfern Waterloo Aboriginal Affordable Housing Campaign

Shannon Burt, Byron Shire Council

Lena Nahlous, Executive Director, Diversity Arts Australia

Prof Jioji Ravulo, University of Sydney

Endangered discourse: Improving the quality of public debate on urban and housing policy.

An informed citizenry, independent analysis, and robust public debate are all essential for good public policy particularly in relation to housing and urban policy. This panel event, which also celebrates the work of the inaugural Director of the Henry Halloran Trust, Peter Phibbs, features perspectives from University and industry research, independent journalism, and the public sector.

Chair: Professor Nicole Gurran, University of Sydney

Panel includes:

Professor Emeritus, Peter Phibbs, University of Sydney

Tina Perinotto, Managing Editor, The Fifth Estate

Dr Erin Brady, ACT Department of Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development

Eliza Owen, CoreLogic

Endangered governance: Public trust, urban decisions, and ethical practice

Clear and transparent ethical frameworks can and should feature much more overtly in decision making across development processes, which are uniquely exposed to risks associated with conflicts of interest, politicisation, compromise, and corruption. This panel explores the realities facing planners and policy makers, and highlights strategies for those committed to ethical practice.

Chair: A/Professor Dallas Rogers, University of Sydney

Panel includes:

Han Aulby, Centre for Public Integrity

Sue Weatherley MPIA, Georges River Council

A/Professor Crystal Legacy, University of Melbourne

Michael West, Michael West Media

Leading urbanists – from North America to Australia, discuss the lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic for future city planning and urban life.

Hear from Sam Assefa, former Seattle Planning Director and at the frontline of that city’s COVID-19 experience; Irene Figueroa Ortiz, New York City urban designer and transport planner; and Glenn Grimshaw urban planner, researcher and adviser based in the Australian Embassy, Washington DC. Professor Ann Forsyth, planner, architect and expert on healthy cities at the Harvard Graduate School of Design will lead the international discussion, followed by an address by Hon Dr Rob Stokes, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces introduced Mark Scott AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney.  

Chair: Dr Ann Forsyth, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Speakers:

Irene Figueroa Ortiz, Senior Project Manager, New York City Department of Transportation

Glenn Grimshaw, Senior Research Officer, Australian Embassy, Washington DC

Sam Assefa, Former Director Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development