Lecture Rooom 1, Level 17, USYD CBD Campus
Tue 28th Apr 2026, 5:00 pm AEST

This public event features presentations on civic urban technology, projects led by citizens and civil‑society organisations that have reshaped public debate on housing and planning by making hidden data visible and meaningful.

Together we will explore the role of civic technology initiatives within the broader political and policy landscape of planning and housing, the conditions required for impact, and the challenges - and possibilities, facing civic urban tech initiatives in an era of platformisation and AI.

Lecture Room 1, Level 17, 133 Castlereagh St, The University of Sydney CBD Campus
Tue 21st Apr 2026, 5:30 pm AEST

The draft Sydney Plan sets out how the NSW Government will address growth in Sydney over the next 20 years. But is there more we need to discuss? Amongst the urgency of the housing crisis, we need a meaningful dialogue about the purpose of planning, and the tools planners need to deliver wellbeing outcomes in the built environment.

Join us on 21st April 2026 for the launch of new research by ‘Lucy Band – Martin Payne Practitioner-in-Residence’ exploring wellbeing outcomes in planning and a panel discussion with industry leaders – including Sue Weatherley, NSW PIA President, Prof Susan Thompson, UNSW, Georgina Blix, Blix Architecture and Russell Peake, Northern Beaches Council.

Function Room 501, Level 5, The Michael Spence Building (F23)
Tue 14th Apr 2026, 3:30 pm AEST

This seminar presents Gamified Cohousing, a participatory housing model developed through projects in Finland and Nepal. The work explores how shared living, adaptive reuse, self-management, and game-like systems of responsibility can support affordability, belonging, and more active forms of collective life. Rather than treating housing only as a technical or financial product, the project asks how architecture can become a democratic framework through which residents participate in maintenance, decision-making, and everyday care. I will present concrete cases, as well as some of the practical opportunities and difficulties involved, including regulation, renovation, governance, and long-term community management.

CBD Campus of the University of Sydney
Fri 13th Mar 2026, 10:00 am AEDT

Local councils can play a vital role in supporting affordable housing for their communities. This one-day forum showcases leading examples of local affordable housing initiatives; and offers practical advice for councillors and staff seeking to develop their own strategies.

The event is sponsored by the University of Sydney’s Henry Halloran Urban & Regional Research Initiative and has been developed by Dr Greta Werner and City of Sydney Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore with input from Mayors and Councillors from Randwick, Willoughby, Byron, Forbes, Newcastle and more.

For more information