UNE’s Urban and Regional Planning has a long and proud history of educating planners in all parts of Australia, so it was a privilege to be able to host an alumni and student event for planners at UNE Parramatta campus on 13 June. With so many planners in the room at our alumni event, it was impossible to avoid discussion about this Victorian Mannerist building, designed by Colonial Architect James Johnstone Barnet, and built in the late 1870s.

It was a wonderful opportunity to shine a spotlight on the achievements within and importance of the planning courses within the School of HASS, and the event served as a powerful visual reminder of the influence of the discipline in Sydney and more broadly.

Vice Chancellor and CEO Professor Chris Moran stressed the importance of place in Sydney, and the role of UNE Planning graduates in the ways places are managed in Sydney and in Australia more broadly.

Right up to the present, UNE Urban and Regional Planning have a lot to celebrate. Planning course coordinator, Associate Professor Stephen Wood, spoke to some of the planning program’s recent achievements, including updated programs of study, and expedited course plans which have almost halved the time it takes to complete some of UNE’s planning degrees.

If we needed any more evidence of the importance of UNE planning graduates and students, this was evident in the brilliant panel of alumni we heard from on the night. We were very privileged to hear from April McCabe (Director, The Planning Studio), Keiran Thomas (Director, Regional Assessments, Department of Planning), Jody Connor (Associate Director, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement) and Phoebe Wilkinson (2021 PIA NSW Young Planner of The Year), showcasing the diversity of career opportunities that UNE planning degrees open up.

Reflecting upon their time at UNE, panellists recalled both challenges (juggling family and life commitments with off-campus study) and fond and fun memories (college life, intensive schools, and forging lifelong friendships and collaborations with other UNE planning graduates).

The panel also spoke about some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the planning profession, with the current housing crisis and shortage of planners top of the list. This led to an impassioned plea for stronger advocacy amongst planners for the profession, places, and communities, which was another reminder of the critical role UNE has to play in helping fill shortages especially in rural and regional areas.

We will continue to tackle this challenge with our partnerships with local councils for targeted cadetship programs, shaping our course offerings to suit industry and individual needs, and through our newly developed capstone units which see current students working on real-world projects with industry partners.

As well as inviting a focus on the profession, the event was a wonderful evening to meet and socialise. We look forward to more opportunities to gather and celebrate our alumni by including them as guest speakers in our newly developed Practical Experience in Planning (PEP) Talk series.

I would like to thank: the Head of School, Professor Alistair Noble, for his support with the event; staff at UNE’s Paramatta Campus for hosting us; and UNE’s Alumni and Events teams for helping us to organise and promote the event. Thanks also to our students and alumni for their attendance – it was terrific to meet many of them in person for the first time! Finally, I would like to thank Professor Chris Moran for taking the time to attend this event and making it more special for our alumni and students.

Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning

Sanaz Alian