As part of the national Festival of Urbanism 2025, Canberra will host an event exploring the future of urban development in Australia’s capital.
Titled Shaping the Nation’s Capital through ‘Regenerative Urbanism’: Aspirational Goal or Realistic Target?, the forum will take place on Tuesday, 30 September at the Shine Dome, ANU Campus.
Presented by the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative at the University of Sydney, and in conjunction with the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and the Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, this event will bring together leading voices from government, ecology, and community advocacy to examine how Canberra, originally envisioned by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin as a city in its landscape, can evolve through regenerative urbanism to meet contemporary environmental and social challenges.
Speakers will include Mary Mudford, Dr Pene Mathew, Adina Leu, Karen Hutchinson, Dr Michael Mulvaney, Andy Lowes, Catherine Keirnan, and Ben Green. Together, they will share perspectives ranging from Indigenous knowledge and Landcare to legislative reform and urban planning.
The forum will delve into questions around Canberra’s regenerative capacity, focusing on:
– Community health and wellbeing
– Landscape qualities and ecological integrity
– AI, human rights, ecosystems and the natural environment
– Recent major planning reforms and their implications
“This event is a critical opportunity to reflect on how Canberra’s unique planning heritage can inform a regenerative future,” said Festival organisers.
“It’s about moving beyond sustainability to actively restore and enhance the systems that support life – socially, culturally, and ecologically.”
The Festival of Urbanism, hosted by the Henry Halloran Urban & Regional Research Initiative, runs nationwide from September to October 2025, showcasing innovative ideas and practices that offer new and exciting possibilities for change in cities across Australia.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:15 PM Location: Shine Dome, ANU Campus, 15 Gordon Street, Acton,
ACT Registration: festivalofurbanism.com.
