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Seven Billion: It’s Getting Crowded in Here!

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Event Status

High density living is great for the environment, right? But what does it do to our heads and hearts? The Australian psyche was moulded by the myth of the ‘wide brown land’, so what might life packed like sardines look and feel like? With the world’s seven billionth person is about to be born, can we learn from the Asian megacity experience? And will we still be sharing a cup of sugar with our neighbours? As the population debate gets mental, we’re going in search of the soul in urban sprawl.

Hosted by Natasha Mitchell and featuring Kim Dovey, Helen Killmier, Bernard Salt and Sein-Way Tan.

Presented in partnership with ABC Radio National.

Featuring

Helen Killmier

Helen Killmier is a community psychologist with Interact Australia working in the fields of disability services, community aged care, recreation, respite, partnership development, community capacity building, social policy and strategic planning. Helen joined Interact after 12 years in local governm... Read more

Natasha Mitchell

Natasha Mitchell is a multi-award-winning journalist, radio presenter, podcaster, and audio storyteller. She is host of the ABC Radio National’s flagship Big Ideas program and podcast, was founding host and producer of the internationally renowned radio show and one of the ABC’s first podcas... Read more

Kim Dovey

Kim Dovey is Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Melbourne. Kim has taught at the University of California, Berkeley and at RMIT and Melbourne. Kim’s research is broadly focused on theories of ‘place’ and practices of power, covering social issues in architecture an... Read more

Bernard Salt

Bernard Salt is one of Australia’s leading social commentators. He heads The Demographics Group which provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business. Prior to that Bernard founded KPMG Demographics. He is perhaps best known for identifying and tagging new tribe... Read more

Sein-Way Tan

Sein-Way Tan is the founder of Green World City Organisation, a sustainable cities consultancy. He has lived and studied in Australia, Singapore, Burma, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan. He serves on the Advisory Board of Global Urban Development, Climate Prosperity Alliance and Data Cities. Sein-wayâ€... Read more

Location

The Wheeler Centre

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

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The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.