What will future cities and regions look like?
The climate crisis, rising social inequality and the ongoing global pandemic begs the question of what our future cities and regions will look like. A diverse list of speakers and thought leaders will debate and define opportunities to bring about better urban and regional futures.
Urban planning, as a future-oriented discipline, has often embraced new technological solutions at the expense of meaningful community engagement or systemic change. Yet the promise of the so called ‘smart city’, while often unrealised, brings with it a space to explore alternatives and opportunities for more socially just and environmentally resilient places.
In this context, the 9th Festival of Urbanism (12-23 September) asks how our future cities and regions will change and what interventions are needed to address past mistakes. Wide-ranging topics from reinstating the voices of First Nations’ communities, the impact from the rise of digital platforms, to transitioning to zero carbon models of development and ensuring affordable homes for the many rather than rising housing wealth for the few - will be debated over two weeks.
The two-week Festival of Urbanism brings city leaders, grassroots advocates, researchers, industry experts and community members together in dialogue around the critical issues affecting Australia’s cities, suburbs, and regions.
“This year’s program features more than 70 eminent speakers – from ethicists to designers, activists to academics, to political representatives and journalists, and more. They’ll be focusing on the cities and regions of tomorrow and how to bring about the changes we need today.”
Highlights of the Sydney events:
- Saving Sydney: Ideas for the future metropolis
- Platform urbanism? From ‘smart’ to autonomous city futures
- Australia’s future housing system: Renovate or detonate?
- Resilient futures? International climate policy, practice, and lessons for Australian cities
- Public Works: How architects, designers and advisors are shaping the future with government
- Embedding the law/lore of Country in public urban design and planning frameworks
- Food Futures in Urban Places: Solidarity, Circularity and Transition
Full list of events here.
The annual Festival of Urbanism is an initiative of the University of Sydney's Henry Halloran Research Trust and is hosted in partnership with Monash University.
Brought to you by the Henry Halloran Research Trust and Monash Urban Planning and Design with the assistance of the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.