In this week’s Policy Forum Pod, we are joined in the studio by Helen Sullivan to discuss urban decline – what it means, how it happens, and what policymakers need to look out for when making plans to revitalise urban areas.
Despite the fact that more and more people are moving to cities globally, some places are increasingly struggling with slower population growth, lower incomes and higher unemployment rates. One example of such urban decline is Dandenong, a diverse multicultural suburb of Melbourne, that has been facing a number of social and economic challenges. On this episode, we talk to Crawford School Director Professor Helen Sullivan about her research into the revitalisation of Dandenong, and the story it tells about cultural pluralism and the importance of collaboration between different levels of government. Helen also discusses why policymakers must pause and listen first if they want to create successful revitalisation plans.
Pod presenters Sue Regan and Martyn Pearce also dive into some of your questions and comments and welcome new members to our Facebook Podcast group.
Helen Sullivan is Director of Crawford School of Public Policy. She has published widely on public policy, public governance and public service reform, and in 2013 established the Melbourne School of Government.
Sue Regan is a PhD Scholar and tutor at Crawford School of Public Policy. Previously, Sue was Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, a UK-based research institute focusing on the well-being of low earners.
Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.
Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.