S1, Ep4 Why the best designed cities reflect the best of us. With Ross de la Motte and Ralph Ashton

Sydney today faces the same pressures as all modern cities – growth, resources, infrastructure and resilience.

The interpersonal fabric of modern-day Sydney contrasts to its healthy past – the challenges of isolation and a vast mental health crisis in our communities, pervasive social media, our collective response to climate change and biodiversity emergencies, and the pressures on housing and equity in a rapidly growing metropolis.

Do the answers to these current challenges lie more with the community itself than governments? Have we forgotten how to design for love and belonging?

Ross de la Motte invited Ralph Ashton, founder of the Australian Futures Project to talk about short-termism in city shaping, how Australians really feel about what’s going on in their cities, and how everyone – from the top down – has a role to play in imagining a better future for ourselves.

Acknowledgement:

This episode of Hassell Talks was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.

Credits:

Edited & Produced by Prue Vincent