Patrick Harris

Bianca De Marchi/AAP

September 22, 2023

Planning laws protect people. A poorly regulated rush to boost housing supply will cost us all

Patrick Harris, UNSW and Edgar Liu, UNSW

Bypassing planning regulations is likely to have impacts on social inequity and wellbeing that could prove very costly for both governments and people.

Bianca De Marchi/AAP

July 4, 2023

By gutting the Greater Cities Commission, the NSW government is setting up itself and Sydney for failure

Patrick Harris, UNSW and Jennifer L. Kent, University of Sydney

The centralisation of planning power is exactly what Sydney doesn’t need. While not perfect, the commission broke the mould of top-down, siloed planning and broadened the focus across the whole city.

AAP Image/Dean Lewins

March 8, 2022

Under‑resourced and undermined: as floods hit south‑west Sydney, our research shows councils aren’t prepared

Nicky Morrison, Western Sydney University and Patrick Harris, UNSW

Councils are trying to balance competing priorities in urban development, with limited resources and stretched budgets.

Joel Carrett/AAP Image

September 16, 2021

Chief health officers are in the spotlight like never before. Here’s what goes on behind the scenes

Patrick Harris, UNSW ; Aryati Yashadhana, UNSW , and Evelyne de Leeuw, UNSW

But media coverage misses the nuances of the role. This is what we found when we spoke to them.

Mick Tsikas/AAP

December 1, 2020

What did COVID do to rental markets? Rents fell as owners switched from Airbnb

Caitlin Buckle, University of Sydney; Nicole Gurran, University of Sydney; Patrick Harris, UNSW ; Peter Phibbs, University of Sydney; Rashi Shrivastava, University of Sydney, and Tess Lea, University of Sydney

Analysis of online listings on common online platforms shows even modest reductions in Airbnb listings increased supply of longer-term rentals. The result was lower local rents.

Much of the public opposition to the WestConnex project is related to concerns about the impacts on health. No WestConnex

December 3, 2018

Health impacts and murky decision‑making feed public distrust of projects like WestConnex

Patrick Harris, University of Sydney and Edward Jegasothy, University of Sydney

The health concerns that dominate public submissions to the parliamentary inquiry into WestConnex are a reminder that papering over such issues comes back to haunt governments.

Health objectives are at last being integrated into all levels of planning in New South Wales, from cities and towns to local places and buildings. pisaphotography/Shutterstock

April 16, 2018

With health assuming its rightful place in planning, here are 3 key lessons from NSW

Patrick Harris, University of Sydney; Elizabeth Harris, UNSW ; Emily Riley, University of Sydney; Jennifer L. Kent, University of Sydney, and Peter Sainsbury, South Western Sydney Local Health District

The connections between city planning and health are many and varied, but getting health objectives integrated into all aspects of planning in New South Wales has been a long struggle.

The NBN’s multi-technology mix seems unlikely to deliver the same internet quality to everyone. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

June 22, 2017

Three charts on: the NBN and Australia’s digital divide

Ashley Schram, Australian National University; Fran Baum, Flinders University; Matt Fisher, Flinders University; Patrick Harris, University of Sydney; Sharon Friel, Australian National University, and Toby Freeman, Flinders University

The National Broadband Network was meant to provide greater equity of digital access. So far, it’s not looking good.

The goal of healthy built environments has been missing from the NSW planning agenda for too long. from www.shutterstock.com

March 1, 2017

The mysterious disappearance of health from New South Wales planning laws

Patrick Harris, University of Sydney; Jennifer L. Kent, University of Sydney, and Peter Sainsbury, University of Sydney

The health impacts of urban and regional planning are undisputed. So why did the NSW government adopt and then discard health objectives as part of state planning legislation?

The two NSW motorway projects were unable to consider the issue of access to a mix of transport options, which is a key factor in public health impacts. Dylan Passmore/flickr

November 17, 2016

Why transport projects aren’t as good for your health as they could be

Patrick Harris, University of Sydney; Emily Riley, University of Sydney, and Jennifer L. Kent, University of Sydney

Transport infrastructure projects are conceived, planned and assessed in a way that makes it difficult to properly consider their major public health impacts.

Urban plans that consider health and well-being must be part of integrative planning policies. Jason Wesley Upton/flickr

December 15, 2015

A healthy approach: how to turn what we know about liveable cities into public policy

Jennifer L. Kent, University of Sydney; Patrick Harris, University of Sydney, and Peter Sainsbury, University of Sydney

Urban planning aims to create cities that support healthy and productive communities, and the success in putting health on the NSW planning agenda offers lessons in achieving better integrated policy.

Are amendments to NSW’s planning legislation an attempt to smother public opposition to mining? Kate Ausburn

September 16, 2013

Should mines be approved on money alone?

Patrick Harris, UNSW and Peter Sainsbury, University of Sydney

Recently the New South Wales Department for Planning and Infrastructure proposed changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy that governs mining. This amendment will make the policy an instrument…

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