Newcastle: City in transition – Public Forum

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

A panel of local and international urban design experts and innovators will come together tonight before a full house at Newcastle City Hall to debate, examine and imagine the future of Newcastle and the region.

Emily Martinsen

Newcastle: City in transition is sponsored by the University of Newcastle and is the first in a planned series of discussions comprising local and international guests exploring the city's future.

The inaugural discussion features international guest and architect Emily Marthinsen, Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Physical and Environmental Planning at the University of California, Berkeley – a top 10 university in the world. UC Berkeley has major capital projects underway, including development projects with City of Berkeley and private partners.

UON Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline McMillen, said Newcastle was a city that was always evolving, reinventing itself, and seeking opportunities to develop and change. 

"Through this forum, our city will have a conversation that takes us forward as a community: what kind of city do we want Newcastle to be? How will we get there?" Professor McMillen said.

Newcastle: City in transition will be moderated by Kristen Keegan, CEO of the Hunter Business Chamber. Local leaders on the panel are:

  • Sharon Claydon MP, Federal Member for Newcastle
  • Marcus Westbury, Director of Renew Australia
  • Ken Gouldthorp, General Manager, Newcastle City Council
  • Trent Bagnall, Founder of Slingshot Business Accelerator
  • David Antcliff, Project Manager, Urban Growth NSW

"The University's NeW Space city precinct will be an important catalyst project for the development of the city," Professor McMillen said.

"Ms Marthinsen's contribution to the conversation will be invaluable as our local panel of leaders discuss the future of Newcastle with one of the leading experts on university cities."

The forum will be filmed and available on the UON YouTube channel.

Follow the conversation on twitter #newcastlecity 

Read an article about Emily Marthinsen's visit to Newcastle in the HES | Planning a big challenge for tomorrow's uni | John Ross | April 9 | The Australian

Contact

  • Jessica Sullivan
  • Phone: +612 4985 4171

Related news