Australian Urban

Architect Graham Burrows (JCB Architects) and landscape architect Chris Sawyer (Site | Office) reflect on their two-decade long involvement in reshaping the St Kilda foreshore and designing the new curved pier. We discuss the project’s evolution, the idea of “organised chaos” in public space, and how bold urban design moves can capture the spirit of a city. 

This episode, I’m joined by Professor Andrew Leach, an urban historian and author of Gold Coast: City and Architecture. This episode dives deep into the story of Surfers Paradise, a hub of tourism and leisure on the Gold Coast. Once a modest 1920s seaside village, Surfers Paradise has grown into a bold urban experiment, characterised by speculative high-rise development, themed architecture, and the tension between its postcard-perfect image and its lived reality. 

In this episode on Kings Cross, we delve into the fascinating evolution of Sydney's iconic neighbourhood—from a bohemian enclave, through its transformation into a bustling nightlife district, to its current status as a gentrified area marked by rising rents, luxury apartments, and the erosion of its once-vibrant street life.

This episode's guest is Elizabeth Farelly. Dr Farrelly has spent over 30 years as one of Sydney’s leading public intellectuals and as the Sydney Morning Herald’s principal columnist on urbanisation, planning and governance issues. She is trained in architecture and philosophy and holds a PhD in Urbanism from the University of Sydney.

We delve into the fascinating evolution of Melbourne's Docklands - from its origins as a swamp to its current status as a ‘soulless’ waterfront precinct, dominated by strong winds, tall towers and the absence of vibrant urban life.

This episode's guest is Kim Dovey, a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and Director of the Informal Urbanism Research Hub: InfUr– at the University of Melbourne. His research on social issues in architecture and urban design has included investigations of urban place identity, creative clusters, transit-oriented urban design and the morphology of informal settlements. Books include 'Framing Places: Mediating Power in Built Form' (1999/2008),  'Fluid City' (2005), 'Becoming Places' (2010) and Urban Design Thinking (2016).