The annual Festival of Urbanism is now in its eighth year! Commencing on 13 September the  program includes 22 events over 14 days, and more than 85 speakers. Continuing tradition, we’ve partnered with Monash University Art, Design and Architecture (MADA).
 
This year’s theme is ‘endangered’ urbanism, recognising the existential threats facing urban communities and environments from the global pandemic to social division, economic turmoil, and deepening climate risk.

One of the many Festival highlights is our eminent panel of Australian urbanists including Elizabeth Farrelly, Journalist and Author, Councillor Dai Le, Fairfield Council, Gabriel Metcalf, CEO, Committee for Sydney, and Associate Professor Paul Maginn, University of Western Australia. They’ll be debating “Is Urbanism Over?”

There’s also a special Festival of Urbanism City Road Podcast series focusing on a series of wonderful urban books, a student film competition, and more! Download the program here. 

The Hon Dr Rob Stokes Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to speak at the Festival of Urbanism

We are delighted to announce that the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces is speaking at the Festival of Urbanism. The Minister’s address will follow a special Panel discussion on post COVID transition planning with leading urbanists from North America, including Irene Figueroa Ortiz, Senior Project Manager, New York City Department of Transportation, Sam Assefa, former Director Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development; Glenn Grimshaw, who is a qualified urban planner now advising at the Australian Embassy, Washington DC; and Professor Ann Forsyth, Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Professor Mark Scott, Vice Chancellor for the University of Sydney, will introduce the Minister for Planning. 

News from our Research Incubator 

Associate Professor Tooran Alizadeh, who leads the Trust’s Infrastructure Governance Incubator has been awarded a prestigious four year Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council. Her book published earlier this year by Elsevier  Global Trends of Smart Cities, examines how geography, size, governance, and local planning context influence smart city development in 135 cities around the globe. 
You can hear from Dr Alizadeh in conversation with leading infrastructure experts from Australia and Canada at the Festival of Urbanism session on Thursday, 23rd September.
Speakers include Khelsilem Tl’aḵwasiḵ̓an Sxwchálten, Councillor for the Squamish Nation, Canada, Dr Simon Bradshaw, the Climate Council; John Brockhoff, the Planning Institute of Australia, and Dr Cathy Oke, University of Melbourne. Register here

Bad Housing Supply Assumptions

Public discourse about urban planning and housing continues to be dogged by myths, misunderstandings, and poor assumptions. In this explainer, the Trust’s postdoctoral scholar Dr Cameron K. Murray takes on US economists Edward Glaeser and Joseph Gyourko to challenge the basis for these ideas.
Check out this recent article by Professors Peter Phibbs and Nicole Gurran, “The role and significance of planning in the determination of house prices in Australia: Recent policy debates

We hope you can join us at the online festival this year. All events are free, however, registration is essential at festivalofurbanism.com Change your view of the city. 
Nicole Gurran, Director, Henry Halloran Trust