Darwin workshop, Urban systems transformation

On 18 February 2019 Future Earth Australia held the seventh in a series of national workshops for its project ‘Urban systems transformation: sustainable cities’. The Darwin workshop was hosted by Charles Darwin University and included stakeholders from territory government, city councils, local businesses, NGOs and research groups.

The event began with presentations by Professor Simon Maddocks, Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Darwin University, and Dr Alexandra Murray, Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation at Charles Darwin University. Next, several regional experts were asked to give a short presentation on the current issues and visions for Darwin and the Northern Territory, and to share their insights on the major challenges for achieving sustainable development. Speakers included Alicia Boyle of the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University, Louise Taylor of the Northern Territory Government Department of the Chief Minister, and Caitlin Perry of the Northern Territory Council of Social Services. Following the panel discussion, participants were asked about their visions for a sustainable future in Darwin. Using an online poll, we generated a word cloud of answers to a number of questions. For instance, when asked ‘What is your vision for a sustainable future in Darwin?’, the words water, shade, jobs, energy, and population were the most commonly answered.

To read more about the event in Darwin, read our outcome paper.