PlanningXChange
Society & Culture
About
A podcast devoted to urban planning and the people who make it happen.
Episodes
- PlanningxChange 142: Turning Litter into Play: Spogomi
This episode explores spogomi, the Japanese-born idea that reimagines litter collection as a competitive, team-based sport, transforming one of the least appealing aspects of urban life into something energetic, social, and unexpectedly jo…
- PlanningxChange 141 with Jared Jones, Californian Housing Producer
In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell are joined by Jared Jones, founder of Middle Housing Partners (https://middlehousingpartners.com) in California, to explore the growing challenge of delivering housing within…
- PlanningxChange 140 : PlanningxChange - the year ahead and current topics
Jess and Pete talk about the year ahead and current planning topics. Episode released 28 February 2026.
- PlanningxChange 139: Driverless Cars: What Do They Mean for Cities and Society?
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…
- PlanningxChange 138. Agritourism, Regulation and Risk: Insights from 'Old Mission' with Mary Reilly
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 w…
- PlanningxChange 137: Architecture & Place Making in Vietnam with Olivier Souquet (DE-SO Asia)
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, a…
- PlanningxChange 136: Promoting great Retirement Living with Daniel Gannon
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, includ…
- PlanningxChange 135: Stephen Turner on the Japanese Railway System
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…
- PlanningxChange 134: Graffiti / Street Art (?) Dr Cameron McAuliffe
In this episode of PlanningXchange (PX134), 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…
- PlanningxChange 133: Five Decades in City Planning : A conversation with Peter O'Leary
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…
- PlanningxChange 132: How AI Is Transforming City Planning - with Scott Matheson
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 plann…
- PlanningxChange 131: Alfonso Morales & Edna Ely-Ledesma - Public Markets
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 environ…
- PlanningxChange 130 - Inside the Mind of a Developer: A Conversation with Max Shifman
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, re…
- PlanningxChange 129: Charter Cities and the Developing World with Jeffrey Mason
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.…
- PlanningxChange 128: Jorge Almazan: Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City
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 Ins…
- PlanningxChange 127: Dr Derham Groves - Sherlock Holmes + City Making + Popular Culture
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 architectu…
- PlanningxChange 126: Key to the City - How Zoning Shapes Our World: Sara Bronin
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…
- PlanningxChange Episode 125: PX turns 10 and Ai review
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 podca…
- PlanningxChange 124: Better Public Toilets with Katherine Webber
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 implementin…
- PlanningxChange 123: 'Build Baby Build' with author Bryan Caplan
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 o…
- PlanningxChange 122: Crime + City Planning with Rafael Mangual
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 Coun…
- PlanningxChange 121: Calvin Po, new ways of thinking and doing
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 l…
- PlanningxChange 120: Innovative planning and university programs in Japan (Tokyo U)
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-…
- PlanningxChange 119: Kylie Legge of Place Score
In PX119 our guests is Kylie Legge of Place Score (https://www.placescore.org/about-place-score/). Kylie is a leading voice in placemaking, an architecture graduate, planner, place maker, author, facilitator, curator and entrepreneur. She…
- PlanningxChange 118: YIMBY Melbourne: Build, Baby, Build
In PX118 our guests are Jonathan O’Brien and Jonathan Nolan of YIMBY Melbourne. Details of YIMBY Melbourne are at https://www.yimby.melbourne YIMBY Melbourne seeks a ‘People-led’ ‘Grassroots’ ‘For Housing Abundance.’ The YIMBY website stat…
- PlanningxChange 117: Rob Parker, Trilith, New Urbanism working
In PX117 our guest is Rob Parker, President of Trilith Development, LLC. Rob oversees with a development team the continued growth of the Trilith Township and Film Studios. Trilith is located on the edge of Altana in Fayette County, Georgi…
- PlanningxChange 116: Stephen Rowley - author, planner, academic and astute commentator.
In PX116 our guest is Stephen Rowley. Stephen is the author of two books, ‘Movie Towns and Sitcom Suburbs: Building Hollywood’s Ideal Communities’ and ‘The Victorian Planning System: Practice, Problems and Prospects’. In February 2022 he w…
- PlanningxChange 115: Liz Mackevicius Organisational coach for the built environment
In PX115 our guest is Liz Mackevicius. Liz is an urban planner who has taken a new role as an organisational coach for those in the built environment industry. She will be leading the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) program ‘Pathway…
- PlanningxChange 114: Anna Lowder - Hampstead AL and other New Urbanism projects
166. New Urbanism /Hampstead Montgomery GA/ Anna Lowder In PX114, our interview guest is Anna Lowder, a co-founder and director of Hampstead, a New Urbanist community in Montgomery, Alabama, inspired by her experiences while living in Lond…
- PlanningxChange 113: Air taxis, spinners and Vertiports - Clem Newton-Brown
Episode PX113 is all about Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) aircraft, these are typically electric or hybrid powered, air taxis and the like. They have appeared in various science fiction films such as Blade Runner 2019 and Blade Runner 2049…
- PlanningxChange 112: Converting office buildings to residential with Jessica Lee of FK Architects
In PX112, our interview guest is Jessica Lee, a principal architect at Fender Katsalidis Architects (https://fkaustralia.com). Jessica discusses the ‘Alba’ project, the conversion of a 1970’s former office building into 150 rooms of age ap…
- PlanningxChange 111: Drone delivery - Jesse Suskin
In PX111, our interview guest is Jesse Suskin, Head of Government Relations & Public Policy at Wing Aviation (https://wing.com). We talk all things drone delivery particularly the experience learnt in Logan Queensland, Australia where ther…
- PlanningxChange 110: Professor Tim Parkin: Roman cities & towns
In PX110, our interview guest is Professor Tim Parkin, we talk all things Roman particularly their city life. Tim Parkin joined the Classics and Archaeology department at the University of Melbourne in 2018 as the inaugural Elizabeth and J…
- PlanningxChange 109: Doug Tallamy: return of the native - suburbs go natural
In PX109, our interview guest is Professor Douglas (Doug) Tallamy, the author of many nature books and co - founder along with Michelle Alfandari of Homegrown National Park (https://homegrownnationalpark.org). Homegrown National Parks is a…
- PX108: Dr Stefan Gruenert - drug and alcohol rehabilitation (Odyssey House)
In PX108, our interview guest is Dr Stefan Gruenert, the CEO of Odyssey House Victoria. Odyssey House Victoria is a state-wide, specialist treatment organisation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals who experience significant or…
- PlanningxChange 107: Kate Hardwick, a planner's work journey thru Australia & Asia
In PX107, our interview guest is Kate Hardwick an exceptional planning professional originally from Australia who now works in South East Asia. Kate takes the listener on a fascinating journey describing her professional career. Along the…
- PlanningxChange 106: James Vincent - Smart Cities Technology
In PX106, our interview guest is James Vincent who is the CTO at NCS NEXT Australia, a global digital, data and cloud services consultancy (https://www.ncs.co/en-au/next/). James is a senior people leader with 25 years’ commercial IT exper…
- PlanningChange 105: Torie Brown - Student Accommodation Council
In PX105, our interview guest is Torie Brown, Executive Director of the Student Accommodation Council. The Council was formed in 2022 by the Property Council to give a voice to the critically important purpose-built student accommodation (…
- PlanningxChange 104: Vanessa Schernickau, CEO of the Geelong Regional Library Corporation
In PX104, our interview guest is Vanessa Schernickau, the Chief Executive Officer of the Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC). The GRLC provides library and information services to residents and visitors across the Geelong region on…
- PlanningxChange 103: Tim Jackson former CEO, gun footballer and volunteer
In PX103, our interview subject is Tim Jackson, a +40 year veteran of local government in Victoria and South Australia. Tim recently retired for a second time from the paid workforce after completing his four year role as the State Governm…
- PlanningxChange 102: Dr James Lesh (urban historian and author)
James Lesh is an urban historian specialising in heritage conservation. He is interested in the potential for history and heritage to enhance cities, places and society. His latest book is Values in Cities: Urban Heritage in Twentieth-Cent…
- PlanningxChange 101: Canberra - 100+ years old, how is it?
In PX101 our guests are Natalia Weglarz and Peter Johns. Natalia is a planner at the Canberra office of WSP (www.wsp.com). She has been in Canberra for eight years, prior to that she was in Sydney and the UK. Peter Johns has lived in Canbe…
- PlanningxChange 100: Four tales - Live Free
PlanningxChange 100: Four tales - Live Free by planning exchange podcast
- PlanningxChange 99: Alex Fenech - Landscape Architect
In PlanningxChange episode 99 our guest is Alex Fenech, a landscape architect based in Florida. At the time we recorded the interview Alex was a Vice President at EDSA (https://www.edsaplan.com) one of America’s leading landscape and urban…
- PlanningxChange 98: Tim Ellis and the Melbourne Magic Festival
In PlanningxChange episode 98 our guest is Tim Ellis one of the world’s leading magicians. Details about Tim are found at https://www.timellismagic.com and at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ellis_(magician) What do magic and city planni…
- PlanningxChange 97 with David Beaumont - painter
In PlanningxChange episode 97 our guest is David Beaumont one of Australia's leading landscape and portrait painters. David is based in the historic seaside town of Queenscliff. From there he embarks on various solitary sojourns to the out…
- PlanningxChange 96 with Simon Kuestenmacher (demographer)
In PlanningxChange episode 96 our guest is Simon Kuestenmacher one of Australia’s leading demographers. Simon is a Director and Co-founder of The Demographics Group based in Melbourne, Australia. Simon holds degrees in geography from leadi…
- PlanningxChange 95: Lucinda Hartley - big data dreaming
In PlanningxChange episode 95 our guest is Lucinda Hartley. Her bio reads as follows: ‘Urban designer turned entrepreneur, Lucinda Hartley uses big data to measure the quality of life and wellbeing of neighbourhoods. She is a co-founder of…
- PlanningxChange 94 - Laura Gannon - disaster planning, new approaches to an old problem
In PlanningxChange episode 94 our guest is Laura Gannon an Associate Director at Meridan Urban with almost 20 years of experience in strategic land use planning, bushfire risk and community resilience across both the public and private sec…
- PlanningxChange 93: About us, PX interviewed
In PlanningxChange 93 the tables are turned and we are interviewed. PX was a guest at the Ratio Consultant's breakfast speaker series. Colleen Peterson (PX23), the CEO of Ratio presented and asked questions. The interview reveals the forma…