Local places, global connections, planning for multicultural precincts

Local places, global connections: Planning for multicultural precincts

Date: Thursday, 10 September 2026

Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Venue: Parramatta Phive

How do planners and designers consider cultural diversity when planning for new and renewing precincts? From respecting Country and traditional ownership to the contemporary multi-culturalism enriching Australia’s contemporary cities and regions, our expert panel shares leading design and planning practice.    

Speakers

Dr Jock Collins, Formerly Professor of Social Economics, Management Discipline Group, UTS Business School

Gauri Torgalkar, Visual Artist and Urban Design Associate, Studio GL

Diana Griffiths, Director, Studio GL

Professor Awais Piracha, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University

Chaired by

Dr Deepti Prasad, Lecturer in Urbanism, The University of Sydney

Sydney Festival 7-11 September 

National events September – October 2026

Translocality describes the interconnectedness between different places and people, beyond national boundaries. The circulation of people, goods, knowledge and capital, though an ancient process, is facilitated and impacted by new technologies, bringing new opportunities and challenges for cities and regions. Increasingly important, a translocal lens highlights these deep and intersecting relationships between people and places over time – from the legacies of colonisation and environmental change to contemporary patterns of migration and cultural diversity. Through panel discussions, debates, exhibitions, and tours, and featuring thought leaders from academia, the arts, industry, and civil society, the 2026 Festival of translocal Urbanism examines and celebrates the complex social, economic and environmental connections between local and global communities.