Agent of Change: Leanne Hodyl
A leader in urban design and strategic planning, Leanne Hodyl played an instrumental role in introducing new design standards for apartments in Melbourne. She has recently launched the not-for-profit Cities People Love.
What are cities overseas getting right that we are not doing here?
Lots of cities require developers to deliver affordable housing as part of their developments. You see it in cities such as London and Vancouver and in Germany and Austria. If you want to create a tolerant, harmonious society, the best way to do that is to ensure that residents of a city share their lives, instead of being corralled inside silos. A good measure of a society is how you support vulnerable people, and we could do that much better.
How can we make cities more resilient in the age of climate change?
It’s an issue of scale. If you design a city on a neighbourhood scale, that gets people out of their cars, walking and cycling, that brings down our carbon footprint. Greening spaces is also an efficient way of cooling cities. There are some great initiatives around the world in bringing canopy cover back and re-wilding cities to encourage local wildlife and make cities more liveable.
More tall towers are springing up in our cities. How do we make cities both denser and liveable?
We start with really good apartment design that is adaptable and that people can live in as their life changes. Apartments today are mostly investment products aimed at people in their 20s. We need more four-to six-storey buildings with communal spaces that allow residents to connect. There are great examples of this overseas but it’s not really done here.
“We need more four-to-six-storey buildings with communal spaces that allow residents to connect. There are great examples of this overseas but it’s not really done here.”
Your new social enterprise, Cities People Love, aims to tackle complex urban problems. How will it work?
By connecting industry, government, researchers and the community in a shared conversation. I’m excited about it because it’s a chance to do something different that breaks out of the usual industry or academic approaches to understanding our cities. I aim to create a shared conversation about how our cities should be designed so that everyone has a good quality of life. I’m also excited as it gives me the chance to work with other creative, passionate, intelligent people who are driven by their values and the desire to make more compassionate, ethical and inclusive cities.
This year’s headlines have been dominated by the bushfires, the floods, then by COVID-19. What important story didn’t get the coverage it deserved?
The way this pandemic has impacted younger people. On top of existing issues with intergenerational wealth and housing affordability, the COVID-induced recession is hitting their employment opportunities hard.
What novel, film or album do you turn to when you want to feel better?
It’s a cliché, but Pride and Prejudice is permanently on the bedside table. I also love Bollywood films: they are so over-the-top, fantastic high drama, and they get you up and dancing.
Which memory do you return to again and again?
I feel really good when I’m swimming in the ocean. I grew up by the ocean and getting underwater is a wonderful dose of peace and quiet. It’s very restorative. When I think about that first moment of diving under, my whole body relaxes.
What is one skill you are trying to master?
I am learning cello, which I love: it unlocks a different part of my brain. I haven’t played it for a few months though, because I’ve been busy. I need to find some time. Time management: that’s another skill I really have to master!
Interview_ Ute Junker
Images_ Hodyl & Co