Date: Tuesday, 2nd December 2025
Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Location: Room 501, Michael Spence Building (F23), University of Sydney 

Join us for a special talk by Professor Ann Forsyth, Harvard Graduate School of Design, on academic publishing and recent changes to the scholarly information landscape. The Editor of the Journal of the American Planning Association from 2019-2023, Professor Forsyth has been review editor of the Journal of Planning Education and Research, a co-editor of Planning Theory journal, and a co-editor of Progressive Planning magazine.

In this session, Professor Forsyth will discuss issues raised by the recent increase in numbers and types of journals, and implications for scholars and readers of urban research. Professor Forsyth's talk will be followed by short reflections from Dr Sophia Maalsen, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney and editor of the International Journal of Housing Policy; and Dr Jennifer Kent, Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism at the University of Sydney and co-Editor in Chief of the journal Findings.

Date: Tuesday, 2nd December 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: General Lecture Theatre (K2.05), The Quadrangle (A14), University of Sydney

Join us for a special impact screening of SOLD! Who Broke the Australian Dream?, a hilarious, hard-hitting documentary examining how housing became out of reach for so many Australians, and what it means for renters, families, and the next generation. A live panel will follow, bringing together researchers, advocates, renters, and policy voices to unpack the drivers of the crisis and discuss practical pathways to fairer, more secure housing.

About the Film

SOLD! Who Broke the Australian Dream? is a satirical, solutions-driven documentary fronted by renter-comedian Mark Humphries that probes how policy choices and market forces pushed housing out of reach—and what can be done to fix it. Directed and produced by Bill Code, with Craig Reucassel as Executive Producer and co-writer, the film blends sharp humour with reportage to examine renter insecurity, affordability, and pathways to fairer housing. It aims to spark a national conversation about putting homes before speculation.

Regenerative urbanism is about transforming spaces for people and the planet, through holistic action for systemic change. In an era of poly-crises – defined by climate threat, social inequality, and biodiversity loss – we must rethink systems for food, energy, water, waste, transport, land and housing. Beyond sustainability or minimising harm, and far from heavy-handed models of ‘urban regeneration’, a regenerative paradigm seeks to heal, restore, renew and revitalise ecosystems, actively improving environmental and social well-being. From leading First Nations experts in landscape design and architecture, to urban agriculture, restorative infrastructure, circular industries, and the creative economy, speakers and events at this year’s Festival of Regenerative Urbanism offer new and exciting possibilities for change.

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This webinar is the next instalment of the Climate Change, Place, and Mental Health Incubator webinar series supported by the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative. These webinars aim to showcase research showing often-unappreciated link between our built environments and mental health. In this session our presenters will be exploring the impacts of apartment design on resident mental health and wellbeing. We are excited to hear from three experts who will be discussing this issue from both the research and policy perspectives.

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As Australia grapples with a deepening housing crisis, this panel interrogates the nature of the crisis and wider notions of the great Australian dream. Sparked by the exhibition In Suburbia: Recent Detours, which engages with a diverse spectrum of housing types and experiences across urban and regional Australia, we ask an architect, planner, and artist how they understand the housing problem and how to solve it. Is it only about building new supply? Do we have to abandon the suburban ideal in favour of ‘high density’ living? Is home ownership over for younger generations? Can we imagine a more environmentally sound and socially inclusive suburbia?

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Countries are adopting diverse strategies to achieve net zero, increasingly using digital technologies like AI to boost impact. However, national decarbonisation goals vary widely, reflecting differing technological, climatic, cultural and economic contexts. Justice is also a key concern, with varying approaches to fairness in digital decarbonisation. This talk explores how Japan, Taiwan and Australia envision and implement digital decarbonisation and just transition, highlighting the complex interplay between technology, climate and society.

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The U.S. is infamously segregated by class, race, and ethnicity, and planners are partly responsible. Zoning in the U.S. excludes low-income families from affluent neighborhoods and communities, exposes vulnerable people to harms and hazards, and limits housing choices for renters. In recent years, however, U.S. planners have recognized these injustices and advanced new proposals to “zone for equity.” After a review of the legacy of zoning as an instrument of “American Apartheid,” this lecture will highlight recent efforts to make spatial planning and zoning more equitable in the U.S

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It is well documented that exposure to mould over time affects our physical health. But what about our mental health? In the first instalment of the Climate Change, Place and Mental Health Incubator webinar series, join us to hear from experts and learn more about the impacts of mould exposure on our mental health.

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Planning reform features heavily in Australia’s housing policy agenda, underpinning the National Housing Accord to deliver 1.2 million homes over the next five years. Australia is not alone: in recent years jurisdictions across the United States and Canada have embarked on or are considering widespread ‘upzoning’ strategies designed to overcome local regulatory constraints on housing development. This event considers the latest policy debates and research on planning reforms and housing outcomes in North America in relation to Australia’s own reform agendas and affordability ambitions.

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