Radio National Presents

ABC
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Radio National Presents is the home of great storytelling that helps you better understand what’s going on in the world.  Latest series: The Home Front with Anthony Burke. What if Australia’s housing crisis wasn’t just a problem — but a chance to build something better? In the six-part series The Home Front, design expert Anthony Burke explores how smart, thoughtful design could help fix Australia’s housing challenges — and reshape the Great Australian Dream for a new generation.

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  1. 01 | The Home Front: Owning the Dream

    EPISODE 1

    01 | The Home Front: Owning the Dream

    What if Australia’s housing crisis wasn’t just a problem — but a chance to build something better? In the Home Front, we unpack the historical, cultural, and political forces that shaped our national obsession with home ownership.  From post-war prosperity to suburban ideals, we explore how the dream took root. Hosted by Professor of Architecture (UTS) Anthony Burke, this series asks: can we reimagine the Dream?  For more conversations about design with Anthony Burke & friends, head to  Lifestyle on ABC iView Production assistance this week by Rachael Bongiorno. Guests in this episode:   Dr Rebecca Huntly, writer and social analyst and  Director of Research at the agency 89DegreesEast. Dr Tom Alves, Head of Development at Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), Tim Ross, comedian, broadcaster, architecture & design commentator, and curator of the  State Library of NSW exhibition The Australian Dream?

    40 min
  2. 02 | The Home Front : Lessons in living

    EPISODE 2

    02 | The Home Front : Lessons in living

    We look at how Australians have lived together in the past — and what those lessons might offer us today. From the tightly packed worker’s cottages of the early 1900s, where strong community bonds helped people get by, to the bold experiments in communal and cooperative living during the 1970s, Australians have long found creative ways to share space. Now, as the housing crisis deepens, one State Government (NSW) is reviving the idea of the housing pattern book — a fast-track design initiative that encourages density, sustainability, and smarter living. But are Australians ready to embrace the idea of “home” not as a private fortress, but where shared space and personal privacy coexist? Hosted by Professor of Architecture Anthony Burke, this series asks: can we reimagine the Dream?  For more conversations about design with Anthony Burke & friends, head to  Lifestyle on ABC iView Production assistance this week by Rachael Bongiorno. Guests in this episode Janet McCalman, Emeritus Professor at Melbourne University and author of Struggletown Public and Private Life in Richmond 1900- 1965 Abbie Galvin, NSW Government ArchitectLee Stickells,  Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, University of SydneyPeter Cock, Co-founder of Moora Moora Cooperative in the Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne.Chelsea McNabb, Resident at Moora Moora CooperativeIzzy Kane, Resident at Moora Moora Cooperative

    40 min
  3. 04 | The Home Front: Money money money

    EPISODE 4

    04 | The Home Front: Money money money

    We all know that house prices have gone through the roof, but what’s driving them, and what can actually be done? In this episode, we dig into the money behind the housing crisis, from tax policy and global market shifts to government targets and the growing role of intergenerational wealth. We explore how renters and homeowners alike are feeling the squeeze, and ask what kind of radical policy — and cultural — change it will take to make housing more equitable for all Australians. Because this isn’t just an economic problem. It’s a social one. And it’s going to take more than creativity to fix it. Guests in this episode: Alan Kholer, ABC financial journalist and author of the Quarterly Essay- The Great Divide: Australia's Housing Mess and How to Fix itBrendan Coates, Housing and Economic Security Program Director at Grattan InstituteKate Browne, Head of Research and Insights at Compare Club, a financial comparison serviceDamian Madigan, Associate Professor at the University of South Australia, architect and urban infill housing researcher.  David, Social housing client                                                                            Kait, House hunter from BrisbaneProduction assistance this week by Rachael Bongiorno

    42 min
  4. 05 | The Home Front: Lessons from afar

    EPISODE 5

    05 | The Home Front: Lessons from afar

    Around the globe, architects and designers are reimagining housing with bold, inventive solutions - from sprawling multi use compounds in Indonesia to compact cooperative models in Europe.  These global experiments offer fresh perspectives on affordability, sustainability and community. But could they work in Australia? In this episode, we explore what local housing can learn from international innovations - and how these ideas might be adapted to fit our unique social and environmental context. Guests in this episode: RealRich Sarjeif - Architect, RAW Architecture (Jakarta)Penelope Dean - Professor, School of Architecture, University of Illinois Chicago.Gerard Reinmuth -  Director, Terroir Architecture; Professor of Practice, School of Architecture, UTSMarisa Jahn - Director of Integrated Design, The New School; Collaborating Artist, CarehausAnne Romme -  Associate Professor, Institute of Architecture and Culture, Royal Danish Academy.Production assistance this week by Rachael Bongiorno and thanks to Anthony’s ABC International Culture By Design program for supplying additional audio.

    48 min
  5. 06 | The Home Front: The intentional home

    EPISODE 6

    06 | The Home Front: The intentional home

    What if the future of home isn't about ownership — but about connection? In this final episode, Anthony Burke re-imagines the Australian Dream through the most powerful ideas from the series. Could we trade fences for friendships, and privacy for participation? What would it mean to design homes that prioritise community, care, and belonging? We explore a new vision of home — not just where we live, but how we live together. Guests in this episode: Richard and Jan Gould - Founders, Blue Sky House (low-cost housing initiative)Susan Boden - Co-founder, Eden Tiny House Project; Landscape Architect & Mental Health Case ManagerSacha Coles -Global Design Director, ASPECT StudiosHugh MacKay - Social Psychologist and Author, The Way We Are, Lessons from a lifetime of listeningPatrick Eigsvogel - Small home builderElizabeth Mossop - Academic Director, Living Lab Northern RiversProduction assistance this week by Sarah Mashman

    50 min
  6. INTRODUCING — The Home Front with Anthony Burke

    SEASON 14 TRAILER

    INTRODUCING — The Home Front with Anthony Burke

    Australia's housing crisis is pushing more people to the edge — but could better design help turn things around? In The Home Front, design expert Anthony Burke explores how we got here, why the Great Australian Dream is failing so many, and what a better future could look like — for all of us.

    3 min
See All Season 14 (6)

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Radio National Presents is the home of great storytelling that helps you better understand what’s going on in the world.  Latest series: The Home Front with Anthony Burke. What if Australia’s housing crisis wasn’t just a problem — but a chance to build something better? In the six-part series The Home Front, design expert Anthony Burke explores how smart, thoughtful design could help fix Australia’s housing challenges — and reshape the Great Australian Dream for a new generation.

Information

  • Creator
    ABC
  • Episodes
    132
  • Seasons
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    Radio National Presents

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