PlanningxChange 123: Build Baby Build, with author Bryan Caplan
Release Date: 11/12/2024
PlanningxChange 145: Robyn Annear on Cities, Memory and the Art of Noticing
Planning XChange
In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell speak with historian and writer Robyn Annear about cities, memory and the art of noticing. Robyn has written extensively about Melbourne, lost places, everyday life, archival fragments and the small details that open up larger stories. Her recent book Shutter City looks closely at early photographs of Melbourne, but the conversation ranges more widely across her work as a historian and writer. The discussion explores place-based history, the previous lives of cities and towns, and the question that sits behind much of Robyn’s...
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PlanningxChange 144: Waste, Recovery and the City with Maree Marshall
Planning XChange
In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell speak with Maree Marshall from Urbis about waste, resource recovery and the city. Maree has worked in the waste and resource recovery sector for more than 25 years, advising councils, government agencies and designers on how waste systems operate in practice. The discussion begins with the ordinary household bin, but moves quickly into the larger planning and infrastructure questions behind waste collection, recycling and recovery. Topics include FOGO, glass recycling, container deposit schemes, textile waste, op shops, apartment...
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PlanningxChange 143: Place and Longevity: Reflections with Marcus Pearce
Planning XChange
Living Better for Longer: Blue Zones, Longevity and the Places We Create Guest: Marcus Pearce What do a small Greek island, a mountain village in Sardinia, and a Californian faith-based community have in common? They are among the world's famous Blue Zones - places where people routinely live into their nineties and hundreds, not because of miracle diets or expensive health interventions, but because of the way their communities are structured and how people live their everyday lives. In this episode, Peter Jewell and Jess Noonan speak with Marcus Pearce, longevity educator, host of the 100...
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PlanningxChange 142: Turning Litter into Fun - Spogomi
Planning XChange
This episode explores spogomi, the Japanese-born idea that reimagines litter collection as a competitive, team-based sport, transforming one of the least appealing aspects of urban life into something energetic, social, and unexpectedly joyful. We are joined by Masanori (Max) Tamazawa and Kazuhiro (Hiro) Yagasaki of the Spogomi Institute, who trace the evolution of spogomi from a local response to everyday urban waste into a global movement. What began as a way to address litter in Japanese cities has become a structured sport, where teams collect, sort, and score waste within a defined time...
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PlanningxChange 141 - Jared Jones, Californian Housing Producer
Planning XChange
In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell are joined by Jared Jones, founder of Middle Housing Partners () in California, to explore the growing challenge of delivering housing within established neighbourhoods. The conversation begins with a striking observation: in parts of California, access to home ownership is increasingly shaped by inheritance rather than income. From this starting point, the discussion turns to the question facing many cities - how can housing supply increase when established areas remain largely unchanged? Jared outlines his work delivering what...
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PlanningxChange 140: Future directions and current thoughts for PX
Planning XChange
In this episode Jess and Pete talk about whats on their minds and potential future interviews. Episode released 28 February 2026.
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PlanningxChange 139: Driverless Cars: What Do They Mean for Cities and Society?
Planning XChange
Driverless and autonomous vehicles are moving steadily from concept to reality, raising important questions for cities, streets and planning systems. While the technology is often framed as a transport or engineering issue, its impacts are likely to be felt far more broadly — shaping travel behaviour, land use, and the way urban space is organised. In this episode of PlanningxChange, hosts Cam Alderson and Jess Noonan are joined by Cern Basher to explore what autonomous vehicles could mean in practice. The discussion focuses on the economic and systemic forces behind driverless cars, rather...
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PlanningxChange 138: Agritourism, Regulation and Risk: Insights from Old Mission with Mary Reilly
Planning XChange
In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess and Peter speak with Mary Reilly, a planner and educator with deep experience in rural land-use issues. Mary helps us unpack the widely discussed Old Mission case from Michigan - a dispute between wineries and a township over land-use controls that resulted in a major federal damages award (approx $50m US). The discussion does not explore the legal merits or the ongoing appeal; instead, it uses the case to illuminate broader lessons for planners everywhere. Mary reflects on how agricultural areas are changing, how councils manage risk, and how planning...
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PlanningxChange 137: Architecture in Vietnam with Olivier Souquet (DE-SO Asia)
Planning XChange
In this episode, PlanningxChange travels to Vietnam to speak with Olivier Souquet, French architect and co-founder of DE-SO Asia, a Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)-based design studio renowned for projects that weave together climate, culture, and poetic sensibility. Since establishing DE-SO Asia in 2016, Olivier has guided a diverse body of work across Vietnam—from rural schools and urban housing to major civic and cultural landmarks, including the new City Planning Exhibition Center in Ho Chi Minh City. His practice embraces both rigorous environmental awareness and a deep respect for local...
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PlanningxChange 136: Promoting Retirement Living with Daniel Gannon
Planning XChange
In this episode of PlanningxChange, Jess and Peter speak with Daniel Gannon, Executive Director of the Retirement Living Council of Australia. Daniel brings nearly two decades of experience across advocacy, public policy, and media, including eight years leading the Property Council in South Australia, where he played a key role in landmark tax reforms that strengthened the state’s investment landscape. Now at the helm of the Retirement Living Council, Daniel is championing policies to meet the needs of Australia’s rapidly ageing population and to promote age-friendly communities across...
info_outlineIn PX123 our guest is Bryan Caplan. Bryan is Professor of Economics at George Mason University and a New York Times Bestselling author. We interview him about his ground breaking graphic novel ‘Build, Baby, Build - The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation’.
The book is so described: 'In Build, Baby, Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation, economist Bryan Caplan makes the economic and philosophical case for radical deregulation of this massive market―freeing property owners to build as tall and dense as they wish. Not only would the average price of housing be cut in half, but the building boom unleashed by deregulation would simultaneously reduce inequality, increase social mobility, promote economic growth, reduce homelessness, increase birth rates, help the environment, cut crime, and more. Combining stunning homage to classic animation with careful interdisciplinary research, Build, Baby, Build takes readers on a grand tour of a bona fide “panacea policy.” We can start realizing these missed opportunities as soon as we abandon the widespread misconception that housing regulation solves more problems than it causes.’
The book is a must read for planning undergraduates and all policy makers involved in the housing sector.
Other books he has written include The Myth of the Rational Voter, named "the best political book of the year" by the New York Times, Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids, The Case Against Education, Open Borders (co-authored with SMBC's Zach Weinersmith), Labor Econ Versus the World, How Evil Are Politicians?, Don't Be a Feminist, Voters As Mad Scientists, You Will Not Stampede Me, and Self-Help Is Like a Vaccine. He is now writing Unbeatable: The Brutally Honest Case for Free Markets.
In Podcast Extra / Culture Corner Bryan recommends ‘The problem with political authority’ by Michael Huemer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_of_Political_Authority). He also recommends the Youtube series 'Ride with Gabi' https://www.youtube.com/@ridewithgabi
Jess has gone back to duolingo, learning Italian (https://www.duolingo.com). Pete recommends the Netflix K Rom - com ‘Business Proposal’. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Proposal)
Audio produced by Jack Bavage. Podcast released 12 November 2024.