Online Webinar
Summary:A conversation about the economic, social and environmental impacts of urban sprawl.
Presenter(s):
- Guest speaker: Greg Vann, Ethos Urban - People
- Steven Burgess, Engineer, Urban Strategist & Author
- Ellen Witte, Principal & Partner, SGS Economics & Planning
- Professor Jason Byrne, Human Geography & Planning, UTAS
- Moderated by Professor Rufus Black, Vice-Chancellor, UTAS
- Closing Remarks by Cr Anna Reynolds, Lord Mayor of Hobart
Leading Australian planner Greg Vann and a panel of experts will discuss the economic and social impacts of urban density and suburban sprawl.
Join us to explore global and local trends arising from the pandemic, including localism, the concept of a '15-minute city' and a renewed effort to create quality city environments.
CityTalks is a new series of events to inspire ideas and innovation for Hobart's future. The event series is a partnership between the City of Hobart and the University of Tasmania.
The series is also available on the Island of Ideas YouTube channel.
About the Presenters
Greg Vann
Greg is qualified in planning and economics and has been at the forefront of planning in Queensland and Australia for over 40 years, now as a consultant and previously in local and state government. He is one of Australia’s best known and leading planners and a well-known advocate for better cities.
Greg was project director for ShapingSEQ, the 2017 Regional Plan for South East Queensland, chaired the state’s Transit Oriented Development Taskforce, co-authored the Next Generation Planning handbook, is a life fellow and former Queensland President and National councillor of the Planning Institute of Australia.
Steven Burgess
Steven is a change agent for cities. He brings more than 30 years’ experience as an engineer and urban strategist to reform the balance between machines and people in towns and cities all over the world, and he has finally resettled in Hobart.
Steven is the author of Complete Streets - Guidelines to Urban Street Design, published in 2010, and was a contributor to two other international street making publications. Steven now devotes his time to managing mobility and maximising liveability, telling stories around the globe to inspire and facilitate change.
Ellen Witte
Ellen leads climate change adaptation, mitigation and risk services at SGS. She has specialist expertise in housing policy and leads the award-winning rental affordability index research project.
Ellen has expertise in policy advice, governance, business case development and social, economic and financial analysis. She believes in the power of engagement and collaboration and uses her communication, facilitation and consultation skills to deliver solutions that are developed with and owned by clients, stakeholders and communities.
Ellen has managed many large projects that involve multiple clients and stakeholders around wicked issues such as governance reform, transitioning to a low carbon economy and housing affordability and homelessness. She is a regular media commentator and speaker at conferences and events which support her passion for engaging with stakeholders to make lasting impacts in the public interest. Ellen has substantial governance and director experience, having served on multiple boards.
Professor Jason Byrne
Jason is Professor of Human Geography and Planning at the University of Tasmania. He researches urban political ecologies of green-space, climate change adaptation and environmental justice. He has over 100 scholarly publications, including a multi-award-winning co-edited book - Australian Environmental Planning: Challenges and Future Prospects (Routledge). Jason has previously been awarded the Planning Institute Australia’s national award for cutting edge research and teaching, and has twice been awarded the Planning Institute Australia Queensland award in that category – as well as their overall award for planning excellence.
Before joining the University of Tasmania, Jason was an Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland. Jason completed his PhD at the University of Southern California (2007) and was awarded a commendation for his doctoral research on urban and national parks and social disadvantage. He was a Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies (1999), where he researched environmental inequality. Prior to becoming an academic, Jason worked as a planning officer, environmental officer and policy writer with the West Australian government. He now provides research consultancy services to the Queensland Government and City of Gold Coast Council. Jason is on the editorial board for Local Environment and Journal of Political Ecology, and has made regular radio appearances on ABC radio, as well as television interviews.
