Sydney is changing faster than ever but questions as to how it is changing – and how it should change – are seldom addressed. Are skyscrapers the best way to densify? How do we define heritage? Should more of us cycle to work? Will we continue to work from home? Is the affordability crisis solvable? Must we sacrifice koalas for homes?
The Sydneyist seeks to fill this gap by energising public debate. Each Thursday at 6pm we’ll have lots of talk, some fun, a smidgeon of politics bit definitely NO WHINGEING. Join presenter Elizabeth Farrelly, producer Sophie Kennedy White and their informed guests in sharing opinions and insights on how to help Sydney find its best self.
Is Sydney becoming a ghetto for the rich? The Selwyn Street boarding houses have become a test case for affordable inner-city living. Mike Mannix has been leading the fight to save them, and the 30 people they house. Mike joins Elizabeth Farrelly on The Sydneyist podcast to give us the background to this battle for […]
At long last New South Wales has a female Government Architect. At the same time, the Government Architect’s role has gone from making buildings, like the GPO on Martin Place, to offering Ministerial advice. As Government Architect, Abbie Galvin has promoted Design with Country, low-rise mixed-use development and is generating the much-debated NSW Pattern Book. Abbie Galvin joins Elizabeth Farrelly on The Sydneyist podcast to […]
How desperate are we? Is Sydney ready for the mass rollout of tiny, sunless apartments, as recommended by the Productivity Commissioner? On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast from 2024, Elizabeth Farrelly is joined by Sue Weatherley MPIA (Fellow) and President of the NSW Planning Institute of Australia, about whether sunless apartments will help solve […]
Max McRuvie-Burns Sydney’s crime history is endlessly fascinating, not least because it was dominated by women. Hence the nickname, Pussytown. Where were the brothels, speakeasies and hideouts, exactly – and how many were right here in Paddington? On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast Sydney historian and tour guide Max Burns-McRuvie joins Elizabeth Farrelly to […]
On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast Elizabeth Farrelly is joined by the erudite and articulate Architect Tone Wheeler. The old three-storey walk-up is one of Sydney’s most despised traditions. But now, as the housing crisis deepens, many are asking whether it is less problem than solution? Architect Tone Wheeler is a big fan and […]
Architecture was once a noble profession. Now the Minns government proposes to abolish the Architects Act and make architects into ‘building practitioners.’ Elizabeth Farrelly chats with Australian Institute of Architects President-elect Adam Haddow about what this means for architecture and for Sydney. […]
Should you buy an EV? Or maybe a hybrid? If so, which one? What about charging, range, batteries, rare metal mining? Are ev’s as clean as they seem? Inner-west electrification and EV advocate Sarah Aubrey has 71,000 Instagramfollowers and 1.9million views of some of her videos. On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast Sarah joins […]
Read More… from To EV or Not EV? Electrify this on Electric Vehicles
Has the Powerhouse been saved? Or is it actually under demolition? On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast from January 2025 Elizabeth Farrelly is joined by museums specialist Kylie Winkworth with updates on the latest developments in this long-running Sydney cultural drama. […]
What happened to our cities? Why are young people leaving in droves? Can affordability be fixed? On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast Elizabeth Farrelly is joined by the erudite and articulate Dr Tim Williams to discuss the housing crisis, its causes and solutions. […]
On this episode of The Sydneyist podcast from December 2024 ‘Can Sydney learn from the Commonwealth?’, Elizabeth Farrelly spoke with Hugo Chan about what Sydney can learn from Global examples. Young Sydney architect Hugo Chan was recently elected Youth Representative to the Commonwealth Association of Architects. Hugo believes collaboration and shared learning amongst young architects […]
150,000 NSW children now live in apartments. But very few apartments are designed with that in mind. On this episode of THE SYDNEYIST podcast, UNSW Professor Philip Oldfield joins Elizabeth Farrelly to talk about why this is, and what can be done. […]
We all hate Sydney traffic, but we all love to drive.
How to resolve this conundrum? […]