91. Seamus O’Hanlon, Author of “City Life – the new urban Australia”_TMBTP

In this episode of This Must Be The Place Elizabeth speaks with Associate Professor Seamus O’Hanlon of Monash University, about his new book, “City Life: the new urban Australia”. To quote the official blurb: “Remember when our cities and inner-cities weren’t dominated by high-rise apartments? This book documents the changes that have come with the globalisation of the Australian city since the 1970s. It tells the story of the major economic, social, cultural and demographic changes that have come with opening up of Australia in those years, with a particular focus on the two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which have been transformed. But throughout it also looks at how these changes have played out in the smaller capitals and regional centres. How does one of the most urbanised, multicultural countries in the world see itself? This book challenges received ideas about Australia and how it presents itself to the world, and how in turn many Australians perceive and understand themselves. Rather than rehashing old stereotypes about mateship, the Bush or Anzac, this book places the globalised city and its residents at the heart of new understandings of twenty-first century Australia.” In the podcast, Elizabeth and Seamus discuss deindustrialization; post-industrialization; the field of global histories (tracing the flow of commodities etc – kind of like those ‘salt’, ‘cod’ and other single-item books Elizabeth reads so often); gentrification; successes and failures of deregulation; the rise of the international student industry; tennis and live music and other things governments are desperate to lay claim to; and more. How have the changes wrought by globalization played out in specific Australian places, who wins and who loses, and what are the divisions that remain? What opportunities have been lost? What can a historian’s view offer to urban planners today? Are high-rise student/investor apartments running the risk of becoming the new Fordist factories past? Was Adelaide really a go-ahead city in the early 1970s? Does looking at urban history bring out your inner libertarian? Why don’t Irish people like seat belts? “For all its faults, the post industrial economy can be more inclusive than the old industrial economy. But I think decisions were made – political not economic - to basically say we’re going to write off whole generations and regions, and I think that’s wrong”. “City Life – the new urban Australia” is available through New South Publishing. Unlike Elizabeth’s book you can buy it at normal book shops and it has nice pictures. www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/city-life/