Description

Join us for This is Public: RE/DISCOVER your City where we explore the buildings, places and spaces that make Melbourne special, connect people to place and spark curiosity.

Hear about the challenges and opportunities facing our city through the lenses of heritage, housing, place, and community, and discover how design can address critical issues shaping Melbourne's form, identity, and future.

What's On

We'll hear from Open House Brno about their European festival, before returning to Melbourne for different perspectives on balancing our city's changing needs, imagining its future and ensuring it remains a vibrant and unique place we all feel connected to.

Speakers:
— Open House Brno
— Kerstin Thompson, KTA
— Skye Haldane, Principal Strategic Design, City of Melbourne
— Howard Ralley, Chief Officer - Partnerships & Engagement, Launch Housing
— Andrew J. May, Professor of History, University of Melbourne

Help shape the future of Victoria! Before and after the panel conversation, engage with a series of activations to share your ideas for shaping the future of Victoria.

RMIT is a Venue Partner for this event.

In Collaboration With:

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  Kerstin Thompson | Andrew J. May

  Kerstin Thompson is Principal of KTA and Adjunct Professor at RMIT and Monash Universities. A committed design educator she regularly lectures and runs studios at various schools across Australia and New Zealand. In recognition for the work of her practice, contribution to the profession and tertiary education, Kerstin was elevated to Life Fellow by the Australian Institute of Architects in 2017, appointed the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 and awarded the Gold Medal in 2023 - the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour - recognising distinguished services by architects. A member of the OVGA ‘s Design Review Panel she is an advocate for quality design within the profession, and the wider community. Recent projects that demonstrate her passion for civic space and heritage include Broadmeadows Town Hall, winner of the 2020 Victorian Architecture Medal, and Bundanon Art Museum & Bridge, recipient of the 2022 AIA Sulman Award for Public Architecture in NSW and the Sir Zelman Cowen Award, and Queen and Collins for The Melbourne Prize.
  
  Andrew J. May is Professor of History in the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, where he has been a faculty member since 2000. He has published widely as a social historian with interests across urban and colonial history, including Melbourne Street Life (1998), Espresso! Melbourne Coffee Stories (2001), and Welsh Missionaries and British Imperialism: The Empire of Clouds in North-East India (2012). He is director of the Encyclopedia of Melbourne project, published by Cambridge University Press in 2005, and available online as emelbourne.net.au, and is a co-author of The story of Melbourne’s Lanes (to be released this October). Andrew directs the Melbourne History Workshop (melbournehistoryworkshop.com), produces the My Marvellous Melbourne podcast, and was the historian member and deputy chair of the Heritage Council of Victoria 2015-2023.

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  Skye Haldane | Howard Ralley

  Skye Haldane is a landscape architect and urban designer with over 25 years experience in public realm design leadership, project delivery, and landscape management. She is passionate about ensuring our shared spaces work for everyone and is committed to creating outcomes that enhance connection to place and Country, informed by Traditional Owner and community knowledge, values and aspirations. In her current role as Strategic Design Principal at City of Melbourne Skye has a focus on the strategies and projects relating to the Birrarung (Yarra River), including the Greenline Project and floating wetlands trial. She is working closely with Wurundjeri, a host of project partners and community to realise the shared vision for the river. Over the past 12 years at City of Melbourne Skye has worked across all scales of delivery of the city’s public projects, led the multidisciplinary in-house design team, and advised on major projects and strategies.  
  
  Howard Ralley is the Chief Officer, Partnerships & Engagement for Launch Housing one of Melbourne’s largest providers of housing and homeless support services. Launch Housing is committed to ending homelessness, with immediate and practical solutions for people who are at risk of – or experiencing- all forms of homelessness.  
  
  Howard has over 25 years’ experience working in community and government engagement, marketing, fundraising and social change behaviour. Howard was the Global Brand Director for travel publisher Lonely Planet and after spending a long time encouraging people to explore the world, knew it was time to give something back. Howard has held key leadership roles at International aid agencies, Save the Children and CARE Australia and locally, working with Febfast and Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS).