In this episode, we are looking at Flood as a Catalyst for planning and design. The climate crisis is driving more and more extreme weather events. In Australia flood and fire are impacting our urban areas. Australians have always had a connection to coastal living and more and more the places we love are under threat of inundation. We are speaking with planner Jane Keddie from Hansen Partnership and architect James Davidson from JDA Co. to discuss how planning and design can work with the weather and environmental flows to mitigate risk and rethink our relationship to water.

In the midst of a climate crisis, where we are seeing increasing extreme weather events, how can we plan and design for flood?  Is it simply a matter of barricading our buildings against the flood waters or can we work with the ebbs and flows of our water eco-systems to design in a more responsive way?

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Jane Keddie, Hansen

Jane is Director of Hansen’s strategic planning team and works regularly on a wide range of projects across planning and design, working collaboratively both internally and externally to deliver large and complex projects. Her commitment to improving planning’s responses to climate change are acknowledged by award wins and the intersection of climate resilience and planning systems is a key focus of her work. She also has a passion for Victoria’s regions and has worked extensively across the state. She regularly supports reviews of policy and has provided expert evidence at Planning Panels Victoria.

Jane’s strengths lie in system thinking and in the communication of complex planning concepts to a broad range of stakeholders. She is regularly sought out for her facilitation skills and willingness to do things differently to find the right solution for her clients. Jane has chaired and facilitated numerous forums, roundtables, conference sessions and industry briefings. She has given evidence at both state and federal government inquiries, and she regularly provides advocacy and commentary, particularly around issues related to climate change. She sits on the program advisory board for Monash University’s planning degree and is the current Vice-President of the Planning Institute of Australia (Victorian division).

James Davidson, JDA Co.

James Davidson is the founder and Principal of JDA Co. — the preferred architecture and design practice for governments, councils and private enterprises adapting urban environments to withstand floods, cyclones, bushfires, storm surges and extreme heat.

James is a lead technical advisor to the Queensland Government’s $741M Resilient Homes Fund. JDA Co. assisted in the design and implementation of this landmark program, which has since been replicated in other Australian states. It follows the rollout of the Flood Resilient Homes Program for the Brisbane City Council — Australia’s largest local government authority — for which JDA Co. was a delivery partner. James has also partnered with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and local Queensland councils to deliver flood-resilient building guidelines. James holds a Doctorate in Architecture, is a previous Director of Emergency Architects Australia and a Winston Churchill Fellow. He is also the author of Waterfutures: Integrated water and flood management strategies for enhancing liveability in Southeast Queensland.

The Catalyst Podcast series was recorded at The Push, Collingwood Yards. The Push is a youth music organisation and charity with the purpose of giving every young person the opportunity to participate and thrive in Australian music. Over three decades The Push has supported millions of young people with access to contemporary music programs and events.

Produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org