Read about our PX Champions below...
Our podcasts are available via iTunes, Spotify, GooglePlay, Himalaya and Soundcloud- click the Spotify or SoundCloud link on the right (or at the bottom of the page) for a direct link to download.
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Available Podcasts
PX122 - Rafael Mangual
Rafael is the Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and a member of the Council on Criminal Justice. His first book, Criminal (In)Justice, was released in July 2022. He has authored and coauthored a number of MI reports and op-eds on issues ranging from urban crime and jail violence to broader matters of criminal and civil justice reform. His work has been featured and mentioned in a wide array of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, New York Post, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and City Journal.
PX121 - Calvin Po
Calvin Po is a strategic designer at Dark Matter Labs, co-leading the Radicle Civics portfolio, where he explores institutional and governance systems as sites of design. He has led projects with the Scottish Government’s Land Commission on land governance reform, the Taiwanese Government on decentralised web3 civic infrastructure, and is developing multi-actor governance approaches for river ecosystems, and in FreeHouse, a commons housing model based on ‘self-owning’ houses.
At the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Calvin is a unit master of Diploma 9, ‘Universal Free Housing’, focusing on strategic, policy, and economic pathways for realising housing as a universal human right. He studied architecture at UCL Bartlett, where he graduated top of class as a RIBA Donaldson Medallist, and he was a scholar at the AA, where his Diploma thesis won the Dennis Sharp Prize and was a finalist for RIBA President's Awards for Research 2021.
Calvin is also a writer, publishing most regularly as an architecture critic for The Spectator magazine. His research interests and writing include topics on land, territory, and its political systems.
PX120 - Akane Bessho (PhD), University of Tokyo
Akane is the Assistant Professor of the Housing and Urban Analysis Laboratory, Department of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. Akane has a wide range of research projects and field work including schemes that seek to reverse depopulation in Japan’s rural areas, assisting people with disabilities into the agricultural sector (see for example Coco Farm & Winery), new approaches to food production and creating community gardens and centres specifically designed to aid those with dementia. Her work ranges from densely populated metropolitan centres to small rural towns and villages.
PX119 - Kylie Legge, Place Score
Kylie Legge is a leading voice in the evolving profession of placemaking. She is an architecture graduate, planner, author, facilitator, curator, entrepreneur, Founding Director of Place Partners, a multidisciplinary and award winning placemaking consultancy based in Sydney Australia, and IT startup Place Score, a place experience, diagnostic, engagement, benchmarking, tracking and marketing platform, and Kylie’s response to the challenge “You can’t measure place”.
PX118 - Jonathan O’Brien & Jonathan Nolan, YIMBY
Jonathan O’Brien is the Lead Organiser for YIMBY Melbourne, a grassroots, member-based organisation that advocates for building more homes where people want to live. He is also an award-winning writer and software developer, and a pledge member of Giving What We Can.
Jonathan Nolan is a doctor who has worked across public policy roles for the Victorian Department of Health and Grattan Institute. He has written extensively on cities, homeless and housing supply for his substack jonathannolan.substack.com and is the creator of the citydensity.com website that enables comparison between Australian and global cities.
PX117 - Rob Parker
Rob Parker is president of Town at Trilith, a 235-acre master-planned residential and mixed-use community located in south metro Atlanta, Georgia, adjacent to Trilith Studios, home to blockbuster movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Avengers: End Game and The Suicide Squad. Under his leadership, Town at Trilith has opened several unique restaurants, shops and built environmentally conscious homes. Rob formerly served as CEO of Southern Ground, leading the business and philanthropic efforts of three-time GRAMMY winning, multi-platinum artist Zac Brown and Zac Brown Band.
PX116 - Stephen Rowley
Stephen Rowley is a planning consultant working both under the banner of his own consultancy, RCI Planning, and also part time as a Senior Associate at SGS Economics and Planning. He is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University. Before starting at Monash, he taught in the planning program at RMIT University from 2013 to 2020. He is the author of two books – The Victorian Planning System: Practice, Problems and Prospects (the second edition of which was released in June 2023) and Movie Towns and Sitcom Suburbs: Building Hollywood’s Ideal Communities.
PX115 - Liz Mackevicius
An accredited organisational coach, Liz has built a reputation of strong but supportive coaching. She values accountability, acknowledging this is what helps us translate aspirations into real breakthroughs. She has worked with a range of clients, building their confidence, resolve and satisfaction.
Liz is also a trainer and facilitator with a passion and commitment to helping those who create our liveable cities be more effective and have rewarding work. She believes that the challenge and problem solving we experience at work should be part of a fulfilling life – but that we often need to do the work to create that for ourselves.
PX114 - Anna Lowder, Hampstead
Anna Lowder is co-founder and director of Hampstead, a New Urbanist community located in Montgomery, Alabama. She moved to Montgomery from London, England, in 2005, where she set out to contribute to the revitalization of urban areas and historic city centers. After helping restore a warehouse in Downtown Montgomery to lofts and commercial space, she redeveloped a former A&P Grocery site in a Montgomery neighborhood. For her efforts on The A&P, she received an international design award, the 2008 Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) Charter Award – the first awarded in Alabama. She would go on to receive the 2011 CNU Charter Award for Hampstead.
PX113 - Clem Newton-Brown, Skyportz
Clem has been at the forefront of assembling the pieces of the emerging air taxi ecosystem for several years. He is chair of the Advanced Air Mobility working group of the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems, serves on the Federal Government's New and Emerging Aviation Technologies committee and the NASA Advanced Aerial Mobility working group in the United States. His background is in law, town planning and politics and he has served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne and as an elected Member of the Victorian Parliament. He runs a consultancy, Whitemark Property and Planning which specialises in strategy for complex projects.
PX112 - Jessica Lee, Fender Katsalidis
Led by her boundless passion for architecture, Jess has become a highly regarded principal at Fender Katsalidis, and now leads the Brisbane studio. Since her early days with the practice, she has always displayed a penchant for planning and design development. Almost two decades on, she has blossomed into the quintessential modern architect.
Her ability to assimilate multiple viewpoints into buildable realities is unparalleled, and her commitment to human-centric design has resulted in numerous award-winning projects across various sectors.
PX111 - Jesse Suskin, WING
Jesse Suskin is the Head of Government relations and policy for Wing Australia at Google. Wing offers drone delivery. Their fleet of lightweight, autonomous delivery drones can transport small packages directly from businesses to homes in minutes. Currently operating on three continents, Wing delivery is safe, sustainable, and easy to integrate into existing delivery and logistics networks. Wing is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
PX110 - Tim Parkin, University of Melbourne
Professor Tim Parkin joined the Classics and Archaeology program at the University of Melbourne in 2018 as the inaugural Elizabeth and James Tatoulis Chair in Classics.
Tim’s teaching covers both Greek and Roman history and classical languages. His main research is in ancient history, particularly Roman social, cultural, legal, and demographic history. Among his publications are Demography and Roman Society (1992), Old Age in the Roman World: A Social and Cultural History (2003), Roman Social History: A Sourcebook (2007), and The Oxford Handbook of Childhood and Education in the Classical World (2014). He is currently working on a book on ancient sexual health, in particular sexually transmitted diseases. He is currently also deputy head of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, and the Honorary President of the Classical Association of Victoria.
PX109 - Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware
Doug is an American entomologist, ecologist and conservationist. He is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Tallamy advocates for home gardens and landscaping that bridge the gaps between parks and preserves in providing habitat for native species. He has spoken on the connections between plants and insects and how those relations are important to birds. He has called for smaller lawns.
PX108 - Dr Stefan Gruenert
Stefan Gruenert is the father of two boys, a psychologist, and the Chief Executive Officer for Odyssey House Victoria where he manages a number of intensive treatment, training, and support programs for those affected by drug and alcohol and mental health problems. Stefan has worked as a senior counsellor and has conducted research on treatment effectiveness, intimacy, and families. He has published journal articles and books, as well as delivering workshops to thousands of young people in football and netball clubs across regional Victoria. In 2008 he contributed to International Drug Policy at the United Nations in Vienna, and he won a Fellowship to attend Harvard Business School in 2014. Stefan is a Board Director of the Victorian Council of Social Service and a past President of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association. In his spare time, Stefan enjoys cooking, travel, fishing, playing cricket and golf.
PX107 - Kate Hardwick
Kate is an urban development professional with over 20 years’ experience in land use/infrastructure strategy, precinct planning and activation, infrastructure procurement and stakeholder engagement. Kate is a leader of multi-discipline project teams, delivering city shaping/precinct redevelopment projects, strategies, and long-term masterplans in complex urban environments with often conflicting stakeholder requirements. Kate maintains a strong focus on detailed options analysis/ research/ concept development at the earliest stages to support investment confidence and ensure resilience for the urban structure and its assets.
PX106 - James Vincent, NCS Next
NCS NEXT is a global digital, data, and cloud services consultancy igniting possibilities of their clients and pioneering the solutions of tomorrow today through deep tech capabilities and emerging technologies to impact lives and advance communities. Built and run by techies, including some of the leading digital businesses in the Asia Pacific region (ARQ Group, Riley, Eighty20 Solutions, DataSpark, 2359 Media, Riley, Velocity, and ClayOPS), the network is backed by Singtel’s NCS and comprises a 2000-strong network of tech specialists, nearly half of them based in Australia.
PX105 - Torie Brown, Executive Director Student Accommodation, Property Council of Australia
Torie is the Executive Director for Student Accommodation at the PCA. Torie has been an enthusiastic advocate for the property sector for her whole career. She has always has a keen interest in the intersection between property, policy and politics.
PX104 - Vanessa Schernickau, Geelong Regional Library Corporation
Vanessa is the CEO of the Geelong Regional Library Corporation, she is a strong advocate for public libraries and applies a place based approach that anchors libraries at the heart of their communities.
Vanessa has significant experience leading place based activation through arts, culture and community participation, at a precinct and neighbourhood level. This includes working in partnership with local business, residents and stakeholders to reimagine urban laneways and streets as well as coastal and environmentally sensitive public land.PX104 -
PX103 - Tim Jackson
Tim recently retired for a second time from the paid workforce after completing his four year role as the State Government appointed Administrator at the District of Council of Coober Pedy in South Australia in February. This was the first time an Administrator had been appointed to a South Australian Council in almost forty years.
Prior to his first retirement, Tim was CEO of the City of Playford in South Australia for eighteen years. Playford was and is South Australia’s fastest growing local government area. At the time of his departure, it was the eleventh fastest growing local government area in Australia. Prior to his time in South Australia, he was employed in Victoria by the City of Prahran which became the City of Stonnington after the reorganisation of local government in Victoria in the early 1990s.
Tim principal interest throughout his career has been about empowering citizens and employees. Tim has simultaneously performed many voluntary non executive roles in the for purpose sector.
PX102 - Dr James Lesh
James Lesh is an urban historian specialising in heritage conservation. He is interested in the potential for history and heritage to enhance cities, places and society.
His latest book is Values in Cities: Urban Heritage in Twentieth-Century Australia (Routledge, 2022). It synthesises the history of the Australian heritage movement and advocates for innovative modes of heritage practice.
James is a Lecturer in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. He has previously researched and taught at the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and King’s College London.
PX101 - Natalia Weglarz & Peter Johns, Canberra
Natalia is a planner at the Canberra office of WSP. She has been in Canberra for eight years, prior to that she was in Sydney and the UK. Peter Johns has lived in Canberra since the mid 1960's and has worked as a planner in Canberra over several decades.
They describe the history of Canberra, the orginal grand plan for the city developed in 1911, how it has evolved and its role as Australia's most planned city. Should there be greater expectations of a planned city is one of the questions raised. They also talk of the difficult balance (and tensions) between respecting the original strategic plan whilst grafting on changes that reflect modern societal needs.
PX100 - Chris Abery, Liz Hui, Nicola Smith & Mark Sheppard
To celebrate our 100th episode of the PlanningxChange podcast series we re-interview four of our previous guests. We ask them about their experiences with the podcast and what has happened in their professional sphere since their earlier interview.
We speak with Chris Abery (PX1), Nicola Smith (PX12), Mark Sheppard (PX14) and Liz Hui (PX73). We have also included some commentary and reflections from ourselves at the end for reaching this monumental milestone. We hope you enjoy! :)
PX99 - Alex Fenech, Hitchcock Design Group
Alex has had a wide variety of exposure to a diverse portfolio of projects since entering the landscape architecture profession in 2011. His range of scope covers a breadth of projects from community master planning work in the municipal setting to a variety of private sector engagements including opportunities with the Walt Disney World Resort, EDSA and Hitchcock Design Group. Project types have included domestic and international hospitality, mixed-use development, government, recreation, and urban infill projects throughout the Caribbean and United States. In his former position, Alex led efforts for the new Swan Reserve Hotel at the Walt Disney World Resort, the recreational facilities rebuild at Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle, DRV Pink Stadium (MLS - Inter Miami CF) in Fort Lauderdale and the Shepherd’s Hollow Banquet and Event Facility in Clarkston, Michigan.
PX98 - Tim Ellis, Magician
Tim Ellis is an Australian performer, author and lecturer in the world of magic and illusion. Tim is the artistic director and founder of the Melbourne Magic Festival and as of July 2022 is the president of The Australian Institute of Magic
In 2006 the ‘Dictionnaire de la Prestidigitation’ was released and this Melbourne magician is one of only two living Australian magicians to be included in this world history book of magic spanning the centuries – along with Orson Welles, Houdini, David Copperfield and Siegfried & Roy.
PX97 - David Beaumont, Painter
As a painter, David is interested in a sensory interpretation of the Australia landscape. He spends a great deal of time, whether it be in the outback or by the ocean quietly observing, watching the shifting light, the influence of weather, the overall terrain and in particular his response to those experiences. Back in the studio these experiences begin to find their way into a painting. The references are often abstracted but endeavor to maintain the fabric of the experience; if you like a kind of truth in what has been observed and felt. The usual suspects of colour, pictorial space, surface and composition are a constant, haunting companion.
PX96 - Simon Kuestenmacher, The Demographics Group
Simon holds degrees in geography from leading universities in Berlin and Melbourne and worked for several years as a business consultant with KPMG Australia.
In 2017 Simon, with Bernard Salt, co-founded The Demographics Group. The group provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business.
Simon has presented to numerous corporate and industry audiences across Australia and overseas on demographic trends, consumer insights and cultural change in Australia.
Simon is a columnist for The New Daily newspaper and a contributor to The Australian newspaper and he is a media commentator on demographic and data matters.
PX95 - Lucinda Hartley, Neighbourlytics
Urban designer turned entrepreneur, Lucinda Hartley uses big data to measure the quality of life and wellbeing of neighbourhoods. She is a co-founder of Neighbourlytics, a social analytics platform which has created data for more than 500 neighbourhoods in over 10 countries and is influencing some of world’s most significant urban development decisions. Lucinda was recently named as one of 100 Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review and one of Melbourne's Top 100 most influential people by The Age.
With over a decade of experience in urban innovation, Lucinda was a Myer Innovation Fellow, Westpac Social Change Fellow, and was previously co-founder and CEO of award-winning placemaking consultancy, CoDesign Studio. Prior to this her insights contributed to defining UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Cities). A designer turned tech-founder, Lucinda is alumni of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Singularity University. Lucinda doesn’t separate work and personal life: first we shape our cities, then they shape us.
PX94 - Laura Gannon, Meridian Urban
Laura Gannon is an Associate Director at Meridian Urban, a leading Australian resilience and land use planning firm, with almost 20 years of experience in strategic land use planning, bushfire risk and community resilience. Laura specialises in the integration of natural hazard risk management into land use planning policy and strategy, with a particular emphasis on bushfire risk and resilience.
PX93 - About Us (Jess & Pete)
In this episode, the tables are turned and we are interviewed. PX was a guest at Ratio Consultant’s breakfast speaker series and was interviewed by Colleen Peterson, CEO. The interview reveals the formation of the podcast, the mechanics behind how we put the interviews together, what we have learnt and how we work together.
PX92 - Phil Priest, City of Moreland
Phil has enjoyed a planning career spanning over 30 years with the City of Melbourne, City of Moreland and Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning, in senior management and executive leadership roles. He has a passion for improving planning systems and the pursuit of innovative solutions to deliver enhanced urban planning and community outcomes. Phil’s career has been witness to many advancements in planning practice including the Moreland Apartment Design Code, leading edge environmentally sustainable design policy, streamlined and digitised approval processes together with initiatives such as the Moreland Design Excellence Scorecards and VicSmart pathway for enhanced quality two dwelling proposals.
PX91 - Matthew Lloyd Roberts, About Buildings & Cities Podcast
Matthew Lloyd Roberts is an architectural historian and podcast producer. He is a PhD student at the Ax:son Johnson Centre for the Study of Classical Architecture at Downing College, Cambridge. He produces the podcast About Buildings + Cities and is a freelance writer and photographer on architecture and culture.
PX90 - Scott LaMont, EDSA Inc
Scott joined EDSA in 1996 and has been a driving force in the firm’s practice and strategic growth since. Before being named CEO, he was a Studio Leader and Principal for 12 years, instilling the firm’s ethos with a design sensibility and comprehensive approach to projects while fostering long term client relationships. Scott is focused on the big picture tenets of people, client service and vision while leading the 120-person firm towards inspirational design with enthusiasm, devotion, creativity and humility. He is committed to the exploration of sustainable, modern ideals and fostering values which positively personify humanity by balancing superior design and pragmatic business planning.
PX89 - Peter Malley, Ratio
Peter is a traffic and transport engineer with over 17 years' experience consulting to numerous private and government clients in Victoria and NSW. Peter has a passion for master planning and large-scale developments where he applies a holistic transport planning approach. When designing a transport system, Peter believes it’s important to consider not only private vehicle use, but public transport options, bicycle accessibility and pedestrian amenity to cater to user diversity.
Peter was involved in a serious bicycle accident in 2020 that left him a paraplegic and his disability has offered him a unique understanding of the way transport planning affects the movement of people.
PX88 - Catherine Heggen, Ratio
Catherine’s 40-year career has been devoted to the provision of project based consulting advice to a wide range of private sector and government clients. Her professional capabilities and experience lie at the intersection of urban planning, statutory control, place making and project facilitation.
Catherine’s experience extends across all aspects of development planning, from high rise inner city apartment complexes, medium density housing projects as well as delivery of social housing models, built form impact analysis and urban design appraisals, innovative greenfield subdivision and ‘environmental living’ communities, institutional master plans and environment impact assessments.
Catherine has particular skills in development planning often involving urban design, heritage issues and visual landscape impact assessments. She has been Chair of Victoria’s Heritage Council, a Trustee of Melbourne’s Heritage Restoration fund and a jury member of various urban design, planning and landscape institute awards.
PX87 - Steve Oates
Steve Oates is Chief Executive of the Heritage Railway Association (HRA). Formerly a property professional who then spent 20 years in commercial radio, Steve has had an active lifelong interest in heritage and steam railways.
From the World’s first preserved heritage railway – the Talyllyn in North Wales – to railways operating iconic mainline locomotives such as Flying Scotsman, between them the UK’s heritage railways operate steam, diesel and electric traction and range from large standard gauge railways to smaller 12-inch and 15-inch gauge lines. As the sector’s trade association, the HRA actively represents, and works to protect and promote, the interests of this wide range of heritage and tourist railways, tramways, cliff railways, related museums, railway preservation groups and associated organisations.
The HRA has some 300 member railways, tramways and other organisations located throughout England and the UK. Coming in all shapes and sizes, more than 180 HRA member organisations regularly open to the public, 160 of them operating with passengers.
PX86 - Deb Ganderton & James Reid, Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT)
Deb Ganderton is the CEO of The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust. Melbourne based GMCT is one of the leading players in Australia’s funeral and cemetery industry. Deb is CEO of GMCT at a time when Australia’s funeral and cemetery industry is preparing itself strategically and operationally for the impact of the Baby Boomer bubble on the nation’s death rate.
James Reid has over 30 years’ experience as an urban planner and executive leader, working in a variety of urban and regional contexts in both the public and private sectors. At the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, James leads a team responsible for the future planning, design and delivery of memorial places and spaces for a steadily growing and diversifying city.
GMCT is a self-funding, not for profit organisation that runs 19 cemeteries and memorial parks and three crematoria across Melbourne. It’s also responsible for two greenfield sites to be developed on Melbourne’s urban fringe. GMCT’s 600 hectares of beautiful heritage parklands are visited by almost two million people each year.
PX85 - Stone Librande, Lead designer SimCity 2013
Stone is currently a Lead Designer in the R&D group at Riot Games, and has worked in the video game industry for 20 years on games such as SimCity 2013, Spore, and Diablo 3. In addition to his full-time job designing video games, he also teaches a game design course at Carnegie Mellon University’s ETC program and runs design seminars around the world. An avid board game inventor, Stone has published two games: "Mechs vs. Minions" and "Alakazam! The Game of Dueling Wizards".
SimCity 2013 is a city building and urban planning simulation multiplayer online game developed by Maxis Emeryville and published by Electronic Arts. Released for Microsoft Windows in early March 2013, it was the first major installment in the SimCity series since the release of SimCity 4 a decade before. A macOS version was released in August 2013.
The game is considered a reboot of the SimCity series. Players can create a settlement that can grow into a city by zoning land for residential, commercial or industrial development as well as building and maintaining public services, transport and utilities. SimCity used a new engine called GlassBox that allows more detailed simulation than previous games. Stone was part of a very large team that brought the game to market.
In this interview Stone talks of his research into city systems, the concessions that were required to model the real world of cities (for example car parking takes up less area in the virtual cities), the interplay and consequences of city decision making and that players have a finite set of resources available. He also talks of the role that gaming can have in influencing our approach to real world issues. A terrific interview subject with a great perspective on the virtual and real worlds.
PX84 - Gerard McHugh, World Trail
Gerard first worked on recreational trail projects while working as the Environmental Officer at Mt Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort (2001-2004), developing a number of walking and mountain biking trails in the sensitive alpine environment.
In his capacity now as World Trail’s General Manager, Gerard manages the consulting arm of the business, but also generally takes the lead role in most of the consulting projects, including meeting with clients, fieldwork, report writing and presentations. Gerard has played a key role in every project World Trail has undertaken, including the design and construction of the trail networks at Falls Creek, Atherton, Hidden Vale, Smithfield, Derby, St Helens and Wangetti, all of which are amongst the most successful mountain bike trail projects in Australia.
PX83 - Adam Cohen, University of California Berkeley
Adam Cohen is a transportation mobility futures researcher at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Since joining the group in 2004, his research has focused on innovative mobility strategies, including urban/advanced air mobility, automated vehicles, shared mobility, smart cities, smartphone apps, and other emerging technologies. Adam also served three combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a rated aviator for the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component (CJSOAC). Adam’s unique multidisciplinary background gives him unique insight into automation, electrification, and the potential impacts of innovative and disruptive technologies. A recent project is ‘Shared Micromoblity Policy Toolkit: Docked and Dockless Bike and Scooter Sharing’ which he co-authored with Susan Shaheen .
PX82 - Russell Dickson
Russell started work as a land surveyor for a small suburban firm in Melbourne in 1982 after graduating from RMIT. He left to start his own practice in Caulfield in 1987 after completing his cadastral license. That practice continues today some 34 years later.
In 1996 Russell moved his wife Julie and 3 small kids to Buninyong on the edge of Ballarat to live in an old church and start another survey office.
Russell worked in the business until March 2020 when he retired. He now spends time consulting on developments for loyal clients and with Julie living on the beach in Queenscliff.
PX81 - Marshall Sullivan
Marshall Sullivan appears in episode PlanningxChange 81. Marshall has come up ‘thru the ranks’ of planning and now runs a much sought after planning consultancy based in Geelong and the Surf Coast. An inspiring and deeply philosophical journey.
PX80 - Nicole Gelinas, Manhattan Institute
Nicole Gelinas is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and a columnist at the New York Post. She writes on urban economics and finance. Gelinas is a CFA charterholder and the author of After the Fall: Saving Capitalism from Wall Street—and Washington (2011).
Gelinas has published analysis and opinion pieces in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and other publications. Before coming to City Journal, she was a business journalist for Thomson Financial, where she covered the international syndicated-loan and private-debt markets. Gelinas holds a B.A. in English literature from Tulane University.
PX79 - Sebastian Gurciullo, Public Record Office Victoria
Sebastian Gurciullo is a professional archivist, editor, curator and writer. He has worked at the National Archives of Australia, Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) and University of Melbourne Archives. He has been the editor of the Australian Society of Archivists journal Archives and Manuscripts and PROV's journal Provenance, and remains on the editorial board of both journals. Although currently working in collection management at PROV, he continues to contribute to exhibitions and other forms of outreach including tours, talks and seminars. Proximity to the state archives has allowed him to explore his research interests, particularly the administration of Aboriginal Affairs, and Melbourne’s urban history and built form. He is particularly fond of the collections many visual collections: photographs, maps, plans and architectural drawings spanning the history and breath of the State of Victoria. His current research interests are focused on unbuilt projects from Melbourne's urban and planning history
PX78 - Hyperlocal zoning reform: Michael Hendrix, Manhattan Institute & John Myers, London YIMBY & YIMBY Alliance
Michael Hendrix is director of state and local policy at the Manhattan Institute. Previously, he served as senior director for research and emerging issues at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Hendrix is a frequent public speaker, and his writings have appeared in, among others, National Review, City Journal, and National Affairs.
John Myers founded London YIMBY and YIMBY Alliance, which campaign for an end to the housing crisis in the UK. He originally worked as a New York and English litigation and competition lawyer and then as an investment manager. His work has been covered in media including the Australian Financial Review, Bloomberg CityLab and the Guardian.
PX77 - Loudon Luka, Mzuzu University Malawi
Loudon is a town planner with over 20 years of experience in both Australia and Malawi. Loudon’s name may be familiar to many of our Victorian listeners as he spent a large part of his career at both the City of Moreland and Greater Dandenong City Council. He is currently the Head of the Built Environment Department at Mzuzu University in Malawi.
PX76 - Brian Haratsis, Macroplan & Max Shifman, UDIA
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Brian Haratsis is highly regarded as one of Australia’s foremost strategic advisors – with a particular focus on private sector property involvement, understanding communities, tourism and social trends – Brian has more than 30 plus years experience as an economist, futurist, and strategic planner. Brian is a best-selling author, futurist, thought leader and is regarded by corporate Australia as the leading economic and strategic advisor operating in the property sector locally and internationally.
Max is Chief Operating Officer of Intrapac Property, one of Australia’s largest private developers. Max’s focus is on the continued, successful delivery of Intrapac’s project portfolio, and the pursuit of new opportunities and growth. Max’s experience covers broad aspects of residential development from large-scale subdivisions, integrated townhouse developments and apartments. Max is also the National Vice-President of the UDIA.
In this episode, Brian and Max discuss the impact of Covid-19 on remote/mobile and working from home in Australia and what this means for our development industry.
PX75 - John Stone, University of Melbourne
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Dr Stone’s research focuses on sustainable transport in Australian cities. His research explores the politics, institutions and professional practice that lie behind success or failure in sustainable urban transport. Drawing on practice in many cities around the world, especially Canada and German-speaking Europe, his research has identified many opportunities for more effective and efficient public transport in Australian cities through better service coordination and network design. His current research raises questions about the new technologies and markets for shared and autonomous vehicles. Will these disruptions help us to make the urgent transition to low-carbon urban transport? Since completing his PhD in 2008, his work has been funded through many grants and consultancies including an ARC Discovery Project and a Commonwealth Endeavour Research Fellowship. This follows over 20 years’ experience in transport in Melbourne, including work in local government and the community advocacy.
PX74 - Elle Davidson, Zion Engagement & Planning
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A Balanggarra woman from the East Kimberley and descendant of Captain William Bligh, Elle Davidson describes herself as being caught in the cross-winds of Australia’s history.
With a passion to empower the voices of First People, Elle combines her Town Planning and Indigenous Engagement qualifications to navigate between two worlds. Elle uses her planning and engagement skills to facilitate a co-design process that leads to culturally informed outcomes.
Elle now works closely with her clients through Zion Engagement and Planning to develop bespoke engagement plans and assist in building relationships with community. In utilising Zion’s training package and her work with the University of Sydney, Elle is passionate about up skilling and training professionals – current and future in how to work with Country, community and culture.
PX73 - Liz Hui
Liz started working in the acoustic engineering field in the pre internet age, spending over 20 years as a consultant at Marshall Day Acoustics before retiring early in 2013. During that time, Liz regularly presented expert evidence at both VCAT at Panels.
In 2016 Liz joined Planning Panels Victoria as a sessional member and discovered what it was like to sit on the other side of the table. She now spends her time between the occasional Panel hearing, a few special projects at Marshall Day Acoustics and tending a vineyard in the Mornington Peninsula.
PX72 - Peta Charles, Brisbane Town Planning
Professional on the outside and slightly loco on the inside … which means she is serious when she needs to be and lighthearted when she doesn’t. Peta is obsessed with innovation/automation and has a strong distaste for bureaucratic red tape (the time/energy waste drives her bonkers). She also LOVES to challenge expectations.
Most importantly though, she is driven by the saying "knowledge is power". This means that she is passionate about being transparent/honest and educating people about the inner workings of the town planning process … so they don't end up going down a path that isn't right for them.
PX71 - Tamara Brezzi, VPELA/Norton Rose Fulbright
Tamara is a Partner at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright. For over 20 years her legal practice at NRF (and its predecessor firm, Deacons), has been focussed on town planning law and she acts and provides advice for clients who need assistance in navigating their way through the planning processes in Victoria. Tamara is also the President of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association and has been involved with that organisation in one capacity or another since she commenced her career as a town planner working in local government at the City of Stonnington, which she did for 6 years before moving into the law.
Tamara is one of those lucky people who has an obvious passion for her work. She loves to assist clients with achieving their objectives, and she loves to find ways to negotiate outcomes with other parties that result in an evolution of cities and places that all can be happy with. She loves to travel in order to explore the workings of cities and new cultures, languages and traditions.
Outside work, Tamara is a keen amateur photographer, singer and cook who loves to go out dancing and tries to make sure she listens to music every single day.
PX70 - Nicholas Mac Hale, BRITE
Nick is the CEO of BRITE, who provide sustainable services that create opportunity and support for people living with a disability or who are vocationally disadvantaged.
Nick is an experienced executive having spent time in both commercial and not for profit sectors. His passion lies in bringing together people from all walks of life, to achieve a common purpose. Hailing from Ireland, Nick has been lucky enough to call Melbourne home for the last 13 years.
PX69 - Meghan Ablett & Emily Cooke, Cardinia Shire Council
Meghan started working in the planning industry nearly 5 years ago. Her career path into planning was influenced by my sister who also works as a planner. She has worked as a Statutory Planer at both regional and metropolitan Councils and for the past two years has worked as a Growth Area Planner at Cardinia Shire Council. During this time, she has been fortunate to deal with a range of applications including large scale subdivisions, neighbourhood convenience centres and various other commercial and residential developments.
Emily is a Principal Growth Area Planner specialising in greenfield development. Emily works for Cardinia Shire Council delivering broad acre residential subdivisions, commercial/town centre developments and community facilities. Emily has particular experience in facilitating Development Contributions, infrastructure delivery and social/affordable housing. She is committed to implementing high quality new communities which provide for the residential and employment needs of the future.
PX68 - Clark Davies, Bahrain Real Estate
Clark is a senior executive with a breadth of property development, construction and business management experience. He has delivered profit on large and complex projects through being able to successfully manage people and processes to orchestrate outcomes aligned with development and corporate goals.
He is currently the Chief Development Officer at Edamah (Bahrain Real Estate Investment).
PX67 Nick Valhandreas, Mountain Planning
Nick Vlahandreas is a regional planner who has been based in North East Victoria for over 20 years. Nick has learnt that planner in regional Australia is more about attitude and relationships than your technical skills.
Nick has a very area of expertise which is attributed to his location. Nick works on large scale regional residential developments, Alpine Resort developments, VCAT advocacy, strategic planning and a lot of time helping “Mum and Dad” developers dream their ideal house on the utopian 8 hectares.
Nick practices what he preaches and spends most of his spare time exploring the mountains of North East Victoria with his trusting trail dog in tow.
PX66 Paul Shipp, Urban Enterprise
Paul Shipp is an urban planner and urban economist with 15 years experience consulting to government and private clients, primarily in Melbourne and regional Victoria. As a Director of consultancy Urban Enterprise, Paul leads a wide range of strategic planning and urban economic projects.
Paul specialises in fields at the interface of strategic planning and economics: land use planning, land demand and supply studies, demographic and property analysis, economic impact assessments and infrastructure funding, across the residential, retail, commercial, industrial and tourism sectors. He regularly appears as an Expert Witness at planning hearings on these issues.
A proud urban planner, Paul has held roles on the Planning Institute of Australia’s Victorian Committee and was a Co-editor of the monthly Planning News publication.
PX65 Scott Beyer, Market Urbanism
Scott Beyer is an urban affairs analyst based in New York City. He is founder and owner of Market Urbanism Report, a media organization that promotes free-market urban policy. MUR publishes a weekly article, a monthly podcast, and has active social media accounts with a combined following of over 50,000.
Scott is also a journalist who recently completed a 3-year, 30-city cross-country tour to study urban American issues. He now writes as a regular columnist for Forbes, Governing Magazine, HousingOnline.com, and the Independent Institute.
Recently he launched a consulting company, Beyer Policy, to build political support around his ideas. BP works with public and private institutions to spearhead pro-market, pro-growth policy in cities across America.
PX64 Tim BIles, Ratio Consultants
Tim has 40 years experience in town planning and urban design throughout Victoria and is a recognised leader in these fields. He provides planning, urban design advice, and also delivers expert evidence to VCAT and Planning Panels.
Tim was a member of Minister Delahunty’s Industry Round Table (2003- 2004); Chairman of Melbourne University Course Advisory Board (2000- 2003); Sessional Member of Panels Victoria and founding joint Editor of Planning News (circa 1974) and Planning Aid (1973).
Tim’s focus is on developing innovative and achievable solutions for often complex and difficult development issues. He has particular skills in the formulation of ‘place making’ strategies and devising design-led planning solutions. He is dedicated to making planning processes work to achieve community benefit often preceded by focused consultation carried out by the firm with others specialising in this arena. He regularly works with architects, landscape architects and designers in a collaborative approach to resolving site solutions that are responsive to context and to planning policy.
PX63 Ben Rossiter, Victoria Walks
Ben Rossiter is the founding Executive Officer of Victoria Walks and has led a small but enterprising team to see the it become the primary Australian organisation leading the move for walkable communities. Victoria Walks is an evidence-based organisation working to get more people walking more every day. Ben is the Vice President of the International Federation of Pedestrians and his expertise is widely sought in Australia and beyond.
Previous Podcasts:
PX62 Nicole Neame, Jacob Martin, Calum Douglas
Nicole is a recent RMIT graduate and has had the opportunity to gain a diversity of planning practice. Since entering the planning world through student planner placement Nicole has been involved in social impact assessment, community engagement and statutory and strategic planning across a wide range of projects including major transport project planning and delivery, water infrastructure delivery, agricultural developments, planning scheme amendments, structure plans and residential outbuilding developments.Nicole is currently working as a strategic planner at Baw Baw Shire Council.
Calum graduated from RMIT University in 2018 and has worked for Baw Baw Shire Council initially as a student planner and then as a Statutory Planner. Working at a Peri-urban Council he has had the opportunity to work on a wide range of applications from commercial and industrial developments to rural land uses and many, many sheds. A highlight application for him was assessing a Timber Harvesting application under the property vegetation plan for native timber harvesting process.
Jacob is a statutory planner at the City of Yarra, having graduated from RMIT in 2018 and worked as student planner during his placement. In his two years so far Jacob has had the opportunity to work on planning applications which range from apartment developments, liquor licences and warehouses to major advertising signs and the restoration of heritage buildings. This has given him the opportunity to work with local residents, other planners, specialists in acoustics, engineering and heritage and to pick up skills and knowledge from a wide range of sources.
Mark has 30 years experience as a planner working in local government and State Government, including senior roles at Wyndham, Moreland, Boroondara and Ballarat. He was also a senior Panel member at Planning Panels Victoria for over six years. Mark is managing editor of Victorian Planning Reports, which has produced two comprehensive guides on planning decisions and Panel reports and provides regular editorial comment on significant Tribunal decisions and Panel reports. He is a former president of the Local Government Planners Association (LGPA) and a sessional lecturer at RMIT. Over this time he has built up considerable knowledge on leadership, management, planning issues, policy development, policy implementation and statutory planning.
PX60 Peter Seamer (and special guest Cameron Alderson, Canopi Homes)
With separate Master’s degrees in Engineering Science and Urban Planning, Peter’s career started in the planning of new towns in the UK and Australia. Much of his career was in Local Government as the CEO of four major Councils, including the City of Sydney.
Peter was the CEO of Federation Square during its construction and early operational phase and CEO of the Victorian Planning Authority for a decade from 2007 until 2017. He is an industry Fellow at RMIT and head judge for the Victorian UDIA awards.
He has recently published: “Breaking Point: The Future of Australian Cities” which examines ways to manage growth and make our cities more efficient, liveable and equitable.
Peter has been recognised as a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to urban and regional planning and design, to public administration and to local Government.
Prof. Rob Adams joined City of Melbourne in November 1983. Rob has had over 46 years’ experience as a practicing designer in both private enterprise and the public service. As General Manager - City Design, Rob put into place in 1985 the first comprehensive urban design strategy for the city. Since then, Rob has made a significant contribution to the rejuvenation of central Melbourne.
Some key projects include Postcode 3000, CH2 – Australia’s first 6 star green commercial office building, Birrarung Marr, Swanston Street, City Square, Return to Royal Park, the Open Space and Urban Forest Strategies and numerous community buildings including Docklands, Boyd, East Melbourne and Kathleen Syme Libraries. His team is currently involved in two major city shaping projects, the Queen Victoria Market Renewal and the State Government’s Metro Tunnel project.
PX58 Planners under the Influence
The Planners Under the Influence Podcast is a creative project between friends and former classmates Diego Espinosa and Heather Sherlock, who, while completing their Masters' in Urban Planning & Environment at RMIT, decided to start recording conversations about what it means to enter the world of planning. Like so many podcasts, Planners Under the Influence was born in a bar over beers, and in this case, over an animated discussion about urban planning after class one day. Diego and Heather sit down with fellow students, academics, and practitioners to discuss all things cities. While Diego brings a unique perspective on cities from growing up in Quito, Ecuador, Heather likewise brings an international perspective to the podcast hailing from Vancouver, Canada. Whether they are talking over a coffee or a beer, as students they are under the influence of different perspectives and ideas as they find their way on their journey of becoming urban planners.
PX57 Valentine Gnanakone
Valentine is a founding Director of onemilegrid, with over 15 years’ experience in traffic engineering and transport planning. He is renowned for his ability to engage all parties astutely and communicate traffic engineering solutions to a variety of stakeholders, coming to the fore with his involvement with leading developers in Urban Growth areas and inner city in fill development.
Valentine has a formidable reputation of being a leading and trusted consultant in the industry after having formed his career at one of Australia’s leading traffic engineering consultancies, gaining a wealth of experience across Australia, and abroad including the UAE.
Valentine regularly presents expert evidence to VCAT and Planning Panels for both private sector clients and government authorities.
Qualified with an MBA, Valentine brings a holistic approach to traffic and transport combining engineering expertise with strong business acumen. Valentine’s personable approach is one of his key strengths for all projects from residential, commercial, retail, institutional and healthcare verticals
Tim is the Executive Director of Regulatory Standards, Assessments & Permissioning at EPA, whose role it is to make complex decisions regarding development proposals, environmental audits and land use planning across Victoria.
He has worked in various roles at EPA including regional manager, and in 2016 was the EPA Director responsible for EPA’s contribution to the Independent Inquiry into the EPA. The Inquiry recommendations, supported by government, included bolstering EPA’s role in providing well-informed, strategic land use planning advice to avoid future conflicts and impacts on Victorians.
The implementation of the Environment Protection Act 2017 on 1 July 2020 is a key focus for Tim. The EPA is working hard to ensure that standards and guidance covering primary and subordinate legislation are easy to understand and practical for land use planners to apply. Tim’s key focus is on ensuring that EPA has a greater input into significant planning decisions in the future.
Tim has a Bachelor of Social Science, a Master of Environmental Law and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
PX55- Sophie Jordan, Sophie Jordan Consulting
Sophie has been practicing as a qualified urban planner for 20 years, working in both the local government sector and private practice before establishing Sophie Jordan Consulting Pty Ltd in 2012. This breath of experience has allowed her to develop a range of skills including development facilitation, project management, community consultation and preparation of strategic plans. Importantly, she understands the commercial realities of development and how to guide a project from inception to completion.
Sophie has particular expertise in special use residential projects, mixed use developments and has worked extensively in the aged care and retirement sector, as well as several social housing and student accommodation developments across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. She is dedicated to finding solutions to how we can meet the housing demands of our diverse population and manage the changes that new built form has on our environment.
Orlando is a Registered Architect and Urban Designer with broad experience in the area of residential architecture, activity centre urban design, and master planning. He has particular skills in the undertaking of urban design frameworks for urban infill and activity centre sites, and facilitating ‘on the ground’ public realm outcomes via a collaborative urban design approach. He is passionate about constructing urban places and spaces focused on the people that use and enjoy them.
Orlando’s skills and experience in developing residential and mixed-use design ‘typologies’ are used to inform urban design and planning at both the micro, single-site level and the wider scale level of structure and development plans. Experience with a wide range of significant public and private sector clients means Orlando brings a high level of client and stakeholder communication, cooperation and consultation in project management.
PX53 - McIntyre Wool - Ned Scholfield & Raquel Boedo
McIntyre was founded in 2016 by husband and wife team Ned Scholfield & Raquel Boedo. The pair first started to think about creating their own label after spending a year working together on Ned's family sheep farm 'Glenoe' in Western Victoria. The design philosophy behind the label is to create timeless, sustainable, & quality Merino goods.
Based in Melbourne Australia the pair are passionate about manufacturing in Australia, and about educating customers on the benefits of wearing Merino wool. See http://www.mcintyreaustralia.com
PX52 - Koos de Keijzer, DKO Architecture
As founding partner, Koos de Keijzer is actively involved in all DKO projects throughout Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia
He is a respected architect and urban designer, with a particular strategic understanding of residential design in all its forms. He is driven by a passion to explore new housing types, forms and configurations. This has given rise to a number of innovative apartment and housing design responses, embracing and enriching contemporary residential lifestyle.
This passion for interrogating convention, coupled with a firm commitment to architectural integrity, delivers a strong emphasis on sustainable communities, setting new benchmarks for contemporary residential development.
PX51 - John Henshall, Ethos Urban (previously Essential Economics)
John, the Founding Partner of Essential Economics (now Ethos Urban), is an Economist and Town and Regional Planner with forty years of consulting experience in urban and regional economics, and in land use planning and development, both in Australia and abroad.
John’s recent book is about Clarksdale, Mississippi and the economic revitalisation process that led to the rebirth of the city’s downtown after many years of decline and dereliction. The special significance of Blues music to downtown revitalisation is highlighted through cultural tourism, with Clarksdale as the location of the Crossroads at Highways 49 and 61 and associated with the birth of the Blues.
The book is available at the usual on-line stores or you can obtain a copy from John Henshall at jhenshall@ethosurban.com for $63 (including postage).
PX50 - Olivia Christie, Armitage Jones
Olivia spent the early years of her career working for several tier-one building contractors before completing a Masters of Business (Property) and moving into the development industry as a Development Manager.
Olivia has a passion for property development and considerable experience in both private and public development companies, across a broad range of asset classes.
Olivia founded project and development management consultancy, Armitage Jones in 2015 and property development company, Dynamic Property Group in 2016. Armitage Jones has grown to a team of 18 over the past five years and has delivered some of Melbourne’s largest and high profile commercial office and hospitality projects. Dynamic Property Group is currently developing a high end apartment project in the bayside suburb of Elwood.
PX49 - Kate Roffey, Wyndham City Council
Kate has extensive experience as a CEO and Senior Executive within the commercial, government and not-for-profit sectors. In her current role as Director Deals, Investment & Major Projects at Wyndham City, Kate is focused on the growth of key international and national industry sectors and facilitating investment from both public and private entities via the creation of innovative deals that leverage value capture concepts to fast track delivery. Kate is also responsible for overseeing major projects in the areas of transport, construction and mixed used developments.
Prior to this role, Kate was the CEO of the Committee for Melbourne. Before joining the Committee, Kate held an executive position at Tennis Australia as Manager of the Melbourne Park Redevelopment and was responsible for overseeing the master planning for this major redevelopment and for negotiating the $978 million funding deal with the State Government.
PX48 - Cazz Redding, Redink Planning
Cazz Redding, a town planner and Principal of Redink Planning. Cazz has worked as a town planner since 1999 in local and State government and the private sector. She established RedInk planning in 2006. Cazz is also a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria.
Cazz has well developed drafting and writing skills focused on the use of plain English and ensuring meaning and intent of documents is clear and unambiguous.
Cazz has developed and delivered a wide range of training and mentoring to planners and non planners through her work as: Course coordinator and sessional lecturer at RMIT since 2002, PLANET planning training presenter for strategic planning courses since 2012 and Mentorship to local and State government planners.s.
PX47 - Aaron Organ, Ecology & Heritage Partners
Aaron is a Director of Ecology & Heritage Partners and has over 22 years' experience in the environmental field, including 19 years in an environmental consultant capacity. Aaron previously worked as a field ecologist in East Gippsland Victoria, and has worked as a ranger and firefighter in Queensland and Victoria. He also has extensive experience in national park and reserve management throughout Australia. He has been a lead author and co-author of over 400 projects and provided expert advice to a range of clients across various industries including proposed wind farms in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, long-term ecological monitoring throughout the Illawarra escarpment New South Wales, and various urban development projects throughout Victoria .
Elizabeth Taylor is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University. She has been a McKenzie Fellow at the University of Melbourne, as well as working in consultancy and government research roles. Her research and publications explore urban planning, housing markets, transport, and locational conflicts often with a spatial and historical focus. A recent focus has been car parking policy. In 2018 she published “Dry Zones: Planning and the Hangovers of Liquor Licensing History”. She was awarded the 2012 Brian McLaughlin Award, and a 2017 German Academic Exchange scholarship. She is also a musician, an enthusiast of country swimming pools, and is co-host of the podcast This Must be the Place.
PX45- David Sornig, Author of ‘Blue Lake’
David Sornig is the author of two books, the novel Spiel (2009), and Blue Lake: finding Dudley Flats and the West Melbourne Swamp (2018). He has published short stories, articles, essays and reviews in the Griffith Review, Adelaide Review, Melbourne Review, Harvard Review and Kill Your Darlings, among others. His work on Blue Lake emerged from a State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowship and the essay 'Jubilee: A Hymn for Elsie Williams on Dudley Flats', which was a finalist in the 2015 Melbourne Prize for Literature Writers Prize.
Peter also presented at the 2018 VPELA Conference in Lorne
Peter Mares is a journalist and the author of No Place Like Home: Repairing Australia’s Housing Crisis, just published by Text. Peter is lead moderator with The Cranlana Programme, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes ethical leadership and a regular contributor to Inside Story magazine. He is also an adjunct fellow in the Centre for Urban Transitions at Swinburne University and previously worked for 25 years as a journalist and broadcaster with the ABC. His other books are Borderline, an award-winning analysis of Australia’s policies towards asylum seekers and refugees (2001), and Not Quite Australian: how temporary migration is changing the nation (2016)
PX43- Damian Iles, Hansen Partnership
A special podcast as part of the PIA Victorian Division 2018 Symposium - Damian presented the Harris Transportable Housing Project led by Launch Housing (alongside Kate Stapleton and Steven Lionakis)
Damian is a town planner with over 20 years’ professional experience in local government planning and the private sector. His experience includes all elements of the statutory approvals process over a variety of land use and development applications including residential infill developments,
A respected expert witness, Damian is passionate about the longevity and sustainability of housing and provides a balanced voice influenced by an understanding of government regulation, property strategy and the importance of liveable, sustainable and workable solutions for the built environment.
A special podcast as part of the PIA Victorian Division 2018 Symposium - Pru was the 2018 Kemsley Orator
Pru Goward was sworn in as the Minister for Family and Community Services, Minister for Social Housing, and Minister for the
Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in 2017. Pru was first elected to the NSW Parliament in 2007. She has also held previous roles as the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, Minister for Planning, Minister for Women and Assistant Minister for Health.
Prior to entering Parliament, Pru served as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner and also Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination. During her time with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission she became best known for her advocacy of a national paid maternity leave scheme, the implications of demographic change, and the challenge of work-life balance.
PX41- David Bissell
Associate Professor David Bissell is a human geographer at the University of Melbourne.
He conducts research that explores how our increasingly mobile worlds are changing our communities, our relations with others, and our sense of who we are.
He is author of Transit Life: How Commuting Is Transforming Our Cities, published in 2018 by MIT Press.
PX40- Ged Hart
Ged is the owner and Managing Director of the outdoor advertising company, Total Outdoor Media Pty Ltd, also know as TOM.
A seasoned industry veteran, Ged has been developing outdoor media solutions for over 30 years. He has previously worked for a number of high profile media companies in senior roles. Ged oversees the function of TOM through a range of specialists- business modeling, design, master planning, fabrication and construction, occupational health and safety and the sales infrastructure.
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Tim Vernon is a landscape architect and director of Melbourne-based design consultancy CDA Design Group.
CDA undertakes a wide range of projects for both government and private sector clients that relies on a collaborative process with stakeholders & specialist consultants to deliver design outcomes.
Tim’s special interest is in the resolution of design outcomes for the public realm.
PX38 - Dr Elizabeth Taylor & David Nichols
This Must be the Place is a Melbourne-based podcast about space, place, culture and society co-hosted by planning academics Dr Elizabeth Taylor of RMIT and Associate Professor David Nichols of the University of Melbourne. Started in late 2016, the show format varies from documentary-style field trips (modernist housing; a ghost town inside a sewage farm); to interviews with academics, students, and community groups (transport politics, urban streams; temporary urbanism); to reviews of books and films (some of them found in op-shops).
Brett is currently the Executive Director, Regional Planning for the VPA. He has senior experience in project management, urban and regional planning, and most recently was a Senior Member at Planning Panels Victoria. Brett is a Fellow and past State President of the Planning Institute of Australia and has worked throughout Australia on numerous large-scale projects, for public and private entities. He is passionate about helping create vibrant, connected and sustainable communities in regional Victoria.
PX36 -Gavin Queit, GK Solutions
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gavin completed his schooling and tertiary education in Johannesburg. He migrated to Australia in 1997 to take up the role as Head of Security for the Victorian Jewish Community, having previously served in a number of security roles, as well as in the South African Police between 1990-1997. Gavin, along with his Sydney based colleague Kevin Rothschild, are Directors of GK Solutions Pty Ltd, a company which provides a range of specialist physical security solutions to protect buildings and public spaces for diverse clients including Federal, State and Local Government, Commerce and Industry.
PX35 -Natasha Swan, Manningham City Council
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Natasha is the Manager Statutory Planning at Manningham City Council and has been a local government planner for 20 years. Natasha has a passion for planning and relishes her role in helping to shape the form of our urban and non-urban environments.
PX34 - Peter McIntyre, McIntyre Partnership
Peter McIntyre founded his first architectural practice in 1950 and has held numerous positions as a tertiary educator. He has been the recipient of many awards including the 1990 RAIA Gold Medal. He has designed many Australia houses that have become iconic representations of their times. From domestic architecture such as The River House, The Sea House to large commercial complexes, train stations and complete settlements for example Dinner Plains alpine village, Peter has managed to combine art and science to create memorable places.
PX33 - Jane Keddie & Gerhana Waty, Hansen Partnership
Gerhana Waty and Jane Keddie are both Associates at Hansen Partnership. They are both passionate about design and engaged in practice which prioritises the ‘human’ elements of urban design processes and outcomes. They are interested in the range of contextual influences which inform their work – from the macro to the micro. Gerhana has a strong focus on built form and its influence on the pedestrian experience, while Jane has an on-going focus on how the broader community is engaged within the planning process, and the role that design plays in that conversation.
PX32 - Larry Parsons, Ethos Urban
Larry has over thirty years’ experience in planning and architecture. He has worked in both public and private sectors, in Melbourne, the UK, Oman and Spain, and has extensive experience in master planning and precinct planning. Larry has successfully managed his own private practice as well as heading the Urban Design Units at both the City of Melbourne and the State Government of Victoria, where he managed the Minister for Planning’s growing development approvals portfolio.
PX31 - Phil Borelli, SJB Planning
Phil is a founding director of SJB Planning. His planning career began at the former metropolitan planning authority (the MMBW) and the State Government, where he ultimately managed both the Southbank and Central City Planning Areas. He began working in the private sector in 1989 and, since then, has assisted a wide range of public sector and private clients in meeting their land use and development objectives. Is a regular expert planning witness and an experienced adviser on planning and property issues. Phil recently celebrated his 21st year with SJB Planning
PX30 - Jessie Hochberg, CEO, Nightingale Housing
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Jessie is a co-founder and CEO of Nightingale Housing. Jessie jumped into the start-up social enterprise space after working across Creative Victoria, as a Senior Policy and Strategy Adviser and within the Strategic Infrastructure Project team. She's passionate about the opportunity for the emerging democratisation of the financing sector to positively influence the development of urban environments. While working in government, Jessie completed an MBA with Distinction. Jessie has recently spoken and chaired panels at Purpose conference SYD, Remix Conference QLD, Fifth Estate’s Hacking Housing Event SYD.
PX29 - Danielle Savio & Justine Hadj (Gazella)
GAZELLA is an independent publication offering insights into inspiring females within the built environment. Updated weekly, the blog exhibits interviews focusing on the work of women and topical issues in the current climate. Launched to capture the stories and spirit of the determined, Gazella shares a passion for the celebration of women, their experiences and opinions, as well as advice and learnings that can be shared amongst the community.
Sean has been involved in many aspects of the property industry for more than 30 years. He is experienced in the development of retail, commercial, industrial, hospitality and residential projects in Australia and internationally. His background is in design and most of his recent work has been in high density and broad-acre residential development. Sean has a Master’s Degree in Property and is Senior Development Manager for ISPT (Industry Superannuation Property Trust).
Danni Addison is the Victorian CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) – the nation’s key representative body for the urban development industry. An accomplished and reputable property expert, Danni is passionate about enabling affordability and accessibility for all home buyers, reducing unnecessary regulatory burden on the housing sector, and achieving an efficient planning system that delivers positive outcomes for Victoria’s future.
Clare is a Melbourne based mixed-media artist and PhD candidate at RMIT University. She is the recipient of the prestigious Vice-Chancellor's scholarship. Clare's practice includes large-scale immersive installations, fine art objects and contemporary performance works. Clare has installed over 30 temporary public artworks across ten municipalities in Melbourne as well as at Fed Square and 600 Bourke Street.
James is a Statutory Planner acting as an Advocate for private clients, Councils and occasionally objectors. Sometimes at Council and often at VCAT. He’s spent years bickering over the height of screening, the dispensation of visitor spaces and a 10 degree sightline. And in spite of this he still believes in the Victorian planning system. To steal a ‘Churchillism', James thinks our planning system is the worst one around, excepting all others.
Nevan has enjoyed a diverse planning career encompassing a wide range of policy, statutory, strategic and development aspects, through roles at the Metropolitan Board of Works, The Department of Planning and at Tract. He has a strong interest in strategic planning, tourism and economic development projects and enjoys mentoring younger staff in the Tract team. .
Colleen is the Managing Director of Ratio Consultants and is renowned for her leadership within the industry and as a strong advocate for housing issues, including the residential zone review in Victoria. Colleen regularly appears as an expert witness at VCAT and has a particular interest in social planning issues.
Johnny is an urban planner, population forecaster and spatial consultant with an extraordinary knowledge of places across Australia and has been forecasting, analysing and mapping Australia's urban changes since the late 1980's. Johnny has completed projects informing Board-level decisions with the AFL, NRL, Stockland, Red Cross and various education providers. Johnny undertakes comprehensive forecasting for Local Governments in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand.
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John is a planning icon of Australia and is of course the Founding Director of Essential Economics, he is an economist, a town and regional planner and has more than 40 years of consulting experience in the industry. He is a life fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and a fellow of the Victorian Planning Environmental Law Association (VPELA). John is an avid blues and roots music fan and has been involved with the revitalisation of Clarkesdale in Mississippi.
Nick has been a Barrister for more than 18 years. He practices mainly in the fields of planning and environmental law and regularly appears in VCAT, Panels and in major infrastructure hearings. Nick was appointed Senior Counsel in November 2013. Nick is from Western Australia, is an avid Dockers supporter and a Nick Cave fan and plays in a series of bands.
PX19- David Song & Daniel Bowden
David Song and Daniel Bowden are Directors of Song Bowden Town Planning. They are both regularly engaged to provide advice on a variety of town planning matters and are both well recognised in the industry as they regularly appear at the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) or Planning Panels Victoria as Planning Advocates or Expert Witnesses. This is the very first double interview by PX.
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Brian is a best-selling author, futurist, thought leader and is regarded by corporate Australia as the leading economic and strategic advisor operating in the property sector locally and internationally. Brian established MacroPlan Australia (renamed MacroPlan Dimasi in 2012) in 1985 and specialises in business and property strategy, forecasting of future trends, facilitation of strategic outcomes and successful delivery of major projects and policy.
As a founder of Orbit Solutions in 1999, Chris has developed a successful approach to architectural services. Chris brings experience gained through working closely with Directors of Australia's most successful Architectural and Planning practices. As an expert witness in visual amenity evidence, he has worked on hundreds of projects adjudicated at the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal, Planning Panels Victoria and Land and Environment courts around Australia
Jo is a Director of progressive engineering consultancy SALT, specialising in traffic and waste engineering. With extensive knowledge of traffic and transport engineering, Jo has been involved in infrastructure projects across Australia and is passionate about workplace culture.
Shelley Penn is a Melbourne based architect who has combined her private practice with several senior roles providing strategic advice to Government about the value and procurement of good design in the public realm. She is engaged in architectural education and advancement of the profession, and is recognised as an influential advocate for better public outcomes
Mark is a Principal of David Lock Associates and has been practicing in the field of urban design since 1993. He specialises in leading large-scale master planning and urban renewal projects, and providing expert urban design advice in relation to development. Mark is the author of 'Essentials of Urban Design' (CSIRO Publishing, 2015).
Bryce Raworth is a conservation consultant and architectural historian who has developed a practice in relation to these matters over the past 25 years. Major areas of interest include the conservation of historic buildings and their fabric and town planning issues relating to heritage overlay policies.
Nicola Smith is a private consultant planner and Director of Niche Planning Studio. She has experience across three states of Australia as a land development manager, consultant, local government statutory planner and state government policy writer. She has a thirst for knowledge, is passionate about innovation in planning through social media and supports a strong mentoring system within our profession.
Melanie Lowe is a PhD student and research assistant within the Place, Health and Liveabilty Research Program at the McCaughey VicHealth Community Wellbeing Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne. Her research examines how to plan urban environments that support the social determinants of health. Melanie is also Co-chair of the Australasian Early Career Urban Research Network.
Rose Iser is a former Councillor for the Moonee Valley City Council and past president of the Victorian Local Governance Association. She has worked as an advisor to State and Federal MP's from Labour and the Greens. She campaigned for many years against the East-West Link and is a writer, lawyer, teacher and a fan of digital communication.
Jonathan Gardiner is a Director at Cox Architecture, a national architectural and urban design practice. His interest is in the development of future cities, and the positive role that public spaces and buildings as well as urban design can have in this process. His projects include AAMI Park in Melbourne, the North Melbourne Railway Station and the recently completed Adelaide Oval.
Clay Lucas is city editor for The Age, where he has worked since 2005 covering state politics, urban affairs, transport, local government and workplace relations. Before that he worked on local newspapers in Melbourne, as a sub-editor on The Jakarta Post, and as a city guidebook writer for Lonely Planet.
Andrew is a Director of Culture Creativity Place Ltd and works with culture and place to transform cities. Andrew was involved in the regeneration of Newcastle Gateshead in the UK and was a previous Programme Director of the World Summit on Arts and Culture. Andrew has become a specialist in repositioning cities through culture.
Cameron is a Director of developer Canopi Homes specialising in small footprint housing. Previously an executive with Stockland and Mirvac. He has a passion for design and community trends in housing.
Dr Stephen Rowley Lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT has recently completed his thesis on how film influences our views of city shape, form and normality.
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Jane is the Director of Innovation and Reform at the Victorian Planning Authority and is a doyen of sense and sensibility. She has promoted principles of fairness, aesthetic pleasure and purpose into the Victorian planning system.
Stuart Morris QC: Stuart has held a range of high profile positions within the planning world including President of VCAT and as a Supreme Court Judge. He is an astute observer of city trends
A director of Message Consultants and has been at the forefront of planning innovation for several decades. He combines a deep knowledge of design aesthetics and a down to earth charm.
Chris is a partner at Deep End Services. He is a expert in retail trends, catchments and spatial requirements.
PX was born from a crazy idea by Peter Jewell and Jess Noonan.