Analysis

Is a language owned by its speakers or is it a public good? 'Who' gets to have a say, lay claim to, and wield a language? What does this all mean for navigating power differentials and public discourse? Unpack language, culture and power with linguist John McWhorter in a conversation with host Nick Enfield

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 12 March 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/4iuK0BQ

Is language power? with John McWhorter

Welcome back to City Road. In this episode, we reflect on 2024's Festival of 'Public' Urbanism and its panel discussion on how the public life of great cities takes place in our cultural buildings and civic spaces – from libraries to museums, town halls, streets, parks and playgrounds. 

This special Denis Winston memorial lecture, delivered by Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, State Librarian and award-winning author and curator, celebrates our crucial public infrastructure as the cornerstone of public and democratic life. 

The keynote address is followed by an eminent panel conversation between Dr Rob Stokes, former Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Professor Jennifer Barrett, Professor in Museum Studies and Pro-Vice Chancellor Indigenous at the University of Sydney. 

The annual Festival of Urbanism is brought to you by the Henry Halloran Research Trust with the assistance of the University of Sydney School of Architecture Design and Planning. 

Thanks for listening. 

See you next time on City Road. 

Host: Bill Code
Editor: Mikayla McGuirk-Scolaro

113. The Golden Thread in Public and Democratic Life

With housing *the* hot topic this election, a panel of experts at the recent Festival of Urbanism battled to convince a live audience that the private market could (or could not) solve Australia's housing crisis.  

This debate features:
- The Hon Doug Cameron, Former Senator
- Sharath Mahendran, Urban Planner and creator of YouTube channel Building Beautifully
- Emily Sims, Uralla Shire Council
- Stephanie Barker, Executive Director, Strategy and Engagement, Willowtree Planning
- Luke Cass,  editor, Honi Soit Newspaper 2023
- Emeritus Professor Peter Phibbs, Henry Halloran Research Trust, the University of Sydney 
Commentary

This debate also features commentary from Michael Koziol, Sydney editor, The Sydney Morning Herald and is chaired by Professor Nicole Gurran, Director, Henry Halloran Research Trust.

Thanks for listening.

See you next time on City Road.

Host: Bill Code
Editor: Mikayla McGuirk-Scolaro

114. Can the Private Market Solve Australia’s Housing Crisis?

Why are nations around the world racing to secure critical minerals? What’s at stake, and what does it mean for you? In this conversation, our expert panel will break down what you need to know about critical minerals – their role in the net zero transition, the geopolitical issues, and the environmental and community impacts.

Hear insights from Professor Marjorie Valix, the Net Zero Institute’s (NZI) critical minerals pillar lead, global governance expert Professor Susan Park, the founder and managing director of Critical Minerals Association Namali Mackay and Andrew Petersen, the CEO of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia. Professor Deanna D’Alessandro, Director of NZI, hosts this discussion. 

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 20 May 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/4mzZZRS

Critical minerals: The global race for resources

What is ‘public’ about our urban and regional transport systems - and how public should they be? Are our leaders actually serving public interests and values around public transport? Should a stick in the ground really count as a bus stop? And what the heck is a 'beg button'? In this episode of City Road a rich panel of speakers delve into the big questions surrounding public transport at the recent Festival of Urbanism, including Dr Ian Woodcock, Emma Bacon, Neill Miller, David Babineau, Dr Rebecca Clements and Dr Crystal Legacy. Photo: Andrew Thomas/Flickr

Putting the 'public' in public transport

Australia is in the midst of a housing crisis. But amidst the political and media debate about the fixes to our housing woes, public housing has slipped from view. There's concern that funding commitments are a far cry from the broad based approach to public rental housing which has supported so many Australians in the past, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. So where does Australia go from here? Join Rebecca Pinkstone, Chief Executive of Homes NSW, Alistair Sisson of Macquarie University, City of Sydney Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore, plus public housing tenants Norrie May-Welby and Karyn Brown at this Festival of Urbanism event recorded in late 2024. Photo: Wedge-Tail Pictures

The future of Australia's public housing

Science has shown us the universe began with a Big Bang but what about its endgame? Will everything burn out and freeze over, or collapse in on itself, or rip into shreds? How far away are we from this happening?

Embark on a cosmic journey to the end of the universe with astrophysicist, science communicator, and author of The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking), Katie Mack. 

In a public talk, Katie takes us through the latest scientific tolls and data, from space telescopes to particle colliders, to explain the big ideas and key theories of the death of the universe.

Professor Tara Murphy, Head of the School of Physics, hosts this event. 

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 10 July 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website:  bit.ly/40WQfb3

Katie Mack: The end of everything

Is Australia still the Lucky Country? In public opinion polling, more and more Australians believe things are, on the whole, getting worse than better. 

Various data such as the longstanding Scanlon Social Cohesion Report point to society becoming polarised. A culture of suspicion continues to grow around our most important institutions, and loneliness and social isolation is common across our community.

Against such concerning trends, what can be done? In this open discussion led by one of Australia’s foremost social researchers, author and University of Sydney alumna Dr Rebecca Huntley, we address three key, interconnected issues that will have a defining impact on national progress and prosperity, for generations to come. 

Featuring Dr Marlee Bower (Matilda Centre and Sydney Environment Institute), digital innovation expert Dr Raffaele F. Ciriello, refugee advocate and UN Women Australia MBA scholar ('24) Chantal Mousad, and economist Dr Suneha Seetahul (Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work).

This podcast is a recording of a live public event held on 29 July 2025. For more links and resources, including the transcript, visit Sydney Ideas website: https://bit.ly/45pcUhU

The Ideas Roundtable: Is Australia alright?

Is the growing trend in e-bike and e-scooter use the key to reducing congestion on our roads - or a menace for unsuspecting pedestrians, drivers, and riders themselves? Reports of accidents are filling the airwaves as experts question how governments can best manage the rapid growth in sales of electric bikes and scooters. So, how best to regulate the confusing landscape of e-micromobility? City Road's Bill Code welcomes Dr Yuting Zhang of the University of Sydney and president of Better Streets, cycling advocate Sara Stace.

E-bikes and e-scooters – a growing menace or city congestion saviour?

Slow ageing with University of Sydney Experts

Victor Davis Hanson describes how President Trump’s unconventional approach to foreign policy has often proved to be more effective than the conventional wisdom proffered by the Washington establishment.

Trump and the Gordian Knot

Date of Publication: 05/10/2018

Description:

According to Jeff Colgan, Associate Prof at Brown University, ‘over the past 25 years, US foreign policy outcomes in the Middle East have gone from more or less acceptable to downright awful.’  Arguably, the most notable US foreign policy failure in the region was the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, but to this day, US success in the Middle East is further challenged by complex conflicts, including those in Afghanistan and Syria, and is also impacted by the presence of terrorist organizations within Middle Eastern states faced with instability. Due to undesirable and costly outcomes in the past, many in Washington DC have contemplated whether the US should withdraw from the Middle East. However, if the US were to withdraw, this decision could not only impact US national interests but also have security consequences for the Middle East.
 
On the 24th of September, the Department of War Studies and the Conflict, Security and Development Research Group welcomed Prof Colgan for his talk titled, Should the US Withdraw from the Middle East. But, before his talk, I met up with Prof Colgan and Dr Stacey Gutkowski, Senior Lecturer in the Dept of War Studies, for a general discussion on the headlining question posed by Prof. Colgan's talk. Let’s hear what they had to say.
____________________

A recording of Jeff Colgan's talk at KCL will be available soon!
____________________

This podcast was produced by Kirk Allen.

Podcast: Should the US withdraw from the Middle East?

This week saw multiple countries point the finger at Russia for a string of cyberattacks, prompting the often-asked question of what a Western response would look like. China also came under scrutiny after a Bloomberg Businessweek story claimed that China had successfully inserted chips in to hardware used by Apple and Amazon, effectively allowing security backdoors into the companies. To explain it all is Jim Lewis, the CSIS resident cyber expert. Hosted by Colm Quinn.
 (Read more at https://csis.org/podcasts/readout/week-spies)

A Week of Spies

Jonathan Landreth speaks with Kevin Rudd about China’s struggle to explain itself and its strict Internet censorship to young people around the world, about what China and the United States might do at this late date to work together on climate change abatement, and about what Americans should be thinking about vis-à-vis China as they head to the polls in the U.S. midterm elections.

Can China Win Global Hearts and Minds?

Writer Brendan O'Connor explains how the Proud Boys found their place at the feet of the Republican Party - offering violence in service of the right's political agenda, and acknowledging the ideological links between ruling class power and reactionary force that have always existed outside of the mainstream view, but are coalescing rapidly and openly as the current political system collapses.

Brendan wrote the article Boys to Men for The Baffler. 

https://thebaffler.com/latest/boys-to-men-oconnor

How the Proud Boys joined the Republican Party.

In 2015 more Australian military personnel and veterans took their lives than were killed in Afghanistan during 13 years of war. Our expert panel brings together medical experts and social scientists to discuss the growing problem of military suicide - why is it happening and how should it be addressed politically? 

This Sydney Ideas event was held at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 20 November 2018.

Sydney Ideas

Why are soldiers taking their own lives?

Sydney Ideas is the University of Sydney's premier public lecture series program, bringing the world's leading thinkers and the latest research to the wider Sydney community.

Why are soldiers taking their own lives?

Sydney Ideas

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