Endangered adolescence: are public spaces dead to teens?

The annual Festival of Urbanism is a series of conversations where researchers, practitioners, community advocates and industry leaders come together to debate the threats and opportunities facing our cities. 

About

Teens have found new public spaces on-line, while children’s ability to access quality place spaces and recreation areas is highly variable across Australia’s cities and regions. This session asks whether online spaces are the new public realm for young people and how urban planners and policy makers can make real space in the city for the next generation coming of age.

Speakers

• Dr Jennifer Kent (chair), Senior Research Fellow of Urbanism, University of Sydney 
  
• Dr Amanda Third, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University 
  
• Prof Karen Malone, Professor Sustainability, Science and Geography Education, Swinburne University of Technology 
• Kate Luckraft, Studio Director, Aspect Studios

Dr Jennifer Kent is a Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism at the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. Jennifer’s research interests are at the intersections between urban planning, transport and human health. She specialises in combining quantitative and qualitative data with understandings from policy science to trace the practical, cultural and political barriers to healthy cities. 

Professor Amanda Third is Professorial Research Fellow in Digital Social and Cultural Research in the Institute for Culture and Society and Co-Director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University; and Research Stream Co-Lead in the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies. An international expert in user-centred, participatory research, her work investigates young people's technology practices, focusing on marginalised groups and rights-based approaches.

Professor Karen Malone is Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Childhood Studies in the Department of Education, and Research Director for the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.  She researches in urban ecologies, environmental sustainability education, science education and nature and childhood studies with a specific focus on damaged urban landscapes.

Kate Luckraft is Studio Director of Aspect Studios, a design firm specialising in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Wayfinding and Urban Strategy. Over the last 2 years Kate has led teams working on significant urban renewal and infrastructure projects including the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment precinct; North West Rail Link; and Sydney Light Rail.

How to join the conversation

This virtual event is free and open to all. Register to get the details for how you can tune in on the day via Zoom webinar.

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