_INCREASING DENSITY = INCREASING HAPPINESS

A number of Collie planners attended the recent annual debate (in honour of Dr Paul Mees and his contribution to local and international urban transport and planning).

The panel consisted of industry planning professionals, politicians and comedians debating the topic, the denser we get the happier we are.  The affirmative panel members included James Larmour-Reid (President Victorian Division, Planning Institute Australia and Director, Planisphere), Alan March (University of Melbourne) and Alanta Colley (Comedian, Coordinator at Engineers without Borders and Public Health Specialist).  The negative team included Adam Bandt (Melbourne Representative for the Greens), Susie Moloney (Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University) and Rod Quantock (Melbourne comedian and self-professed ‘failed architect’).

In its second year, this popular debate highlighted the influential work and life of Paul Mees with each panel member honouring his influence on urban public transport.

The debate was extremely entertaining with references from the hipsters of Melbourne to surviving a zombie apocalypse.  Each panel member brought witty yet insightful arguments to a significant issue in Melbourne, leaving the audience spilt at the final decision; because of a slightly louder applause from the audience however, it was deemed the affirmative team had won the 2015 Paul Mees Debate.

The debate was interesting and entertaining and we look forward to the 2016 Paul Mees Debate.