The 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

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.

Day 1 | 15 November

Opening

Introduction: 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 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

Meg 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

Welcome: 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

Polly 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, QueenslandJohn 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

Paul 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

Welcome: Geoffrey Garrett, CEO, US Studies Centre, The University of Sydney

Address: Polly Trottenberg, US Assistant Secretary of Transportation

DAY 2 | 16 November

Keynote Address

Welcome: 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 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

Tor 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

Romilly 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

Special thanks

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

  • Alcoa
  • Dow Chemical Company
  • Lend Lease