Episode 1.4: From plans to homes - Planning a housing continuum for affordability, ageing and accessibility (3As) with Nicole Bennetts and Associate Professor Daniel O'Hare

Planners quietly shape how neighbourhoods grow and how liveable our cities become. Their decisions influence housing affordability, accessibility and how well cities respond to growth and an ageing population.

In this episode I speak with Nicole Bennetts, state manager of QLD and NT for the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), and Dr Daniel O’Hare, Associate Professor of urban planning at Bond University, about the pressing housing challenges in Australia. We look at why planners are needed more than ever, why their work is often invisible, and how planning can help create stronger and more sustainable communities.

Some of the key ideas we explore are:

• How can urban planning support housing that works across different stages of life?
• Can “Quality in My Backyard” (QIMBY) move the debate beyond YIMBY versus NIMBY?
• Should cities grow inwards and upwards rather than continue to sprawl?
• How do affordability, access and ageing shape better housing and neighbourhoods?
• What kind of leadership is needed to build trust and manage urban growth well?

Nicole’s passion for planning began with her love of SimCity, while Daniel’s interest grew from an appreciation of vibrant, functional urban spaces. Their paths into planning offer a human perspective on a profession that quietly shapes how our cities grow.

#UrbanPlanning #HousingAffordability #HousingAccessibility #HousingDevelopment #SustainableCities