Associate Professor Glen Searle | Exploring How Sydney’s Population Growth Impacts Its Governance
Original Article Reference
This SciPod is a summary of the paper ‘Population growth and development: an outcome of Sydney’s metropolitan governance’, from Australian Planner, 2020. doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2020.1739095
About this episode
Rises in population and demographic changes can have significant effects on the development and governance of urban environments. Associate Professor Glen Searle of the University of Sydney recently published a paper that highlights the ways in which Sydney’s rapid population growth is supported by national immigration targets and the state government’s desire to keep Sydney ahead of other Australian cities as a global city. This population growth then drives important governance decisions at state and national levels, particularly relating to development. By prioritising rapid dwelling construction to accommodate Sydney’s rising population, but lacking adequate funding for new transport, the state government has had to reduce checks and balances needed for more democratic planning and sustainable development.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
What does this mean?
Share: You can copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
Adapt: You can change, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Credit: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
More episodes
Defending Authentic Leadership: A Response to Critical Claims
A recent paper from Professor William Gardner at Texas Tech University and Professor Kelly Davis McCauley at West Texas A&M University challenges a critique that characterized authentic leadership theory as “wrong” and “perilous.” Their analysis demonstrates how misrepresentations of the theory can undermine valuable leadership approaches, while highlighting the empirical support and practical benefits of leaders striving for authenticity in organizational settings.
Associate Professor Nina Tahmasebi | A new approach for detecting changes in word meaning over time
Words change their meanings over time, but tracking these changes has traditionally required painstaking manual analysis by linguists. In recent years, researchers have been using computational models to automatically detect when semantic change happens, and how much of a change has occurred. Recent research led by Associate Professor Nina Tahmasebi and her colleagues in the Change is Key! program introduces innovative computational methods for detecting qualitative features of semantic change, opening new possibilities for understanding language evolution at scale.
Professor Denise Troutman | Rethinking ‘Sassy’: The Complex Intersections of Race, Gender, and Linguistic Politeness
Research by Professor Denise Troutman at Michigan State University examines how race, gender, and social context shape perceptions of politeness and impoliteness in language, particularly focusing on the term ‘sassy’ when applied to African American women and girls. The research challenges traditional theories of politeness and reveals a need for cultural contextualizations to avert harmful stereotypes.
Professor Carsten Herrmann-Pillath and Professor Guo Man | How death rituals are changing in China’s fastest-growing city
Research from Professor Carsten Herrmann-Pillath at the University of Erfurt and Professor Guo Man at Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen Campus reveals how traditional funeral practices are being transformed in Shenzhen, an area of China which has rapidly developed into a huge metropolis. The research shows how government regulations, economic forces, and cultural traditions interact to create new forms of death rituals that balance modern urban constraints with deep-rooted customs.
Increase the impact of your research
• Good science communication helps people make informed decisions and motivates them to take appropriate and affirmative action.
• Good science communication encourages everyday people to be scientifically literate so that they can analyse the integrity and legitimacy of information.
• Good science communication encourages people into STEM-related fields of study and employment.
• Good public science communication fosters a community around research that includes both members of the public, policymakers and scientists.
• In a recent survey, 75% of people suggested they would prefer to listen to an interesting story than read it.

Step 1 Upload your science paper
Step 2 SciPod script written
Step 3 Voice audio recorded
Step 4 SciPod published