Professor Robin Goodman of RMIT University, School of Global Urban and Social Studies, Melbourne, will give a public lecture on “challenges for effective planning of Australian cities” in Dortmund on Monday, 20 June 2016 as part of a Study Tour with RMIT students to Germany. The group will make different site visits within the Ruhr region between 20 and 24 June before heading further towards Berlin. I am happy to be part of their visit after my time at the Centre for Urban Research of RMIT University last year.
The public lecture will be part of the Institute of Spatial Planning’s Research Colloquium (FOKO) in the Rudolf-Chaudoire-Pavillon (TU Dortmund, Campus South, Baroper Str. 297). It is open to everyone. Beginning is 6:00pm on 20 June 2016. Further information will be announced online.
Abstract
Australian cities face many of the same issues encountered by cities the world over. The challenges of providing affordable housing, an efficient transport system and liveable neighbourhoods are widely shared across the globe. However Australian cities have some marked differences with many European cities, with very low density urban sprawl, car dependency and high population growth rates. The pressures on the largest cities – Melbourne and Sydney in particular – have drawn planning issues to the attention of governments at every level. Much is now being demanded of planning, yet decades of neoliberal attitudes to market intervention have undermined its ability to deliver. Professor Robin Goodman will outline these issues in her talk and explain why the biggest problem in Australian planning is failure to implement our plans.
Bio
Robin Goodman is Professor of Sustainability and Urban Planning and Deputy Dean in the School of Global Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Robin has published widely on issues around planning, public policy, sustainability and housing. She is co-author of a book to be published in July 2016 Planning Melbourne – Lessons for a Sustainable City.
See also
Institute of Spatial Planning, Research Colloquium (English/German)
Raumplanung und Raumforschung ‘down under’ (German)