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Kaya Urbanists,
This month’s featured mural is 'A Whadjuk Tale', found in Kaadadjiny Lane in Highgate and created by artists @jackbromell @misermisermiser @jarnicreative @kambarni @jdpenangke in 2023.
From there, we head to Detroit to explore a comeback driven not only by major investment, but by the people, creativity and culture that have long made the city distinctive.
For ‘On The Ground Intel’, we hear from WARRRL CEO Dr Kate Brooks about Perth’s ambition, the talent we should be promoting more and the opportunities she sees for a more sustainable city. An astrophysicist by training, Kate’s career has taken her from astronomy in Chile to science, innovation, industry and government, giving her a unique perspective on what makes people and ideas thrive in a city. Then it’s off to London, where almost a kilometre of Oxford Street is about to go traffic-free, in a live experiment that could reshape one of the world’s most famous shopping streets.
We also unpack the rise of mass-participation sport in ‘Quick Data’, discover a new generation of urbanists taking city planning to YouTube, and finish with a different way of thinking about liveability: what if there isn’t one ‘best’ city, but the best city for each stage of life? Happy reading!
Committee for Perth Team
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DETROIT'S CREATIVE COMEBACK |
Once the beating heart of America’s automotive industry, Detroit became almost as famous for its decline. Factory closures due to outsourcing, population loss and decades of economic and social challenges culminated in the city filing for bankruptcy in 2013.
In our feature article today, National Geographic talks about the renaissance of the once richest city in the world: Major private and philanthropic investment is bringing new life to once-hollowed-out neighbourhoods and landmarks, including Ford’s US$1 billion restoration of Michigan Central Station and the transformation of former industrial land along the Detroit Riverfront. In 2024, the city’s population grew for the first time since 1957.
But National Geographic points to another force in Detroit’s comeback: its people and their creativity. The city’s long-established music and arts culture is being backed by corporate and philanthropic investment alongside grassroots initiatives. Industrial corridors have become canvases for public art, historic buildings have found new uses, and Black-owned businesses, galleries, restaurants and music venues are adding new energy to neighbourhoods across the city.
Detroit shows us couragously that urban renewal isn’t only about building something new, but also recognising a city's distinctive history – and giving its people, culture, history and places room to shape its next chapter. Read More |
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Dr Kate Brooks is CEO of WA Return Recycle Renew Limited (WARRRL), the organisation behind Containers for Change in WA. An astrophysicist by training, Kate began her career in astronomy, including working in Chile, before going on to build a career spanning science, innovation, industry, universities and government. Now based in Perth, Kate brings a unique perspective on innovation, sustainability and what makes a city a place where people and ideas can thrive. In this edition, we asked Kate to share her perspective on Perth, what keeps her here, where its opportunities lie and what she hopes the city might become. |
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1. You have spent much of your career around innovation and people with big ideas. Is Perth ambitious enough about what it could become?
Perth is becoming much more confident about our entrepreneurial ecosystem and business opportunities. We have some real advantages: proximity to Asia, political and economic stability, world-class capability in remote operations, engineering and technology, growing opportunities around data centres, renewables and industries emerging through AUKUS.
The next step is making sure people can see a future here. Our universities and TAFEs are critical to keeping young people in WA after school, but we need more flexible pathways between education and work. I’m also a strong believer in government procurement and buy-local approaches to help WA businesses get their first major customers and grow here.
2. What could Perth do better to attract more great ideas, talented people and growing businesses here? We talk a lot about our land, infrastructure, lifestyle and resources. We should be selling our people just as hard.
I was in the US last year on a technology tour and was struck by how deliberately cities included their talent pool as part of their pitch to new businesses: come here because these are the people you will be able to employ. Perth has world-class engineers, technologists, medical and health researchers, sustainability specialists, tradespeople and people experienced in operating some of the most complex industrial systems in the world. Let’s promote this more!
3. You grew up in Sydney and have worked there and overseas, including several years in Chile. What drew you to Perth, and what has made you stay?
Astronomy brought me to Perth. I moved west with CSIRO through my work on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, helping transition one of the world’s largest radio astronomy sites in the Midwest from construction towards operations. What made me stay was partly the opportunity. I discovered a really vibrant innovation and startup ecosystem and found myself moving into completely new areas of my career.
4. Your current role is focused on the circular economy. What opportunities do you see for Perth to become a more sustainable city?
Perth already has an interesting advantage. Many of our largest businesses have been measuring and reporting greenhouse emissions for years, which has created deep capability here in carbon accounting, sustainability and emissions reduction. With mandatory climate reporting now expanding to smaller businesses, that expertise is becoming increasingly valuable.
I think the next conversation moving into boardrooms will be circularity and product stewardship. We need to start asking much earlier: what happens to this product at the end of its life? Can it be reused, repaired or recycled? Can waste be designed out before something is even manufactured? |
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INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION |
LONDON'S OXFORD STREET GOES CAR-FREE |
One of the world’s most famous shopping streets is about to look very different.
From the second half of October, almost one kilometre of London’s Oxford Street – from Orchard Street near Selfridges to Great Portland Street, including Oxford Circus – is set to become traffic-free. Buses, taxis, cars and bikes will be rerouted, while temporary seating, planters and security measures turn the road over to pedestrians. Importantly, London isn’t waiting for the finished product. The first stage will operate as a live test, allowing the city to see how people, businesses and surrounding streets respond before permanent works begin. The scheme will be reviewed through spring 2027, with permanent changes expected to follow later that year.
It’s a significant experiment in how cities can rethink valuable central-city space – not simply as somewhere to move through, but as somewhere to spend time. And with around two-thirds of consultation respondents supporting pedestrianisation, it’s an experiment Londoners appear ready to try. Read More
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Watch: Building Beautifully |
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Urban planning doesn’t always make for easy viewing, but Sydney-based creator Sharath Mahendran is changing that. His YouTube channel, Building Beautifully, turns complex conversations about transport, housing, infrastructure and how our cities grow into engaging, highly visual videos.
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What started as a passion project while studying civil engineering at UNSW has grown to more than 62,000 subscribers, showing there’s a real appetite – particularly among younger audiences – to better understand the decisions shaping our cities.
It’s an interesting example of how independent creators can bring new voices into planning debates and make city-shaping issues accessible to a much broader audience. Sharath also recently won Committee for Sydney's People's Choice award. |
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9.900 people took part in HYROX Perth across three days in August. While HYROX, the global fitness phenomenon, is in the media for various reasons at the moment, its success around the world is undeniable.
Part of its appeal is its accessibility: eight functional exercises, with a 1km run in between each, make for a simple yet challenging format for everyday athletes as well as elite competitors. |
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Why does this deserve a feature in Urban Scrawl, you may ask? Because we love a good example of mass-participation sport that brings people together. Perth loves its spectator sport – a packed stadium on footy day is testament to that – but there’s something particularly powerful about an event where thousands of people aren’t watching from the sidelines, they’re taking part. And for most, it’s not just about the main event once a year. It’s a lifestyle they embrace year-round, training at their local gyms, working towards a shared goal and connecting with like-minded people along the way. |
THE RIGHT CITY AT THE RIGHT TIME |
What makes a city liveable? Perhaps it depends on where you are in life.
Monocle offers an interesting take on Australia’s three highest-ranking cities in its 2026 Quality of Life Survey: rather than one city being “best”, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth might each suit a different stage of life.
Sydney is pitched for childhood and later life, Melbourne for the energy and opportunity of young adulthood, and Perth as the place to settle down, offering space, sunshine and a more relaxed pace without giving up the benefits of city living. It’s a different way of thinking about liveability. Cities are often benchmarked against a single definition of what makes somewhere “best”. But perhaps the better question is: best for whom and at what stage of life?
And from there, we ask: how can Perth retain the qualities that make the city so attractive for settling down, while building more of the culture, vibrancy and opportunity that make people want to be here at every stage of life? |
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WHAT INSPIRES YOU RIGHT NOW? |
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Urban Scrawl is shaped by ideas and actions from around the world. If you’ve seen something while travelling, read an article that stuck with you, heard a great conversation, or are working on a project that’s reshaping how cities work and grow, we’d love to hear about it. Share it with us and help shape future editions: nathalie.heppeler@committeeforperth.com.au
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Committee for Perth conducts its work on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. We recognise their peoples' ongoing connection to land, culture and community and in doing so, pay our respects to Elders past and present. |
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