City Road Podcast

Stories about cities and urban life
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  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Informed stories about cities and urban life. Listen live on the Community Radio Network. Podcast on Spotify.

  1. Live event: Is housing 'abundance' really the solution?

    FEB 17

    Live event: Is housing 'abundance' really the solution?

    Governments of different stripes tend to believe that the way to deal with the housing crisis is to build more houses. If there were an 'abundance' of houses, we'd be able to easily tackle the lack of *access* to secure housing. But is abundance – as popular as that term has become in the last year – the key to the issue? (Let alone the key to a nice 3-bedder in the suburbs). In this funny and boisterous Festival of Regenerative Urbanism event, held by the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative at the University of Sydney, a panel of experts with a bee in their collective bonnet go head to head. Starting with a spirited critique of 'Abundance' by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson from Professor Nicole Gurran, the debate features: Jess Scully, Author, City-maker & Curator; Tina Perinotto, Publisher and Managing Editor, the Fifth Estate; Patrick Fensham, National Leader for Urban Policy & Governance, SGS Economics & Planning; Planning Institute of Australia Victorian President; Professor Steven Rowley, Director, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Curtin Research Centre; Ben Hendriks, Founder & Executive Chair, Mecone; Mehnaaz Hossain, Editor, Honi Soit, The University of Sydney. Photo: Wedge-Tail Pictures

    1h 16m
  2. Live event: Regenerating civics: Urban AI, social media and post-truth

    FEB 1

    Live event: Regenerating civics: Urban AI, social media and post-truth

    How do we regenerate civics , in an era of AI, Social Media and Post Truth? Is civil participation going through as big an upheaval as other areas of life? And what do the Brisbane Olympics have to do with a renowned board game? Originally hailed for democratising access to information, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and pervasive social media platforms are increasingly associated with a fragmentation of public discourse and distrust of ‘mainstream’ politics. In this panel, NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson, QUT's Professor Marcus Foth, Christine El-Khoury of newDemocracy Foundation and Dr Justine Humphry of the University of Sydney discuss the implications of new technologies for civic engagement and urban life. This recording from the 2025 Festival of Regenerative Urbanism was held by the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative and chaired by Dr Luke Hespanhol. Photo: Luke Hespanhol

    53 min
  3. Data Centres: Planning for growth amidst the AI boom

    JAN 4

    Data Centres: Planning for growth amidst the AI boom

    The rapid growth of data centres in Australia and the role of AI in contributing to their proliferation is a hot topic in both planning and 'mainstream' debate. The Australian Energy Market Operator reports energy use by data centres in FY 2025 was around 2% of National Energy Market use, predicted to rise to around 6% by 2029/30* Dr Bronwyn Cumbo of UTS's Transdisciplinary School and Johanna Lim from the US Studies Centre join host Bill Code to talk about some of the environmental, social and strategic considerations around planning for data centres, the so-called 'nerve centres' of our digital economy. *An earlier version of this podcast claimed a widely-reported 5% figure was cited in a recent report from Mandala Partners. This was incorrect and has been changed. Photo: Jacqueline Tyrrell

    48 min
  4. E-bikes and e-scooters – a growing menace or city congestion saviour?

    09/21/2025

    E-bikes and e-scooters – a growing menace or city congestion saviour?

    Is the growing trend in e-bike and e-scooter use the key to reducing congestion on our roads - or a menace for unsuspecting pedestrians, drivers, and riders themselves? Reports of accidents are filling the airwaves as experts question how governments can best manage the rapid growth in sales of electric bikes and scooters. So, how best to regulate the confusing landscape of e-micromobility? City Road's Bill Code welcomes Dr Yuting Zhang of the University of Sydney and president of Better Streets, cycling advocate Sara Stace.

    40 min
  5. The future of Australia's public housing

    07/22/2025

    The future of Australia's public housing

    Australia is in the midst of a housing crisis. But amidst the political and media debate about the fixes to our housing woes, public housing has slipped from view. There's concern that funding commitments are a far cry from the broad based approach to public rental housing which has supported so many Australians in the past, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. So where does Australia go from here? Join Rebecca Pinkstone, Chief Executive of Homes NSW, Alistair Sisson of Macquarie University, City of Sydney Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore, plus public housing tenants Norrie May-Welby and Karyn Brown at this Festival of Urbanism event recorded in late 2024. Photo: Wedge-Tail Pictures

    57 min
  6. Putting the 'public' in public transport

    07/02/2025

    Putting the 'public' in public transport

    What is ‘public’ about our urban and regional transport systems - and how public should they be? Are our leaders actually serving public interests and values around public transport? Should a stick in the ground really count as a bus stop? And what the heck is a 'beg button'? In this episode of City Road a rich panel of speakers delve into the big questions surrounding public transport at the recent Festival of Urbanism, including Dr Ian Woodcock, Emma Bacon, Neill Miller, David Babineau, Dr Rebecca Clements and Dr Crystal Legacy. Photo: Andrew Thomas/Flickr

    53 min
  7. 114. Can the Private Market Solve Australia’s Housing Crisis?

    04/29/2025

    114. Can the Private Market Solve Australia’s Housing Crisis?

    With housing *the* hot topic this election, a panel of experts at the recent Festival of Urbanism battled to convince a live audience that the private market could (or could not) solve Australia's housing crisis. This debate features: - The Hon Doug Cameron, Former Senator - Sharath Mahendran, Urban Planner and creator of YouTube channel Building Beautifully - Emily Sims, Uralla Shire Council - Stephanie Barker, Executive Director, Strategy and Engagement, Willowtree Planning - Luke Cass, editor, Honi Soit Newspaper 2023 - Emeritus Professor Peter Phibbs, Henry Halloran Research Trust, the University of Sydney Commentary This debate also features commentary from Michael Koziol, Sydney editor, The Sydney Morning Herald and is chaired by Professor Nicole Gurran, Director, Henry Halloran Research Trust. Thanks for listening. See you next time on City Road. Host: Bill Code Editor: Mikayla McGuirk-Scolaro

    51 min
  8. 113. The Golden Thread in Public and Democratic Life

    04/28/2025

    113. The Golden Thread in Public and Democratic Life

    Welcome back to City Road. In this episode, we reflect on 2024's Festival of 'Public' Urbanism and its panel discussion on how the public life of great cities takes place in our cultural buildings and civic spaces – from libraries to museums, town halls, streets, parks and playgrounds. This special Denis Winston memorial lecture, delivered by Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, State Librarian and award-winning author and curator, celebrates our crucial public infrastructure as the cornerstone of public and democratic life. The keynote address is followed by an eminent panel conversation between Dr Rob Stokes, former Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Professor Jennifer Barrett, Professor in Museum Studies and Pro-Vice Chancellor Indigenous at the University of Sydney. The annual Festival of Urbanism is brought to you by the Henry Halloran Research Trust with the assistance of the University of Sydney School of Architecture Design and Planning. Thanks for listening. See you next time on City Road. Host: Bill Code Editor: Mikayla McGuirk-Scolaro

    1h 16m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Informed stories about cities and urban life. Listen live on the Community Radio Network. Podcast on Spotify.

Information

  • Creator
    Stories about cities and urban life
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    121
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    City Road Podcast

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