Planningxchange

In PlanningxChange Episode 75, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Dr John Stone. John is a Lecturer in Transport Planning and Urban Planning at the Faculty of Architecture, Building at Planning; Melbourne University. His research seeks to improve public transport performance in Australian cities through a greater understanding of the professional practice and the political and institutional context for public transport planning in similar cities in Canada and in German-speaking Europe. He is currently pursuing opportunities for greater exchange between Australian practitioners and their international counterparts.His research explores the politics, institutions and professional practice that lie behind success or failure in sustainable urban transport. Drawing on practice in many cities around the world, especially Canada and German-speaking Europe, his research has identified many opportunities for more effective and efficient public transport in Australian cities through better service coordination and

In PlanningxChange Episode 74, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Elle Davidson, a Director of Zion Engagement and Planning. Elle is a qualified Aboriginal town planner who not only runs Zion but also lectures at university. The Zion website sets out that the company “aims to work alongside communities to empower their voice and vision for the future of their places and spaces. Many cultural practices have continued in constrained contemporary settings, marking their resilience and importance. We apply our principles below to hear the needs and desires of the community, co-design culturally appropriate outcomes and ultimately revive culture. We believe it is time to cultivate and nurture culture, the original plan for First People – both in Australia and globally. The revival of culture will not only benefit First People, but all people. We have so much to learn from traditional cultural practices including how to tread more lightly on the land and the importance of family and community.” This podcast was

In PlanningxChange Episode 73, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Elizabeth (Liz) Hui, an acoustic engineer with over 25 years experience. Liz started working in the acoustic engineering field in the pre internet age, spending over 20 years as a consultant at Marshall Day Acoustics before retiring early in 2013. During that time, Liz regularly presented expert evidence at both VCAT at Panels. In 2016 Liz joined Planning Panels Victoria as a sessional member and discovered what it was like to sit on the other side of the table. She now spends her time between the occasional Panel hearing, a few special projects at Marshall Day Acoustics and tending a vineyard in the Mornington Peninsula. The interview covers a broad range of 'noise in the city' issues. From interface and conflict issues between different land use categories, to the design of apartment standards. Amongst many other matters, Liz explains basic noise measurement testing and how noise tolerance to some extent is relative. The interview provide

In PlanningxChange Episode 72, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Peta Charles the principal of Brisbane Town Planning (BTP). Peta has introduced many innovative features into her practice. She has produced and appeared in 100's of YouTube videos explaining different planning and design issues. A major information resource for the general public and clients. BTP applies a fresh and exciting approach as evident on their website (www.brisbanetp.com.au) which includes: We may have a big name and crazy big ideas, however, our passion lies in working with the "little guys" like us. As it is where we feel we can make the biggest difference and hence, where we get the greatest satisfaction. The website includes 'Charlie' which is described as: “BTP’s own virtual town planner, “Charlie” is the face of all all our automation magic! She handles all of the boring back-office administration "stuff". Things like gathering property information for an enquiry, setting up jobs in our project management system/drafting in

In PlanningxChange Episode 71, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Tamara Brezzi, the President of VPELA. Tamara is also a Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. Tamara started professional life as a Council town planner with the former City of Malvern. She then undertook a law degree and transferred to legal practice. Tamara talks of the importance of mentors in her professional development, essentially giving her confidence to take bold steps. Tamara discusses the role of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Planning Association (VPELA). She has been President of the Association for ten years. She also talks of important planning concepts such as 'common cause' and the need for ongoing reform. The discussion also talks to the issue of 'noble cause corruption' and the need for due process. The podcast provides an insightful guide to client / lawyer relations. A wonderfully fresh and frank discussion on fundamental principles that are often taken for granted and sometimes dismissed in troubled times. Tamara

In PlanningxChange Episode 70, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Nick MacHale, the CEO of BRITE. Nick is an experienced executive having spent time in both commercial and not for profit sectors. His passion lies in bringing together people from all walks of life, to achieve a common purpose. Hailing from Ireland, Nick states he has been lucky enough to call Melbourne home for the last 13 years.  BRITE provides sustainable services that create opportunity and support for people living with a disability or who are vocationally disadvantaged. It is a social enterprise and a non-profit charity that has been changing people's futures for more than 40 years by providing jobs and opportunities. We urge you to visit their website www.brite.org.au. We can vouch for the high quality of their museli!  This podcast was produced by Complete Podcasting Services. Episode released 22 October 2020.

In PlanningxChange Episode 69, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview two local government planners, Meghan Ablett and Emily Cooke. Meg and Em work for the Cardinia Shire Council which is one of the major residential growth areas within the Melbourne metropolitan area. Meg and Em work in 'growth areas' planning that is at the urban edge overseeing the formation of new suburbs and providing the support for 'instant communities'. One of the toughest jobs in planning. The duo talk about their day to day work; their inspirations and the constant learning experience of visiting recently created suburbs in their municipality and others, and taking in lessons. The issues they deal with stem the full gamut of planning considerations; heritage, archaeology, drainage systems, geology, built form, transport linkages, economic and social planning. In the process they have gained considerable insight into all the 'working parts' that make for great suburbian outcomes. A delightful interview that gives confidence in the ne

In PlanningxChange Episode 68, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Clark Davies; an urban planner/masterplan cities project manager based in the Middle East. Originally from Melbourne Victoria (a graduate with the Class of 83' at RMIT), Clark worked locally, then moved interstate and eventually overseas. Clark is a senior executive with a breadth of property development, construction and business management experience. He has delivered profit on large and complex projects through being able to successfully manage people and processes to orchestrate outcomes aligned with development and corporate goals. He is currently the Chief Development Officer at Edamah (Bahrain Real Estate Investment). In the podcast he talks of his experiences living and working in different continents and amongst different cultures. He brings a unique perspective to global development trends and the importance of local place. He talks of past lessons and sets out what he believes are new trends. He also has advice to young planners

In PlanningxChange Episode 67, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Nick Vlahandreas of Mountain Planning. Nick is based in Bright, a mountain town in North East Victoria. He has 16 years experience combining local government and private practice. Nick talks candidly about mistakes he made when first in local government and the lessons he put into practice and by so doing making him a more complete and responsive planner. As well, he joined the local footy club and this opened his eyes to the importance of community in small towns. He talks of the vast difference between practising planning in major cities to the more local circumstances in country areas. He also makes suggestions on how planning controls can be reformed to better reflect the changing dynamics and needs of regional and country Australia. A frank and revealing interview that gives a terrific insight into working in small town and country areas. This podcast was produced by Complete Podcasting Services. Episode released 10 August 2020.

In PlanningxChange Episode 66, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Paul Shipp one of Australia's rising urban planning economist stars. It's said economics is essentially half psychology and half elementary school arithmetic with a smattering of statistics. Paul in the interview gives a sense of the abilities of urban economics to harness data to better understand and improve contemporary cities and regions. This is true strategic planning in action. Paul has 15 years experience consulting to government and private clients, primarily in Melbourne and regional Victoria. As a Director of consultancy Urban Enterprise, Paul leads a wide range of strategic planning and urban economic projects. Paul specialises in fields at the interface of strategic planning and economics: land use planning, land demand and supply studies, demographic and property analysis, economic impact assessments and infrastructure funding, across the residential, retail, commercial, industrial and tourism sectors. He regularly appears as

In PlanningxChange Episode 65, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Scott Beyer of the Market Urbanism report. This is the first international interview conducted by PlanningxChange! Scott Beyer is an urban affairs analyst based in New York City. He is founder and owner of Market Urbanism Report, a media organization that promotes free-market urban policy. MUR publishes a weekly article, a monthly podcast, and has active social media accounts with a combined following of over 50,000.  ‍Scott is also a journalist who recently completed a 3-year, 30-city cross-country tour to study urban American issues. He now writes as a regular columnist for Forbes, Governing Magazine, HousingOnline.com, and the Independent Institute.  Recently he launched a consulting company, Beyer Policy, to build political support around his ideas. BP works with public and private institutions to spearhead pro-market, pro-growth policy in cities across America. The interview introduces the concept of borrowing more ideas on urban polic

In PlanningxChange Episode 64, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Tim Biles from Ratio Consultants. Tim has had a long and distinguished career as a lecturer, consultant, advisor and 'creator' of several planning consultancies. We thought Tim would be an excellent commentator on the impacts of Covid 19 and Government retrictions on city life. So many predictions made during the pandemic have turned out in error sometimes of a massive magnitude causing huge dislocation to city life and citzens. The interview considers the concept of 'safeism' and the impact this will have on buildings, personal interaction, general levels of health, economic wellbeing and city living. Will the changes be permanent or soon forgotten? The interview was recorded using Zoom, we apologise for the less than optimal audio quality. We are working on methods to improve the listening experience. Podcast produced by Complete Podcasting Services. Episode released 11 June 2020.

In PX63, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Ben Rossiter Secretary and Executive Officer of Victoria Walks. The organisation is a walking health promotion charity managed by an independent voluntary board. The organisation's mission is simple: 'More people walking more every day'. Victoria Walks undertakes research, which informs an ongoing campaign of advocacy and policy work. Ben talks of the benefits of walking and impediments to walking within our city form. But isn't more walking just like eating more vegetables, we all know we should do more of it! Ben answers this question suggesting walking is given better representation within the transport matrix and from this better implementation solutions can follow so that walking is an easier daily choice. The organisation website victoriawalks.com.au contains a link to walkingmaps.com.au (an offshoot) that contains numerous local walking trails, the majority created by the public. The website includes videos on how to create and upload walking trails. Ther

In PX62, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Jacob Martin (Yarra CC), Calum Douglas and Nicole Neame both working at Baw Baw Shire. The three planners are relatively new to planning and have worked in local government for approximately two years. Nicole has previously worked in community engagement. We ask them about the transition from university into the 'real world', what has surprised them and to reflect on their experiences. This period of transition is unique in our working lives and we hope listeners will consider their own early years of work. The trio indicate the transition is helped by good mentoring. There is also the importance of sections and protocols just as there is the lived experience of dealing with developers, fellow staff and the broader community. The views expressed by the trio are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of the organisations where they are employed. Podcast produced by Complete Podcasting Services. Episode released 4 May 2020. The interview was recorded jus

In PX61, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell interview Mark Marsden. Mark has had a long and successful career across many sectors of the planning world a particularly unique part is his long association (now publisher)of the Victorian Planning Reports (VPRS). The VPR's and its predecessing versions (AATR's and PABR's) highlighted and summarised decisions of Victorian Planning Tribunal's (and now expanded to Planning Panels Victoria). In this way the VPR's spread best thinking on planning and design issues and provided for greater productivity and better informed decisions and outcomes. We talk to Mark about how the VPR's can cover such a vast number of decisions (there is an editorial committee)and how some decisions are choosen over others to highlight. Also, the role of publishing editorial comments about Tribunal decisions. A very necessary public benefit as Tribunals or like bodies can at times make unreasonable decisions, it takes courage to point this out. A spin off of the VPR service is an A - Z guide to la

In PX60, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell engage in a free flowing discussion with Peter Seamer and Cameron Alderson. Peter Seamer is in a unique position to write about the future of our cities and has achieved one of Australia's most critical analysis of city form in ‘Breaking Point: The Future of Australian Cities’. He was the CEO of the Victorian Planning Authority for ten years, the CEO of Federation Square during its building phase and first few years, and has been the CEO of several cities, including Sydney. He has just started a new project promoting new thoughts about city development (www.howtobuildacity.com). Cameron Alderson is an insightful, forward thinking property developer (Director at Canopi Homes). He has a long history of promoting innovative housing projects and involvement with VPELA. He has previously featured in PX6. Podcast produced by Complete Podcasting Services. Episode released 12 March 2020.

Rob Adams, Director City Design and Projects, City of Melbourne Professor Rob Adams AM is the Director City Design and Projects at the City of Melbourne and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization. With over 46 years' experience as an architect and urban designer and 35 years at City of Melbourne, Rob has made a significant contribution to the rejuvenation of central Melbourne. He and his team have been the recipients of over 150 local, national and international awards including receipt of the Australian Award for Urban Design and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Award 2014 for its adaptation and resilience projects, on four occasions. Adams has also been awarded the Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2008 and the Order of Australia in 2007 for his contribution to architecture and urban design. In 2016, Adams was conferred with a Doctor of Architecture from the University of Melbourne. Some key projects he has worked on include: Postcode 3000

In PX58, the interview subjects are Heather Sherlock and Diego Espinosa. Heather and Diego produce the 'Planners Under the Influence' (PUIT) podcast. Their podcast is about the experiences of planning students at university and interviews with various professionals in the city development space. They have both very recently graduated.  The interview is a lively discussion between planning podcasting 'cousins' similar to PX38 with the producers of 'This Must be the Place'. This interview probes the aspirations of planners just about to enter the workplace. Different generations in age and experience get together to discuss common issues but with widely differently held opinions. Tender youth meets seasoned planners.  Heather from Canada and Diego from Ecuador give their insights into Australian cities. There is also shared stories about the podcasting process and lessons learnt. The interview was released on the 29 December 2019. Podcast produced by Zak Willsallen of Complete Podcasting Services. For more deta

In PX57, the interview subject is Val Gnanakone, a Director at Old Mile Grid traffic engineers. Val talks about the changing role and focus of the traffic engineering profession in city development. Traditionally viewed as car and truck focused, Val talks of the widening scope of activities. These including making better city spaces by improving mobility options. In the interview we pose the question, should traffic engineers have a different job decription? The interview discusses a wide range of mobilitiy questions relating to residential, commercial and freight uses. There are no simple answers to the issues raised. Val also considers technological changes and what these will do to city spaces. A thoroughly optimistic interview subject. The interview was released on the 22 November 2019. Podcast produced by Zak Willsallen of Complete Podcasting Services. For more details go to www.planningxchange.org.

In PX56, the interview subject is Tim Eaton, Executive Director of Regulatory Standards, Assessments & Permissioning at the EPA, the State of Victoria's environmental protection authority. In recent times, environmental problems have been constantly in the headlines, with a recycling crisis, chemical warehouse fires and general concern about the impacts of a rapidly growing population's waste. The interview was recorded before a live audience (a first for PX) at the VPELA State Conference in Lorne.  Tim speaks of the need to be seen as a regulator and provide guidance and in some cases education to local authorities, industries, planning review boards and the general community. The EPA has been in existence nearly 50 years (commenced operations 1 July 1971) and in this time massive improvements have been made to air, water and general amenity levels (noise etc). Tim speaks to the new environmental regulations proposed and the different emphasis these controls have on user responsibilities. In a world wher