The People and Place Podcast

WSP's People and Place Podcast presents 'Changing How We Move,' a new series hosted by Shifani Sood. Join our host as she interviews Jules Flynn, CEO of Zoomo, and Shanti Ditter, National Technical Executive at WSP Australia, about modes of mobility and creating a more active and sustainable transportation system.The speakers discuss the benefits of active transportation, such as improved health, safety, and economy, and the importance of creating safe and accessible spaces for all users of the pavement, including pedestrians, cyclists, and micro-mobility devices.The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a fundamental shift in the way people move and interact in their environments, with more people using micro-mobility devices and walking. This presents an opportunity for policymakers to create environments that allow these different modes of transport to occupy space in a safer way.The podcast also addresses the need for holistic thinking and strong leadership in creating safe, accessible, and sustainable transportation systems that benefit all users.

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our seventh episode John Brockhoff, National Policy Director at the Planning Institute of Australia, joins Mark to share his knowledge and experience as a planner and how he uses his skills in the public interest to share land in a way that works for an increasingly uncertain future with a changing climate.

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our sixth episode Holly Love, National Director, Communications and Engagement WSP, joins Mark to share her knowledge and experience of working with communities that have been impacted by disasters, covering prevention and preparedness, through to response and recovery. They discuss helping communities and doing no extra harm after a disaster event, and managing community expectations for the best outcome.  

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our fifth episode Helen Sloane, Senior Associate Environmental Scientist WSP, joins Mark to share her knowledge on the impact of disasters and how planning can help create more resilient communities. They discuss their personal experiences with natural hazards, the disaster ripple effect, and temporary accommodation ideas for those who have been displaced due to disasters.   

WSP's People and Place Podcast is sharing a mini series in 2022, titled Women Who Shape Cities. Join our host, Sara Stace, as she speaks candidly with some brilliant women from around Australia and beyond, who have made a significant contribution to shaping the places, communities and cities we live in.In our third episode, Elizabeth Mildwater, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Cities Commission, shares her interesting career spanning private, public and not for profit sectors. Previously, Elizabeth was Deputy Secretary of a number of portfolios at Transport for NSW where she was responsible for operations and planning for all modes of transport. We discuss collaboration and engagement within the Commission and how they are focused on working closely with First Nations people.  We also cast a look back over Elizabeth's career highlights and her advice to women who are looking for a career in cities, places and precincts.

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our fourth episode Gajendran Thayaparan, Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle in the School of Architecture and Built Environment, joins Mark to share his knowledge on the importance of education in disaster risk reduction. They discuss different types of education, decision making before, during, and after disasters and communities adapting to the new normal.

WSP's People and Place Podcast is sharing a new mini series in 2022, titled Women Who Shape Cities. Join our host, Sara Stace, as she speaks candidly with some brilliant women from around Australia and beyond, who have made a significant contribution to shaping the places, communities and cities we live in.In our second episode, Alice Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of the Committee for the Hunter, shares her interesting career spanning federal and state government and the private sector.  Alice is known as a leader in public policy, infrastructure, industry development and attraction especially through her roles including National Lead Cities & Regions at KPMG and Senior Advisor Cities & Infrastructure at the Office of the then Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull.  We discuss the strategic vision and targets for the Hunter and Alice provides invaluable insight into how government and private can work together to develop better regional and city outcomes for the Hunter region. We also cast a look back over Alice's career highlights and how she shaped her career working across different sectors.   

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our third episode Catherine Ryland, Level 3 Bushfire Planning and Design accredited consultant, joins Mark to share her knowledge as a bushfire threat assessment and bushfire protection expert. They discuss policies and guidelines, risk assessment and improving community resilience.

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our second episode Dr. Rodney van der Ree, Technical Executive – Ecology, joins to share his knowledge and experience as an ecology specialist. Rodney and Mark discuss the impact of natural hazards on biodiversity and how it is becoming more challenging for flora and fauna in Australia. They also talk about how ecology can help reduce the impact of these natural hazards.

This year on WSP's People and Place Podcast, we are introducing a miniseries titled Planning for Natural Hazards, and Dr. Mark Maund, WSP's Planning and Approvals Team Lead for Regional New South Wales and ACT, will be hosting it. Join Mark as he speaks with some brilliant specialists from around Australia who will contribute to the conversation around planning for natural hazards and a better future. In our first episode Bernadette Quirk, WSP Graduate, Environment & Planning, joins to share her perspective as an emerging professional in the planning and approvals space. Bernadette and Mark discuss the impact of climate change and natural hazards on communities, and the role planning plays in designing and preparing our communities for a better future.

WSP's People and Place Podcast is sharing a new mini series in 2022, titled Women Who Shape Cities. Join our host, Sara Stace, as she speaks candidly with some brilliant women from around Australia and beyond, who have made a significant contribution to shaping the places, communities and cities we live in. In our inaugural episode, urban and regional planner Dorte Ekelund joins to share her fascinating journey around Australia, through all levels of Government, leading in some of the most significant roles in the planning industry. We discuss the effects of climate change to communities, and Dorte provides insight into the powerful role planning plays in creating liveable, future-ready cities. 

Join us on a Global Ideas Tour mini-series where we take a deep dive on key elements of cities, places and spaces with our global WSP colleagues as they share learnings, experiences and thoughts on the future as we start to look past the COVID 19 pandemic.  We are all social creatures, but how can we support a stronger focus on social outcomes?  Join Deepa Nair, Jim Coleman and Lucy Greig, dialling in from the UK and Sydney, as they discuss the importance of our changing cities and communities, with host, Sara Stace.  They will be discussing what we have learnt about our global cities over the last two years, including a growing trend of movement to regional areas, how this affects affordability and access to housing, the opportunities Net Zero provides for a fair transition of jobs and skills and how we can reshape our use and thinking of city and regional centres. 

Join us on a Global Ideas Tour mini-series where we take a deep dive on key elements of cities, places and spaces with our global WSP colleagues as they share learnings, experiences and thoughts on the future as we start to look past the COVID 19 pandemic.  We are all social creatures, but how can we support a stronger focus on social outcomes?  Join Mo Saraf, Lucy Grieg and Michael Hromek, dialling in from Sweden and Sydney, as they discuss the importance of social connections post-pandemic with host, Sara Stace.  They will also touch on the social aspects of our environment and the ways in which we have adapted our interactions to fit with social distancing, how important public space is for diversity and integration and the importance of greening our cities and neighbourhoods.  Show NotesThe "Shifting Streets" Covid-19 mobility dataset, Combs, T., Pardo, C.F., Streetplans, Epiandes, MobilityWorks, & Datasketch (2020), http://pedbikeinfo.org/resources/resources_details.cfm?id=5235. 

Join us on a Global Ideas Tour mini-series where our host, Sara Stace, takes a deep dive on key elements of cities, places and spaces with our global WSP colleagues as they share learnings, experiences and thoughts on the future as we start to look past the COVID 19 pandemic.  For this session, join Ludo Pittie, Alan Whiteley and Steve Rossiter - dialling in from London, Auckland and Sydney as they discuss the spaces we've all rediscovered since the pandemic, human connection and the importance of liveable, green neighbourhoods that can adapt to a changing world.  Show notes and References: Greater Use of Public, Open and Shared Spaces, NSW State Government Study – https://www.greater.sydney/city-shaping-impacts-of-covid-19/greater-use-of-public-open-and-shared-space  The 15-minute City, Professor Moreno - https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Carlos-Moreno-The-15-minute-city?language=en_US. 

In this special edition of The People and Place podcast, our guests share a unique perspective on the built environment, looking at our industry through an Aboriginal lens and experience. Join our host Michael Hromek – Technical Executive: Indigenous Design, Knowledge and Architecture, WSP and our guests (and Michael's sisters) Dr Danièle Hromek – Academic, Research and Spatial Designer and Sian Hromek – Senior Consultant: Research and Design, WSP, as they discuss Indigenous design and research, how we can all connect to Country, and the ways that engaging with Aboriginal community and incorporating Indigenous design contributes to inclusive, Future Ready places.Show notes and References: ‘Thoughts on the Philosophical Underpinnings of Aboriginal Worldviews' written by Dr. Mary Graham‘Cities of Whiteness' written by  Wendy S. Shaw‘The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia' written by Bill Gammage‘Covered by Concrete' artwork created by Danièle Hromek, Sian Hromek and Michael Hromek 

In this latest edition of The People and Place Podcast, we discuss the importance of the kerbside and why they are so critical in our modern-day definition of place.Join our host, Graham Pointer – Technical Executive - Geography, WSP and our guests Ethan Kent – Executive Director, PlacemakingX, Ashleigh Cormack – Future Cities Lead Australia and New Zealand, Uber and Mary Haverland – Technical Executive, Planning and Mobility, WSP as they engage in a thought provoking conversation about why kerbsides deserve more credit, their role in creating great places for people and the barriers planners face. The quartet touch on key themes including lovability vs livability, future mobility, accessibility and more.

While we may not know what technologies will exist in the next 5, 10, 20 years, we can enable resilient healthcare facilities by future-proofing the technology infrastructure for the extended lifecycle of these assets.  In this episode, WSP's Director of Technology Systems, Roneel Singh chats with industry experts, Healthscope's Chief Technology Officer, Barbara MacKenzie, Johnstaff's Associate Director, Kirsty Bowyer and Lendlease Technology's Project Delivery Lead, Adam George about some of the considerations, challenges and barriers for designing smart hospitals today, which can stand the test of time. 

Healthcare buildings are critical for the health and wellbeing of our communities but they're also some of the highest energy consumers in the built environment. All industries are beginning to develop decarbonisation strategies. The challenge facing the health sector is ensuring these critical pieces of infrastructure can continue to operate safely, while achieving the net zero commitments set by local governments to meet the Paris Agreement. In this episode Matt Salisbury WSP Australia's Healthcare sector lead chats with industry experts, Sebastian Loewensteijn, Robert Sims, Jonathan Ramajoo and Sean Holmes about how the construction industry can help one of the most critical sectors to transition to carbon neutral.

While Alliance and JV projects solve a number of issues when it comes to team collaboration, risk management and bringing together the best technical expertise, they present their own unique challenges when it comes to project controls and ensuring that teams across organizations and disciplines can work cohesively together. The Sydney Water D4C project is unique for being an example of one of the first large scale uses of NEC collaborative contract in Australia, as well as having a program that runs over 10 years. This episode explores the “project in a box” digital approach used by the team, how it has assisted in bringing close to 300 people together to solve the project challenges and how it could evolve in the future. We are joined by Henry Okraglik, Director with WSP Digital and Ian Chase, Section Executive for Water in NSW and the Project Manager for the project. 

In the last decade, the growth in the number of major infrastructure projects has encouraged a shift to more collaborative contracting arrangements. This model improves risk management, brings in a diverse pool of skills and helps projects to succeed.Joining host, Kate Borg, is David Stuart-Watt, former Roads Australia President and WSP Client Director for Transport ANZ. David was part of the senior team that pioneered the use of the Delivery Partner model in Australia. On this episode, David tells us more about the history of collaborative contracting in Australia, the key benefits between the different models and his thoughts on what the future for collaborative contracting is in our country.

From bullet trains to hyperloop, rail networks are picking up the pace globally. Australia has been talking about a need for speed in our rail networks from as early as the 1970s. In the last few years the need for a faster rail network that connects capital cities and growing regional economies has gained momentum. In this episode, we chat to two experts who work as part of the California High Speed Rail Authority - WSP USA's Daniel Horgan, who is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Frank Vacca, the Chief Program Manager. We also welcome Sam McWilliam WSP's Project Director for Fast Rail, to talk about the ins and outs of these new rail programs.

How can we accommodate growth in existing places? In our final episode of the season, we talk to Andrew Cortese, Managing Partner Grimshaw Architects, Bill Price, a transit oriented development expert from WSP's London business and Ross Harvey, NSW Structures Director with WSP in Australia. Our guests talk about the rich history of railways in Australia and around the world, and some of the challenges and opportunities to find more space in dense cities. In a sense, re-activating their potential as thriving hubs for activity. We share some examples of successful rail overbuild projects, as well as the considerations for integrating vertical and horizontal infrastructure. Show notes 00:00 - Intro01:04 - Differences and similarities between Australia and London? 06:30 - How has the change impacted community? 08:42 - What are some of the successful examples of rail overbuilds?15:54 - Ross, what about build over heritage?17:35 - Opportunities in integrating vertical and horizontal?24:11 - What's the difference between success and failure? 28:21 - Will city renewal projects change in a post COVID world and if so, how?30:12 - Wrap up

This episode we take the show across international waters, welcoming Stacey Matlen, Senior Mobility Strategist from City of Detroit. She is joined by Taylor Gouge, WSP Associate Transport Engineer, and recent co-author of white paper COVID-19 & Public Transport: From Response to Recovery. Also joining the conversation is friend of the show, Michael Tyrpenou, WSP's Social Strategy and Design Lead in Australia.From travelling to work, education or socialising – this week we look at how we can put people at the centre of our plans to transition back into moving freely in public places. We dive into some of the initiatives used to keep our essential workers moving to where they need to be, along with what transport modes might see an increase in the post COVID-19 world.What will we need from our public spaces to support the shift and make it desirable to dwell again? How can we measure the success of our initiatives? Tune in to find out!Show-notes00:00 - Intro  01:18 - Stacey's role02:12 - Explaining new mobility04:29 - Situation in Detroit and the US07:49 - Handling Supply and Demand12:31 - How can we ensure equitable access for those not in the city?14:40 - Will this be something long lasting?16:02 - Sydney based active transport initiatives and public health benefits18:33 - The need for end of trip facilities19:07 - Cultural context for designing post COVID-19 transport planning22:21 - Are we doing enough? Decentralisation vs centralisation25:14 - What should our measures of success be?28:10 - Last minute thoughts32:06 - Slowride and other “place” initiatives outside of COVID-19 that might grow34:18 - Wrap up

In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into Masterplanning and fostering innovation in places.Join host Hannah Bleyerveen, as she chats with two subject matter experts about how we can plan for social, environmental and economic outcomes in places. Our guests will be drawing on insights from the Fishermans Bend urban renewal precinct in Melbourne and discussing why vision setting is important. Special guests:Bryn Davies, Principal Urban Economist, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions – Victoria. To learn more about the Fishermans Bend urban renewal project, visit the website.Niall Cunningham, Director, Cities Advisory, WSP.Show-notes00:59 - The importance of having masterplan 02:40 - How urban renewal and masterplanning can help us achieve better outcomes for the communities04:49 - About the Fishermans Bend urban renewal project08:39 - The visioning for Fishermans Bend 11:26 - What success looks like for innovation in the 21st century and Fishermans Bend in 20 years' time19:42 - Bryn and Niall's innovations in the way they planned for Fishermans Bend22:26 - Changes in the way we masterplan in light of COVID-19

In this two part episode we're exploring Indigenous connection to place. How can we interpret and give life to Indigenous significance, culture and stories in our design for places and infrastructure? How does this help us create better places for everyone, and how does this help us achieve our sustainability goals?Special guests: Ailsa Walsh, a proud indigenous woman of the Yuggera, Lardil, and Kullili Countries.  Ailsa is an incredible aboriginal artist who helped us bring our new Brisbane office to life with her paintings. Michael Hromek, Technical Executive in WSP's Indigenous Specialist Services team.  Michael is also a researcher and Professional Tutor at the University of Technology, Sydney's Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research.Ben Gibbs, an associate in our Sustainability team whose work helps many different organisations to achieve their sustainability goals.Show-notes01:02 - Incorporating Indigenous design into places, to meet sustainable design objectives02:31 - Indigenous culture reflected in public spaces and its impact on future generations 04:07 - Using Indigenous designed to enrich online spaces

In this two part episode we're exploring Indigenous connection to place. How can we interpret and give life to Indigenous significance, culture and stories in our design for places and infrastructure? How does this help us create better places for everyone, and how does this help us achieve our sustainability goals?Special guests: Ailsa Walsh, a proud indigenous woman of the Yuggera, Lardil, and Kullili Countries.  Ailsa is an incredible aboriginal artist who helped us bring our new Brisbane office to life with her paintings. Michael Hromek, Technical Executive in WSP's Indigenous Specialist Services team.  Michael is also a researcher and Professional Tutor at the University of Technology, Sydney's Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research.Ben Gibbs, an associate in our Sustainability team whose work helps many different organisations to achieve their sustainability goals.Show-notes: 02:00  What is Indigenous knowledge?03:12  About 900 Anne Street04:08  The origins of the Aboriginal led co-design methodology adopted to 900 Anne Street06:06  An Aboriginal artist's experience of the co-design methodology09:28  What is a yarning circle?10:31  The yarning circle in a corporate space

Digital walk-throughs of art galleries, endless Skype meetings working from home, or creating online birthday parties - the events over the last few weeks means it's not just millennials finding new ways of meeting their place needs. But can digital replace physical places?In this first episode, Hannah Bleyerveen chats with WSP experts about the ripple effects of going digital: from replicating authentic experiences, to improving access to culture, education and socialising for a more diverse group of people.    What does the future look like? What will it be like when we return to public places?Special guests: Evan Brumley, Digital Solution ArchitectEvelyn Sung, Graduate Civil Engineer Michael Tyrpenou, Human Centred Design Lead Peter Aspinall, Principal Occupational HygienistShow-notes01:00 - What does “place making” mean to you?03:31 - Innovative ways digital placemaking is filling the gaps during isolation05:00 - Can digital twining authentically substitute the physical places?08:26 - Rebuilding trust in public spaces post COVID-19

Digital walk-throughs of art galleries, endless Skype meetings working from home, or creating online birthday parties - the events over the last few weeks means it's not just millennials finding new ways of meeting their place needs. But can digital replace physical places?In this second part of episode 1, Hannah Bleyerveen chats with WSP experts about the boundaries between the physical and digital, creating communities in the digital space and protecting people in those places through design. Special guests: Evan Brumley, Digital Solution ArchitectEvelyn Sung, Graduate Civil Engineer Michael Tyrpenou, Human Centred Design Lead Peter Aspinall, Principal Occupational HygienistShow-notes01:00 - Changes in generational divides around the using digital spaces, post COVID-1901:54 - The social network circle of life04:29 - Mitigating the risk of online bullying through design  06:34 - What our guests personally miss about being in a physical place