Hustle & Bustle podcast

This is the final ep for 2022. Thank you for tuning into this podcast - whether you listen to each episode or whether you have only listened to 1 episode - it really is appreciated!  In this episode, I recap my top 5 topics for planning in Queensland: 1. Climate Change 2. Designing with Country 3. Housing crisis 4. Census 2021 5. Olympics 2032 I mention in the episode that I will link the Olympics 2032 Hopes and Dreams Survey - here it is for anyone who would like to share their thoughts about Olympic legacy  Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Legacy Plan | DSDILGP - Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Have a great break over Christmas and see you in 2023! 

Kerry Doss has established a strong reputation as an experienced urban planner and leader during his career. Kerry has in excess of 33 years’ experience in planning & urban development in QLD & NSW. Prior to establishing his own consultancy firm, he was the Qld State Planner for 5 years, heading up the Planning group within the Queensland Government.  Prior to this role, Kerry headed up Brisbane City Council’s City Planning & Economic Development area for 10 years. As Brisbane’s most senior planner he was responsible for overseeing the planning of Brisbane. I ask Kerry about: What makes public service a rewarding career? What is your advice to others who are navigating the political and community pressures, with the desire to deliver best practice outcomes? What is the role of planners as change managers? And are we equipped to do that work? What are the key issues and opportunities from your perspective in solving the housing crisis? What are some of the key trends you have observed, particularly through the COVID crisis and what you think will continue into the future? I hope you enjoy this chat :)

Adam is a smart city guru and urbanist who has worked for private sector consultancies and leading global non-government organisations to advance sustainable community outcomes for over 25 years. Adam is the Head of Digital Urbanism at Ene.Hub. He leads the company's efforts to continually consider what's next for connecting, activating and measuring urban life.   Adam was previously the Executive Director with the Smart Cities Council. In this episode, I ask Adam to: reflect on his career and journey into smart cities, why smart cities and what has kept him engaged in this mission driven sector? his achievements at the Smart Cities Council his current work at Ene.Hub - turning basic urban furniture into connected and enabled infrastructure.  what is holding us back from truly unleashing the potential of digital on our cities?  I hope you enjoy this chat!

Rachel is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland. Her research interests include how cities adapt their urban form to changing conditions such as rapid population growth or decline, natural disasters, de-industrialisation and climate change; using GIS to track changes to urban layouts over time, including city blocks, streets and property parcels and how urban policy influences (or fails to influence) desired settlement patterns. Her research on urban infill in Brisbane won the 2021 Queensland PIA Award for Planning Excellence in Planning Research. Rachel has previously worked as a planner and policy advisor, and as a solicitor specialising in planning and environment law. I chat with Rachel about her latest research - Urban Blandscapes, link here Urban “Blandscapes”: How the Practical Implementation of Planning Policy Reduces Land Use Diversity: Urban Policy and Research: Vol 0, No 0 (tandfonline.com) Here is a summary of some of the research findings.  How we accidentally planned the desertion of our cities (theconversation.com) You can follow Rachel on LinkedIn here Rachel Gallagher | LinkedIn   (huge thank you to Rachel for joining me whilst on maternity leave with her 3 month old baby boy, Frank. You will hear Frank make a cameo appearance, snoring and making some baby noises, throughout this episode, which I absolutely love and hope you do too.)  

Luke Brannelly is the founder and Managing Director of the V2i Group, which combines his 35 years of experience in the planning industry as an Urban Designer and Master planning Consultant, 20 years within the digital story and visualisation industry, and the past decade of diversifying these skills into a variety of other industries, including: health, education, online learning, and underground mining induction. Over the past 6 years, Luke and his team have successfully incorporated many of the new technologies they had developed in other sectors back into the planning industry. With the launch of the interactive 3D software platform V2i Realtime (www.v2irealtime.com), the creation of project-specific ‘digital twins’ enabled a more effective and efficient journey, from “Vision to Implementation”, for all stakeholders. More info on Luke's company here: V2i Realtime | Join the Revolution A favourite quote of mine from Luke during the podcast is "Solving problems in the virtual world is so much easier, faster and cheaper than in real life." A surprising quote from Luke "I've been told by a top tier firm that they believe the majority of built environment professionals can't understand 2D plans. Is it any wonder that the general public struggle to understand what their communities will look like in the future." I ask Luke these questions: Where did the concept of v2i come from? What inspired you to pursue something so innovative? How do you see the digital tools you’ve built changing the future of planning? What are some of the key challenges and barriers to rolling out v2i more broadly? A great recent article featuring V2i Realtime as one of 3 global companies which is transforming the global urban design and master planning process! https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/spotlights/unreal-engine-is-helping-real-estate-developers-to-accelerate-urban-master-planning  Hope you enjoy this discussion!

A once-in-a-decade report from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, identifies seven global megatrends that hold the key to the challenges and opportunities ahead.  The report is called Our Future World 2042. A lead author of this publication, Dr Stefan Hajkowicz, joins me on the podcast this week to discuss the 7 megatrends.    The seven global megatrends are: Adapting to climate change; Leaner, cleaner and greener; The escalating health imperative; Geopolitical shifts; Diving into digital; Increasingly autonomous and Unlocking the human dimension.    Dr Stefan Hajkowicz is a principal scientist in foresight and strategy at CSIRO, working in the field of strategic foresight. He has devoted his career to helping governments, companies and communities comprehend patterns of change so they can make wiser choices and secure better futures. Stefan has published widely in the international scientific literature. His work involves a combination of original research and the provision of consulting and advisory services. Link to the publication is here Seven megatrends that will shape the next 20 years - CSIRO   Dr Stefan says “We analysed thousands of data points collected over decades. Some of the trends we identified have been widely discussed, while others are newer and directly related to our experiences during the pandemic.   "We are, for example, just beginning to understand the potential long-term impacts of the pandemic on mental health and chronic illness.   “We anticipate that while the pandemic sped up digital transformation, the real explosion in our capability is yet to come. In this environment, digital skills will become more valuable, but rather than replacing human intelligence, technologies like AI will assist us in doing our work better.”

Upendo is a Chagga woman from the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Her diverse upbringing across many countries has nurtured her passion for and proficiency in three languages, as well as her particular interest in how built environments can support cohesive, equitable and productive communities. Upendo has a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning with honours, Masters of Development Practice, Politics of Global Development, Graduate Certificate in Mediation and Conflict Resolution and is IAP2 accredited. Upendo has over 15 years of professional planning experience across the areas of strategic planning, policy formulation and implementation, and development assessment. She has extensive experience researching, drafting and implementing State policies through the Queensland planning framework. Upendo has she worked across a diversity of strategic projects with several Aboriginal Shire Councils.  During her time with the Queensland Government, Upendo was on the advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests in land use planning project steering committee as the local plan making/amendment process expert. She also drafted the Planning Act 2016 planning scheme template . Upendo recognises and continues to learn and discover improvements needed to truly advance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests in the Queensland planning and development framework.    I chat to Upendo about: Her upbringing and your journey to Brisbane What led her to studying planning Her university experiences - what were some of the challenges faced in understanding the western approach to development and land use? Her tips and/or advice for current international planning students and/or academics What role does culture have on the Qld planning system? – what are some of the shortfalls? Her advice for planning practitioners in navigating culture in planning A piece of advice from Upendo – "As planners, we professionally organise places and people and consequently end up putting people into different categories/boxes. I think it’s important to remember that these are just organizational categories and not people’s identities. It is also confusing when new categories are developed and used without your understanding…for me, a key one is People of Colour (POC) which has created a lot of debate on who it captures. It’s also vitally important to be cautious when using them in public or consultative environments because people could take offense or be uncomfortable to be a representative of that category (i.e. grouping of people based on one or two elements)." Great advice!

Farnoosh Shokoofan is an energetic and innovative planner currently working as a strategic planner at Toowoomba Regional Council. She was awarded a Bachelor’s degree of Urbanism and completed her Masters of Urban Design in 2018. Farnoosh has worked as a planner both in Iran and Australia within various planning and development disciplines. She is the Queensland PIA Young Planner convener - responsible for leading the young planners.  Born and raised in a ‘megacity’, Farnoosh is enthusiastic about people and places. Her interests include placemaking, behaviour settings and analysis of users’ behaviour, and natural disaster resilience, specifically landslide resilience.  I chat to Farnoosh about some of the key issues and opportunities young planners are facing, including: What led her to becoming a planner What she would like to do with the next 5 years of your career Key issues young planners are most passionate about The changing role of a planner New skills that young planner are bringing to the profession Hope you enjoy this chat :)

Dale is a mobility thought leader - enabling transformative and resilient sustainable solutions. At the City of Vancouver, Dale led the transport planning for many years including for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, created their first Active Transportation team, and most recently led their Transportation Planning, including new sustainable mobility actions for the city’s Climate Emergency Plan. As a visionary strategic planner, Dale has enjoyed providing inspirational keynotes on Vancouver’s sustainable mobility growth and success to cities globally. Dale is a global thought leader with expertise in transport planning.  I chat to Dale about:  His most memorable projects during his time at City of Vancouver as City Transport Manager.    What Dale enjoyed most about his time at City of Vancouver  His top tips for navigating the political and community pressures as a public servant, whilst delivering on best practice outcomes.  With Brisbane and Queensland preparing to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, key lessons from Vancouver hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics  Best advice for other City executives responsible for city transportation planning  Insights into Dale's new career journey into strategic foresight. Dale shares the importance of data led decisions, how communication is the key to success, the importance of finding your north star, how connecting with people create the best memories, and many more pearls of wisdom.  Hope you enjoy this insight discussion!!

Michael Papageorgiou is the Director of an Urban Planning consultancy based in Brisbane. He has 40 years’ experience in the planning industry, including senior executive planning roles in State and Local Government, in both Queensland and Victoria. Michael is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and has had an active role in PIA. Michael was the inaugural Planner in Residence at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Michael has maintained a great interest in public realm and open space policy and implementation throughout his career. He has been responsible for the planning and delivery of numerous Centre Improvement and Urban Renewal programs and projects, all with a significant public art component in Brisbane, Gold Coast, South Melbourne, St Kilda, and Frankston, as well as in regional areas. Michael shares: His top career highlights His motivations and drivers as a planner Key opportunities and challenges we are facing in our cities and regions The value that planners bring to improving our cities and regions I hope you enjoy this chat !

Patrick Gorr is a Arup's Global Hydrogen Leader. His specializes in energy and hydrogen, and the transition to net zero energy production. Patrick is a chartered accountant by profession, Patrick holds a Bachelor of Business, Economics, Accounting and International Trade from Swinburne University of Technology, and has held senior strategic roles, in Australia and Europe, with the Victorian Government, International Development Law Organisation and EDF Energy. The Energy crisis has been all over the news recently, as the East Coast of Australia is at risk of black out, due to peak demand expected to exceed supply. Patrick explains what's been happening in the energy markets, and what the solution is.  We chat about: The energy crisis  What the solution is for more reliable and sustainable energy production and supply Why Hydrogen is seen to be part of the solution to our energy crisis What is preventing Hydrogen from being mass produced and replacing our unrenewable sources What projects Arup leading globally to help unlock more opportunities for hydrogen to be produced, exported and used by consumers Here is a quick fact sheet shared by Patrick to help explain the Lack of Reserve in the energy market https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/learn/fact-sheets/lor-fact-sheet.pdf?la=en#:~:text=A%20forecast%20LOR%20occurs%20when,LOR%20becomes%20an%20operational%20reality. Hope you enjoy this chat :)  

Dr Margaret Cook has been a freelance historian for many years, working in the heritage, museum, government and private sectors. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Queensland and her current research interests include natural disasters, rivers, water politics, and environmental history. Margaret is a history lecturer at the University of Sunshine Coast, a Research Fellow at Griffith University and holds Honorary Research Fellow positions at La Trobe University and University of Queensland. Margaret’s recent publications are: A River with a City Problem: A History of Brisbane Floods, an edited collection with Scott McKinnon, Disasters in Australia and New Zealand: Historical Approaches to Understanding Catastrophe, and a co-authored book Cities in a Sunburnt Country: Water and the Making of Urban Australia. In 2020, Margaret was awarded the John and Ruth Kerr Medal of Distinction for excellence in historiography, historical research and writing. This conversation builds on an earlier chat with Martin Roushani-Zarmehri in April where he referenced Margaret's research and publications, specifically that many of our urban settlements are on flood plains based on historical reasons.   In this chat, we take a deep dive into Margaret's publications and passion, and find out what lessons we can take from history to shape more resilient communities. We chat about: Margaret's publications What inspired Margaret to research so deeply into water issues Why it is important that we understand and learn from history What the key learnings are about human behaviour, especially during natural disasters Buy back schemes and how we use them to become more resilient Behavioural change can happen I hope you enjoy this chat. 

Prof. Barbara Norman is the Foundation Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of Canberra Urban and Regional Futures at the University of Canberra. She has a substantial professional background having worked at all levels of government and her own private practice. Her current research and teaching interests include sustainable cities and regions, coastal planning, climate change adaptation and urban governance. Professor Norman is a highly esteemed professional, including: immediate past Chair of the ACT Climate Change Council Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University Life Fellow and past national president of the Planning Institute of Australia Life Honorary Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (UK) qualifications include a Bachelor of Town & Regional Planning, Masters of Environmental Law and a PhD on sustainable coastal planning   contributing author to IPCC 5 WG 2 report on Impacts 2013 awarded an Australian Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community through urban and regional planning. In this episode we chat about: Barbara's career highlights What motivates her The importance of planning Tackling climate change Her new book to be launched at COP27 later this year Some of the key takeaways from this discussion: the value of planning is being restored and going through a renaissance planners are driven by common good / community good  we can achieve much more when we cooperate and collaborate  - would be great to see all Australian Planning Ministers coming together  its time to embed climate change in planning law across Australia we need to map existing climate risks across Australia to identify areas of vulnerability, and then prepare place-specific plans for most vulnerable communities. must not add to the legacy of vulnerability  need to upskill planners and built environment professionals to gain confidence in planning for climate change we are past the point of climate guidelines - its time for regulations. Industry want certainty Insurance industry are looking to planning profession to be proactive  Carbon neutral developments are lacking evaluation and monitoring  90% of built environment will still be here in 2050 - focus on re-use and improving existing urban fabric to create resilient and sustainable outcomes possible legacy for Brisbane 2032 would be to embed climate change process in everything we do References referred to by Barbara: IPCC report on Adaptation - link Glasgow Climate Pact - outcome of COP26 - link Hope you enjoy this chat :)

I spent the week in Hobart last week, attending and presenting at the Planning Institute of Australia National Congress. The theme was Opportunities in times of crisis, and this was the first time in 3 years that PIA has held a national planning conferences in person.  In this episode, I summarize the top 10 lessons that I have acquired from the amazing sessions attended. From the housing crisis, to human centered planning to designing with country and so many more!  Looking forward to hearing what you think about my top 10! (You might hear my kids & husband in the background, as I recorded this at home on the weekend)  More info about Congress can be found here - Planning Institute of Australia

Matt Gross is a well-known property economist, urban geographer, and sociologist based in Brisbane.   Matt heads up one of Australia's most respected property research houses that has grown on the back of honesty, integrity and innovation, National Property Research Co. Matthew is highly regarded as being able to provide both strategic direction and tactical strategies to ensure that the project values, both social and economic are maximised. He has been involved in providing insight into some of the country’s biggest property transactions and largest residential developments. The housing unaffordability crisis is growing! So I wanted to speak with Matt about his research and experience to help understand:  his views on the current housing unaffordability. What will lead SEQ out of this current state? impact of federal election on housing impact of COVID on housing longer term SEQ housing market predications Key economic barriers and opportunities for 2032 Olympics Hope you enjoy this chat. 

Jason Byrne is a Professor of Human Geography and Planning at University of Tasmania. He researches urban political ecologies of green-space, climate change adaptation, and environmental justice. He has over 100 scholarly publications, including a multi-award-winning co-edited book - Australian Environmental Planning: Challenges and Future Prospects (Routledge). Jason has been awarded the Planning Institute Australia’s national award for cutting edge research and teaching, and has twice been awarded the PIA Queensland award in that category – as well as their overall award for planning excellence. I chat to Jason ahead of PIA National Congress in May 2022. We chat about: top tips for Australian planners ready to converge on Hobart for PIA National Congress his career highlights and motivations  key barriers for Australia in adapting to climate change nature based solutions & innovative solutions to adapting to climate change Here are the links mentioned in our conversation: https://climateadaptationaustralia.com.au/ https://theconversation.com/ordinary-people-extraordinary-change-addressing-the-climate-emergency-through-quiet-activism-160548 Hope you enjoy this chat! To follow Jason on twitter - @CityByrne

PechaKucha is a global forum where ideas are pitched in a few minutes.  Two of our great local architects, Katherine Rickard and Dave Hanson, have launched PechaKucha Gold Coast! With their first event in March a huge success, future PechaKucha nights will be held quarterly across the City.  PechaKucha means "chit chat" in Japanese. This creative outlet began as night time get togethers in Tokyo in 2003 by two renowned architects. Since then, 3 million people have attended PechaKucha events worldwide.  Tune into this episode to hear all about PechaKucha Gold Coast! To stay up to date with future event - follow PK GC here PechaKucha Gold Coast (@pechakuchagoldcoast) • Instagram photos and videos Find our more about PK globally, check out the website below. Pecha Kucha 20x20: Discover Pecha Kucha presentations, stories, ideas, examples, and videos that will inspire

Martin is an RPEQ, with a dual degree in civil engineering and business management. He is a stormwater and flooding engineer, with a vast range of experience focused mainly within the development and construction space. Martin has managed teams of flood engineers both in Australia and Vietnam, delivering projects to both government and private sector. Martin’s interest in Floodplain Management and flood awareness has grown increasingly after seeing those affected in 2011 and the more recent 2022 floods in Brisbane, as well as frequent flooding during his time living in Vietnam. He has seen all sides of the flood discussion, and hopes that by the end of his career, he has been able to make a positive change towards better flood risk management. In this ep, we chat about: Improving community's awareness of flooding why so many of our urban settlements are susceptible to flood issues with reliance on dams and levees.  what does 1 in 100 year flood actually mean? different types of flooding solutions to reducing the risk of future floods political issues with flooding I hope you learn something from this discussion. I covered only about half of my pre-prepared questions, so will bring you a follow up episode if you're interested in more.     

Brittany Lauga MP is the State member for Keppel and Assistant Minister for Education. Elected in 2015, Brittany is an award-winning Urban and Regional Planner prior to politics. Brittany has a strong professional background in infrastructure, urban planning and design, approvals and community development. She is passionate about her community. Brittany is an energetic and experienced Member working hard to deliver for the Central Queensland community. In this episode, we chat about: Brittany's experience transitioning from a town planner to a politician the transferrable skills between planning and politics her perspectives that have changes since joining politics how to create positive interactions between politicians, planners and allied professionals Brittany is such a busy person, so I was thrilled that she gave me her time to record this episode! I hope you enjoy it.

Noel Grummitt is a town planner and civil engineer. Noel has 50 years planning and development experience primarily in South East Queensland.  Prior to founding Grummitt Planning Noel also gained valuable experience overseas, culminating in 1997, spending the remaining 7 years as town planning manager for Weathered Howe Gold Coast, preparing concept development plans for tourist projects in Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan. Noel is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and Vice President of Southport Chamber of Commerce. I chat to Noel about: his journey as a planner, from studying town planning in the 1970's, after working as a qualified civil engineer; the charitable work that Grummitt Planning has specialised in; and the new passion project he is leading, to capture and communicate the history of the Gold Coast. the essence of the Gold Coast - what makes us unique I hope you enjoy this episode.    About Us - Grummitt Planning