City of the Future: Australian & US Perspectives

14-16 November 2010
Brisbane, Australia

Panel discussionThe future of cities in the United States and Australia was explored in a landmark urban-planning conference in Brisbane's Parliament House. The conference was co-hosted by the US Studies Centre and the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland.

Senior Obama Administration officials US Assistant Secretary of Transport, Polly Trottenberg, and US Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Raphael Bostic, joined US business leaders including Dow Chemical Executive Vice President, David Kepler, and the President of Growth Initiatives for Alcoa, Kevin Kramer, and Australian experts to discuss public policy and private sector solutions to the urban challenges facing both countries.

The two-day conference focussed on water management, the built environment, waste and recycling, energy efficiency, and transportation. 

Other speakers at the conference included:

  • Hon. Robert Hill, Chairman, Australian Carbon Trust & Adjunct Professor in Sustainability at the US Studies Centre
  • John Norquist, Former Mayor of Milwaukee & CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism
  • Ed Blakely, Former New Orleans recovery czar & Honorary Professor of Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre
  • Robert Cervero, Director, University of California Transportation Centre
  • Mary O'Kane, Chairman of Australian Council for Renewable Energy & NSW Chief Scientist
  • Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor of Melbourne
  • Robert Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association, New York


Program & Multimedia

All sessions from the City of the Future conference were recorded and can be viewed or listened to online by clicking on the links below.

15 November - Day 1

Opening

Kate Jones MPIntroduction
Geoffrey Garrett, CEO, US Studies Centre, The University of Sydney and Paul Greenfield, Vice Chancellor, The University of Queensland

Address
Hon. Kate Jones MP, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Queensland Government
 

Sustainable Approaches in America & Australia: What does the future hold?

Raphael BosticRaphael Bostic, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne

Moderator: Lucy Turnbull, Former Lord Mayor of Sydney
 

Built Environment

City of the FutureMeg McDonald, CEO, Australian Carbon Trust

Robert Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association, New York

Cate Collins, Head of Sustainability Australia, Lend Lease

Moderator: Ken Morrison, COO, Property Council of Australia
 

Keynote Lunch & Address

David KeplerWelcome
Hon. Robert Hill, Adjunct Professor in Sustainability, US Studies Centre & Chairman, Australian Carbon Trust

Address
David Kepler, Executive Vice President, Business Services, Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Information Officer, Dow Chemical
 

Transportation Policy

City of the FuturePolly Trottenberg, US Assistant Secretary of Transportation

Robert Cervero, Director of the University of California Transportation Center & Professor of City & Regional Planning at the University of California at Berkeley

Mark Cridland, Deputy Director, General (Policy and Planning), Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland

John Norquist, President & CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism

Moderator: Hon. John Thwaites, Chair Monash Sustainability Institute & Chair of ClimateWorks Australia, Monash University
 

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Mary O'KanePaul Meredith, Professor of Materials Physics, University of Queensland & Co-founder & Vice President, XeroCoat

Mary O'Kane, Chairman of Australian Council for Renewable Energy and NSW Chief Scientist

Moderator: Andrew Griffiths, Professor in Strategy and Business Sustainability, UQ Business School
 

Reception & Dinner

Polly TrottenbergWelcome
Geoffrey Garrett, CEO, US Studies Centre, The University of Sydney

Address
Polly Trottenberg, US Assistant Secretary of Transportation

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16 November - Day 2

Keynote Address

Kevin KramerWelcome
Hon. Robert Hill, Adjunct Professor in Sustainability, US Studies Centre & Chairman, Australian Carbon Trust

Address
John-Paul Langbroek MP, Leader of the Opposition, Queensland Parliament

Address
Kevin Kramer, President, Growth Initiatives, Alcoa
 

Urban Water

Roger BealeRoger Beale, Executive Director, Economics and Policy, PwC

Rob Skinner, Managing Director, Melbourne Water

Dan Spiller, Director of Operations, Southeast Queensland Water Grid

Moderator: Mark Pascoe, Chief Executive, International Water Centre
 

Waste & Recycling

City of the FutureTor Hundloe, Foundation Professor of Environmental Management & Science, Department of Sustainability Science, Bond University

Mike Ritchie, National Vice President, Waste Management Association of Australia

Rod Welford, Chief Executive, Australian Council of Recycling

Moderator: Ray Wills, Chief Executive, WA Sustainable Energy Assocation
 

Closing Lunch & Lessons Learned

City of the FutureRomilly Madew, Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia

John Norquist, President & CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism

Robert Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association, New York

Moderator: Edward Blakely, Honorary Professor of Urban Policy, US Studies Centre

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Special Thanks

The US Studies Centre and the Global Change Institute are grateful for the support of the following organisations:

City of Future sponsors

 

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VIDEOS & INTERVIEWS

David Smith

Obama backs gay marriage

Dr David Smith analyses how Obama's public support of same sex marriage may affect his re-election chances.

Edward Blakely

Lessons from Katrina

Edward Blakely discusses his new book 'My Storm' and the lessons that Australians can learn from Hurricane Katrina.

More interviews

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