Episode description

Rob Adams, Director City Design and Projects, City of Melbourne

Professor Rob Adams AM is the Director City Design and Projects at the City of Melbourne and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization.

With over 46 years' experience as an architect and urban designer and 35 years at City of Melbourne, Rob has made a significant contribution to the rejuvenation of central Melbourne.

He and his team have been the recipients of over 150 local, national and international awards including receipt of the Australian Award for Urban Design and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Award 2014 for its adaptation and resilience projects, on four occasions.

Adams has also been awarded the Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2008 and the Order of Australia in 2007 for his contribution to architecture and urban design. In 2016, Adams was conferred with a Doctor of Architecture from the University of Melbourne.

Some key projects he has worked on include: Postcode 3000, Council House 2 (CH2) – Australia's first 6-star green commercial office building, Birrarung Marr, Swanston Street, Melbourne City Square, Return to Royal Park, the Open Space and Urban Forest Strategies and numerous community buildings including Docklands, Boyd, East Melbourne and Kathleen Syme Libraries. His team is currently involved in two major city-shaping projects, the Queen Victoria Market Renewal and the Melbourne Metro Rail Project.

Adam's recent focus has been on how cities could be used to accommodate and mitigate rapid population growth and the onset of climate change. He has published and presented extensively on the subject of 'Transforming Cities for a Sustainable Future’. 

Podcast produced by Zak Willsallen of Complete Podcasting Services. Podcast created by Jess Noonan and Peter Jewell. Podcast released on 2 February 2020.