KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif (Malaysia) is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), appointed at the level of Under-Secretary-General by the Secretary-General, following an election by the General Assembly on 22 December 2017. She succeeds Dr. Joan Clos of Spain. As the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Sharif has focused on reforming and rejuvenating the agency, mobilizing for internal and external support for the organization's restructuring and new Strategic Plan 2020–2023. Key initiatives undertaken by Ms. Sharif as the Executive Director of UN-Habitat include the adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 73/539 after 14 years of negotiation, which established a new governance structure with universal membership, governed by the UN-Habitat Assembly. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Sharif was the Mayor of the City Council of Penang Island, Malaysia. In 2011, she was the first woman to be appointed President of the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai. As mayor of a local authority, she led the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai to achieve its vision of a “cleaner, greener, safer and healthier place to work, live, invest and play.” Ms. Sharif began her career as a Town Planner at the Municipal Council of Penang Island in 1985. In 2003, she was promoted to Director of Planning and Development, a position she held until November 2009.Born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, on 26 August 1961, Ms. Sharif holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Town Planning Studies from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, UK and a Master of Science in Planning Studies from the Malaysia Science University.

Bárbara is Urban Planning Advisor to the Vice-Mayor of Barcelona and leads urban initiatives as part of the Barcelona Green Deal. She also teaches part time at the Global Studies Degree at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). She has developed her professional career both at the private sector and in various public administration executive roles. She has lectured at numerous conferences and seminars at Spanish and North American Universities and served as a guest critic on international juries. She has also coordinated research on green infrastructure in Latin-American cities for the Inter-American Development Bank. Barbara holds a Bachelor in Architecture from the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, a PhD in Urban Planning by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and Master in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, specializing in landscape planning, green infrastructures and sustainable regional planning. 

Professor Billie Giles-Corti is a Distinguished Professor and a Vice  Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow at RMIT University and leads the Healthy Liveable Cities Lab in the Centre for Urban Research.  For over two decades, she and a multi-disciplinary research team have been studying the impact of the built environment on health and wellbeing. Between 2014 and 2020 she led an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Liveable Communities; between 2017-2020 she was RMIT’s Urban Futures Enabling Capability Development Platform Director and between 2007-11 she was Foundation Director of UWA’s Centre for the Built Environment.  She is a Technical Advisor of the Victorian Office of the Government Architect’s Design Review Panel, a member of the Victorian Planning Authority’s Precinct Structure Plan Review Committee, a member of Melbourne Water’s Liveability Panel and an Honorary Fellow of both the Planning Institute of Australia and the Public Health Association.  She has published over 400 articles, book chapters and reports, and by citations, has been ranked in the top 1% of researchers in her field globally.  She is Fulbright Scholar and in 2016, was awarded an NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Fellowship as the top ranked female NHMRC public health fellow.  

Toby Thorpe is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and climate action.
Through his initiatives, Huonville High School became the second Australian winner of the international Zayed Sustainability Prize – launching Tasmania as a global leader in renewable energy innovation.
Toby organised the first state-wide climate leaders’ conference in three Tasmanian cities, attracting more than 350 student participants. Now in its third year, the Global Energy Award-winning program empowers young people to lead sustainability projects that will contribute positively to the environment and their communities.
Toby has twice led the Tasmanian Youth Delegation, as part of the United Nations Climate Change Conference. He worked tirelessly to enable students to meet with Australian Government representatives as well as international changemakers such as Greta Thunberg.
Toby is executive director at the Climate Justice Initiative, which runs in-school workshops to help young people understand their power to make a positive impact and connects them with activists around the world.

Tyson Yunkaporta is an academic, an arts critic, and a researcher who is a member of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland. He carves traditional tools and weapons and also works as a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne. He lives in Melbourne.

Ralph Horne is Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation for the College of Design and Social Context at RMIT University. He is Professor of Geography and his research focuses on social and policy change to support sustainable urban development, housing and households. He currently leads a range of research projects in Australia and Europe, on sustainable, equitable, and circular economy housing and households, post-carbon medium density housing, and sustainable production and consumption in urban environments.  Among the latter is a current project examining the challenges facing households and built environment industries in recycling, waste reduction, and preparation and participation in circular economy systems.  He combines research leadership and participation in research projects concerning the environmental, social and policy context of cities. The spatial, material and contingent social and policy structures at play are the main focus of his work on both the making and shaping of future urban environments.  

Robert is currently a Development Director for Development Victoria who are the Victorian Governments development arm responsible for revitalising diverse and strategic property development and urban renewal projects across the state of Victoria. He has had Property journey traversing from private to the public sector that have included commercial construction, property development and more recently in affordable housing & precinct development for the Victorian government. This unique & broad exposure to various sectors and stakeholders within the built environment has provided insights into the property sector which has spurred his interest in how innovation and technology can be utilised to aid and be more sympathetic to the needs and desires of all stakeholders in the supply chain. As well keen advocate for the proptech sector, he has contributed to a Data61 paper on blockchain solutions for government services, been instrumental in the development of eComply (automated planning tool) and is exploring technology solutions in measuring the 20 Minute city status of any council or city.  

Nikki Huddy is based in Far North Queensland. With a background in Local Government, Nikki is the Founding Director of Planz Town Planning.  Nikki is on the Queensland Transport Mobility as a Service Expert Advisory Panel; a Queensland Regional Community Forum Member; and Adjunct Lecturer James Cook University.  Nikki is a Registered Planner, PIA Fellow, and Australian Planner of the year 2020 as a nod to her passion for regional communities.  At a time when many planners are defining themselves as 'urbanists', Nikki Huddy is un-apologetically a 'regionalist'.  Nikki is an advocate for 'bottom-up' policy. she believes regions are best placed to know their own interests and is a champion for helping communities find the words to meaningfully participate in the planning process. Nikki says that her best work is done in cross-disciplinary teams and her presentation today is the happy story of how engineers and planners turned an energy resilience project into a social enterprise project for the town of Yarrabah.

Malcolm Smith is Arup’s Australasian Cities Leader and founding director of Arup London’s Integrated City Planning unit, bringing together design, economics and political strategy in complex master planning projects. Guiding design strategy projects across the world, his work also encompasses systems integration, resource efficiency, cultural strategy, meaningful infrastructure, risk and resilience, and social value. Malcolm has advised influential non-government organisations including the Gore Foundation, UN Habitat and the World Bank. Currently serving as co-chair on the WELL City Advisory; facilitating important advisory conversations and guiding the WELL City program’s work to develop solutions that help cities worldwide create safer, healthier spaces and navigate a healthy, equitable recovery from COVID-19.

Monica has forged an extensive career in lead strategic and statutory planning roles in council, industry and the department over more than two decades. She was recently appointed as the head of a new division established to deliver development ready land for housing and boost housing supply across NSW. Monica was formerly Executive Director of the Local and Regional Planning branch where the focus was on regional planning and the NSW Regional Housing Taskforce. Monica has a passion for planning’s ability to bring about real, lasting and positive change for young people, people in our regions, and people in need.

Professor Phibbs is a highly regarded geographer, planner and social economist. He has been involved in applied housing studies for over twenty years and has taken a lead role in devising affordable housing strategies in Australia. Peter's expertise extends to planning for housing, the residential development process, housing finance and project risk assessment. He is also currently a member of the World Health Organisation’s working group which has prepared a set of guidelines on the connections between housing and health.

Ellen leads climate change adaptation, mitigation and risk services at SGS. She has specialist expertise in housing policy and leads SGS’s annual award-winning rental affordability index research project. Ellen has expertise in policy advice, governance, business case development and social, economic and financial analysis. She believes in the power of engagement and collaboration and uses her communication, facilitation and consultation skills to deliver solutions that are developed with and owned by clients, stakeholders and communities. Ellen has managed many large projects that involve multiple clients and stakeholders around wicked issues such as governance reform, transitioning to a low carbon economy and housing affordability and homelessness. She is a regular media commentator and speaker at conferences and events, which support her passion for engaging with stakeholders to make lasting impacts in the public interest. Ellen has substantial governance and director experience, having served on multiple boards.

Saul Eslake worked as an economist in the Australian financial markets for more than 25 years, including as Chief Economist at McIntosh Securities (a stockbroking firm) in the late 1980s, Chief Economist (International) at National Mutual Funds Management in the early 1990s, as Chief Economist at the Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) from 1995 to 2009, and as Chief Economist (Australia & New Zealand) for Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 2011 until June 2015. In between these last two positions he was Director of the Productivity Growth program at the then newly-established Grattan Institute, a ‘think tank’. In July 2015 Saul started up his own economics consultancy business, operating out of Hobart, and in April 2016 took up a part-time position as a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania.

Ingrid Cumming is a Whadjuk Balardong Noongar woman from Fremantle, Western Australia and recognised young leader within the First Nations community. Ingrid is the founder and principal consultant of Kart Koort Wiern consultancy, representing First Nations Business globally for over ten years, alumni of Murdoch University and Melbourne Business School. Ingrid was part of the establishment of the Indigenous Women in Business network and has served as a Commissioner for Conservation for the WA state government. Ingrid has worked with a variety of sectors and organisations, creating, facilitating and evaluating programs and strategies to address their issues and strengths. Ingrid has won and been a finalist in a range of awards like NAIDOC Perth, Telstra Women in Business, Curtin Vice-Chancellor Awards, ‘Champion for Change’ by EPHEA (Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia), WA Heritage Awards and Belmont Small Business Awards. Ingrid has presented at various forums and conferences around the world in relation to engagement, equity and diversity matters including as a delegate at the UN Women Leaders Conference in Israel in 2013, TedXPerth in 2014 been on various TV programs, including the Drum in 2021.Ingrid is a strong ally of LGBTIQ, First Nations, Youth and diverse groups, stakeholders and organisations.