Planningxchange

Driverless and autonomous vehicles are moving steadily from concept to reality, raising important questions for cities, streets and planning systems. While the technology is often framed as a transport or engineering issue, its impacts are likely to be felt far more broadly — shaping travel behaviour, land use, and the way urban space is organised. In this episode of PlanningxChange, hosts Cam Alderson and Jess Noonan are joined by Cern Basher to explore what autonomous vehicles could mean in practice. The discussion focuses on the economic and systemic forces behind driverless cars, rather than technological hype, and considers how cost, scale and incentives may influence how — and where — autonomy is adopted. The conversation examines potential implications for parking, congestion, public transport and equity, as well as the risk of unintended consequences such as increased travel demand. Rather than assuming a single future outcome, the episode highlights the uncertainty planners must work within as new te

In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess and Peter speak with Mary Reilly, a planner and educator with deep experience in rural land-use issues. Mary helps us unpack the widely discussed Old Mission case from Michigan - a dispute between wineries and a township over land-use controls that resulted in a major federal damages award (approx $50m US). The discussion does not explore the legal merits or the ongoing appeal; instead, it uses the case to illuminate broader lessons for planners everywhere. Mary reflects on how agricultural areas are changing, how councils manage risk, and how planning systems can better balance rural preservation with economic adaptation. She also draws on her teaching experience to explain how real cases help future planners understand complexity, conflict, and the value of clear decision-making. Five Key Themes We Explore 1. What the Old Mission case reveals about zoning and regulation Mary outlines how restrictive controls can create tension when agricultural enterprises diversify

In this episode, PlanningxChange travels to Vietnam to speak with Olivier Souquet, French architect and co-founder of DE-SO Asia, a Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)-based design studio renowned for projects that weave together climate, culture, and poetic sensibility. Since establishing DE-SO Asia in 2016, Olivier has guided a diverse body of work across Vietnam—from rural schools and urban housing to major civic and cultural landmarks, including the new City Planning Exhibition Center in Ho Chi Minh City. His practice embraces both rigorous environmental awareness and a deep respect for local materials, geometry, geography, and traditions. Olivier discusses his architectural philosophy—shaped by influences such as Édouard Glissant's call to "act in your place, think with the world"—and the realities of designing in Vietnam's tropical context, where rain, heat, and humidity shape the rhythm of daily work. He reflects on building responsibly in a time of ecological change, how poetic gestures sustain creativity, and

In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess and Peter speak with Daniel Gannon, Executive Director of the Retirement Living Council of Australia. Daniel brings nearly two decades of experience across advocacy, public policy, and media, including eight years leading the Property Council in South Australia, where he played a key role in landmark tax reforms that strengthened the state’s investment landscape. Now at the helm of the Retirement Living Council, Daniel is championing policies to meet the needs of Australia’s rapidly ageing population and to promote age-friendly communities across the nation. He shares his insights into the future of retirement living—from debunking common misconceptions to exploring design, affordability, and the social and health benefits of village life. The conversation also tackles industry challenges: regulatory complexity, barriers to new supply, and how governments can better support this essential housing sector. Daniel discusses global and local innovations shaping the next de

In this episode of Planningxchange, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell are joined by Stephen Turner, founder of TS Japan Rail a well respected commentator on Japanese rail travel. Stephen has lived in Japan since the early 1990s and has featured on NHK World’s Japan Railway Journal and Japanology Plus. Through his work, he helps visitors craft memorable journeys across both Japan’s famous Shinkansen network and its lesser-known regional lines. Together we explore: Why Japan’s railways are unique – from punctuality down to the second to a culture of courtesy and order onboard. The role of private rail companies such as Tokyu and Hankyu in shaping entire suburbs through transit-oriented development. Rail etiquette and staff culture – women-only carriages, the quiet of commuter trains, and the formality of conductors bowing to passengers. Railway fandom and culture – from timetable collectors to station melody enthusiasts, and even the enduring nostalgia of the 1900's Railway Songs of Owada Takeki (tetsudo shoka). Ru

In this episode of PlanningXchange (PX135), we sit down with Dr Cameron McAuliffe, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography & Urban Studies at Western Sydney University. Cameron has written widely on the cultural politics of graffiti and street art, and has advised public authorities on how cities can approach the governance of these highly visible—and often contested—forms of expression. Our conversation explores: The social meaning of graffiti in contemporary cities How governments attempt to balance regulation, creativity, and community values The role of planning and urban management in shaping the street art landscape International perspectives on graffiti and what Sydney’s experience can teach other cities Cameron offers both scholarly insight and practical reflections from his advisory work with councils and state agencies. For planners, urban designers, and anyone interested in the cultural life of cities, this episode sheds light on a subject that provokes strong reactions but also opens up new ways

In this episode of PlanningXchange, we speak with Peter O’Leary, whose planning career spans an impressive five decades. Peter began his journey in the mid-1970s as a cadet in local government, rising through the ranks to senior management. He later moved into the private sector before serving over 11 years as a Tribunal Member at VCAT, where he presided over a broad range of planning matters. Following his time on the bench, Peter returned to consultancy, specialising in mediation and dispute resolution. We explore each phase of his remarkable career, drawing on his insights into what makes an effective advocate, a fair and capable decision-maker, and a resilient professional. Peter offers thoughtful guidance for planners at every stage—whether just starting out, navigating mid-career, or reflecting on a lifetime of service. Few reach the milestone of 50 years in the profession—fewer still with such breadth of experience. This is a generous and candid conversation with a true planner’s planner. In Culture Co

In this episode of PlanningXchange, we speak with Scott Matheson, Head of Planning at MyLot, an Australian AI technology company focused on simplifying the planning process for councils and communities. With a background in statutory planning across local government, consultancies, and the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Scott brings both practical experience and a forward-thinking approach to the role of technology in urban planning. We explore Scott’s journey from traditional regulatory planning into the dynamic world of AI, discussing how MyLot is transforming development assessments with automated tools and data-driven insights. Scott shares examples of how AI can enhance transparency, reduce processing times, and better engage citizens—while still respecting the role of professional judgment and community context. We also discuss the broader implications of AI on the planning profession, potential ethical concerns, broader strategic analysis, impacts on employment and how planners can pos

In this episode of PlanningXchange, we speak with Professor Alfonso Morales and Edna Ely-Ledesma of the University of Wisconsin-Madson about the unique and often overlooked role of public markets in shaping vibrant, inclusive urban environments. Drawing on their research and on-the-ground experience, they share insights into how markets serve not just as commercial spaces, but as critical infrastructure for food access, social connection, and local economic resilience. We explore the history and diversity of market types across different regions, the policy frameworks that support or hinder their success, and the role markets play in community-building and placemaking. Alfonso and Edna also discuss the innovative Farm 2 Facts toolkit—a software platform they developed to help market managers collect, analyze, and visualize data on their operations. This decision-support tool empowers cities and market operators to better understand food distribution, ecosystem services, and community impact in real time icic

In PX130 our guest is Max Shifman, Chief Executive Officer of Intrapac Property, one of Australia's most respected private developers. Max brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, having worked across master-planned communities, regional housing projects, and complex urban redevelopments mainly along Australia’s eastern seaboard. His background in engineering and law, combined with hands-on experience in the development sector, gives him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today. In this episode, we explore what motivates developers, how public misconceptions impact the industry, the growing burden of red and green tape, and how political and media narratives shape outcomes on the ground. Max shares candid insights into the development process, the importance of long-term thinking, and the need for a more collaborative approach between planners, developers, and regulators. We also discuss innovation, housing affordability, the tension between idealism and pragm

In PX129 our guest is Jeffrey Mason of the Charter Cities Institute. Jeffrey joined CCI as a Researcher in 2019. His research interests include urban economics, structural transformation, special economic zones, and technology ecosystems. He has worked on policy advisory projects in Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, and Honduras, among other countries. Prior to joining the Charter Cities Institute, Jeffrey worked as an MA Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He holds a BA in economics from the University of Maryland and an MA in economics from George Mason University. His writing has been featured in publications including City Journal, Works in Progress, Investment Monitor, Quartz Africa, and The American Mind. The Charter Cities Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to creating the ecosystem for charter cities, founded on the idea that a fresh approach was necessary to tackle humanity’s most pressing challenges, such as global poverty, climate change and rapid urbanisation. CCI believe charter ci

In PX128 our guest is architect and author Jorge Almazan. Jorge is a Tokyo-based architect and associate professor at Keio University. He holds a degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and a PhD from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. His practice focuses on ecologically responsible and socially inclusive design, ranging from urban to interior projects. His built work has earned significant recognition in Japan, including the Ota City Urban Landscape First Prize (2019) and selections by the Japan Institute of Architects (2018, 2022) and the Architectural Institute of Japan (2023). Almazán's research on Tokyo has been published in numerous academic journals, and his book, Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City (Oro Editions, 2021), was a finalist for the 2023 Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Book Award. ‘Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City’ was mentioned in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about visiting Tokyo on a budget, using the book as a guide

In PX127 our guest is architect, former academic and author Dr Derham Groves.  He studied architecture at Deakin University and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and art history at the University of Minnesota. He taught architecture at RMIT from 1985 to 1997 and the University of Melbourne from 1999 to 2019 and was a Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning at the University of Melbourne from 2020 to 2024. Derham is the author of many articles and books about popular culture, architecture, and design, including, Feng-Shui and Western Building Ceremonies (1991), You Bastard Moriarty (1996), Mail Art: The D-I-Y Letterbox from Workshop to Gatepost (1998), TV Houses: Television’s Influence On the Australian Home (2004), Mask: Pro Hart’s Frankenstein Monsters (2006), There’s No Place Like Holmes: Exploring Sense of Place Through Crime Fiction (2008), Victims and Villains: Barbie and Ken Meet Sherlock Holmes (2009), Anna May Wong’s Lucky Shoes: 1939 Australia Through the Eyes o

Our guest is Sara Bronin a Mexican-American architect and attorney whose interdisciplinary research focuses on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed, and connected places. She is the author of Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, and she founded and directs the National Zoning Atlas, which aims to digitize, demystify, and democratize information about zoning in the United States. She has advised the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Sustainable Development Code, has served on the board of Latinos in Heritage Conservation, and founded Desegregate Connecticut. Previously, she led the award-winning, unanimously adopted overhaul of the zoning code and city plan of Hartford, Connecticut. Bronin holds a juris doctor from Yale Law School, a master of science from the University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar), as well as a B.Arch. and B.A. from the University of Texas–Austin. In podcast extra / culture corner Sara recommends ‘Climate Change and Historic Preservation 

In this episode, Jess and Pete reflect on the tenth anniversary of the PlanningxChange podcast. This discussion occurs before an Ai review of the planningxchange podcast series. A rather indulgent episode to mark the anniversary! For podcast extra / culture corner, Jess recommends making pizzas at home with the family. Her New Year resolution is to have more interesting podcast extra recommendations.  Pete recommends doing background research about books you like. He also discusses film locations and the potential for cultural tourism. On YouTube there are various films about film locations. The film Pete mentions is Mad Max. There are now transcripts for the episodes. These will progressively be included for previous editions. The transcripts generally reflect what is said in the episode (they are altered to improve grammar etc). Audio production by Jack Bavage. Podcast released on 27 December 2024.

Katherine is a social planning practitioner with over 14 years’ experience working for a range of government and non-government organisations in Australia and the Pacific. Katherine has considerable experience in developing and implementing community plans, programs and policy to improve social inclusion and participation. Katherine was awarded the 2018 Rodney Warmington Churchill Fellowship to increase inclusion and accessibility in public toilets by researching taboos, design, policy and legal barriers. The Churchill Fellowship consolidated previous work with planners, institutions and community members identifying public toilets as essential to support the participation of a wide section of our communities. Photos of many toilets Katherine has visited are documented via Instagram @Public_Toilets_Anonymous. Katherine appears on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh7UQziutv8 talking about her work.  Discussion mentions the film ‘Perfect Days’ which is set amongst Tokyo’s public ‘art’ toilets (https://ww

In PX123 our guest is Bryan Caplan. Bryan is Professor of Economics at George Mason University and a New York Times Bestselling author. We interview him about his ground breaking graphic novel ‘Build, Baby, Build - The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation’. The book is so described: 'In Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation, economist Bryan Caplan makes the economic and philosophical case for radical deregulation of this massive market―freeing property owners to build as tall and dense as they wish. Not only would the average price of housing be cut in half, but the building boom unleashed by deregulation would simultaneously reduce inequality, increase social mobility, promote economic growth, reduce homelessness, increase birth rates, help the environment, cut crime, and more. Combining stunning homage to classic animation with careful interdisciplinary research, Build, Baby, Build takes readers on a grand tour of a bona fide “panacea policy.” We can start realizing these miss

In PX122 our guest is Rafael Mangual a distinguished writer and researcher on crime issues in cities and regions. He is the Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute (MI), a contributing editor of City Journal, and a member of the Council on Criminal Justice. His first book, Criminal (In)Justice, was released in July 2022. He has authored and coauthored a number of MI reports and op-eds on issues ranging from urban crime and jail violence to broader matters of criminal and civil justice reform. His work has been featured and mentioned in a wide array of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, New York Post, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and City Journal. He regularly appears on TV and radio. In a wide ranging interview, Rafael explains various criminology theories about urban environments and how design measures can reduce crime. He talks about how crime reduces urban amenity, the consequences for the most disadvantaged and if unchecked how lax ci

In PX121 our guest is Calvin Po (https://www.calvinpo.com). Calvin Po is a strategic designer at Dark Matter Labs, co-leading the Radicle Civics portfolio, where he explores institutional and governance systems as sites of design. He has led projects with the Scottish Government’s Land Commission on land governance reform, the Taiwanese Government on decentralised web3 civic infrastructure, and is developing multi-actor governance approaches for river ecosystems, and in FreeHouse, a commons housing model based on ‘self-owning’ houses. At the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Calvin is a unit master of Diploma 9, ‘Universal Free Housing’, focusing on strategic, policy, and economic pathways for realising housing as a universal human right. He studied architecture at UCL Bartlett, where he graduated top of class as a RIBA Donaldson Medallist, and he was a scholar at the AA, where his Diploma thesis won the Dennis Sharp Prize and was a finalist for RIBA President's Awards for Research 2021. Calvi

In PX120 our guest is Assistant Professor Akane Bessho, Ph.D of the Housing and Urban Analysis Laboratory, Department of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.  Information about Akane’s work is at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Akane-Bessho-2 and her website is: https://www.akanebessho.com Akane has a wide range of research projects and in the field work including those that seek to reverse depopulation in Japan’s rural areas, assisting people with disabilities in the agricultural sector (see for example Coco Farm & Winery (https://cocowine.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cocofaw-pr-eng.pdf), new approaches to food production and creating community gardens designed to aid those with dementia.  Akane describes her faculty at the the Tokyo University and the excellent work it produces. The students are highly motivated and create highly innovative urban projects. Details at https://www.due.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/ The interview discusses many issues confronting Japanese society. From this we can dra