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Can Roundtable Discussion be used as a method for understanding and resolving political and professional differences on complex policy issues? It has long been recognised that some policy problems are difficult to address, not only because they are in themselves complex but also because there is no consensus on the issues, information, values or causal relations underlying the problem. Such 'wicked' problems (Rittell and Webber 1973) defy traditional, linear policy analysis; they are thought to require more flexible, deliberative approaches which allow for expression of different meanings and values, and the emergence of new solutions (Healey 2003). One such problem, variously framed by debates on climate change, urban sprawl, economic development and social equity, is the widely acknowledged need to shift to more sustainable patterns of urban transport. With the premise that professional and political differences in the understanding of sustainable transport act as a major impediments towards its implementation, Curtin University organised a roundtable, Moving Cooler - Sustainable Transport Matters, in August 2010. Representatives from the major political parties and relevant government agencies were invited to facilitate discussions for participants from a variety of professions - urban planning, engineering, community development, traffic engineering, urban design, transport planning etc.This paper presents the outcomes from that roundtable, focussing in particular on the following questions: How did the political and professional agendas shape the debate at each table? How effective was the roundtable as a tool for mutual learning and bridging disciplinary and ideological gaps? What aspects of its organisation and management made it effective and/or ineffective? We conclude by offering some ideas about roundtable as a method of collaborative policy analysis in relation to the issue of transport.

Innovation and knowledge development are increasingly part of national productivity and economic development agendas. They are a product of a highly complex process embedded in human knowledge, experience and space. This has led many to argue that the key to future economic efficiency and sustainability lies in urban planning cognisant of human new economy needs. Such a hypothesis implies that some ‘places’ may be structurally more economically efficient than others. Therefore, understanding how urban form leverages social aspects of a city for economic growth offers a broad range of strategic and practical socio-economic applications. As part of a wider 4-year study exploring the capacity of hard infrastructure to influence the socio-economic imprint of urban space, this paper outlines the economic development and urban planning policies and strategies of Kansai, Japan and Perth’s North-West Corridor, Western Australia. Document analysis, site visits and interviews with key members of both region’s urban planning and economic development communities revealed two very different approaches to similar new economy socio-economic challenges. Urban development in Japan appears strongly focussed on economic development and the importance of fostering infrastructure supportive of human interaction and connectivity. Meanwhile, Western Australian strategies aim to increase effective land-use transport integration, and deliver more accessible and walkable catchments of daily living/working activities within otherwise strongly car-oriented communities.This paper summarises the effectiveness of respective approaches in delivering requirements for new economy efficiency, such as interaction and global network connectivity. It suggests that treating urban planning as an integral policy tool of economic development is likely to better address support national economic goals, such as increased innovation and knowledge development for productivity in the new economy.

It is well known within the creative industries that a pilgrimage overseas can be an important part of career development. All too often, however, the pilgrimage is a one-way journey and crucial talent is lost. Just as creative capital is lost overseas, the dominance of cities as the centres of Australia's knowledge- or experience-based economy leads to migration of the creative workforce from regional centres and smaller cities such as Perth, lessening the potential for those areas to sustain economic growth. Given the globalised nature of creative industries and the emergence of new technologies, this study asks whether migration loss could be turned into cultural gain. The study involves Western Australians living and working overseas or 'over East' in a wide variety of artistic fields. Participants answered questions relating to personal and professional connectedness, the career impact of their migration, future plans, and their perceptions of the Western Australian cultural environment. Initial results revealed that most creative migration is due to a lack of opportunities and the appeal of larger markets. Despite retaining strong personal connections with their place of origin, participants artistic connections were tenuous and artistic involvement was negligible. Implications from the study, which is ongoing, include the need to actively value and engage with creative migrants and to foster their continued involvement in the cultural life of our cities and regions. In doing so, there is the potential for creative migration to become a positive element of our cultural identities.

There is extensive commentary on the role of public, unauthorised art in western cities, but little on the coincidence of heritage value and guerilla art. This paper analyses the relationship of the two in a statue of a 1940s swimmer entitled Eliza which was unveiled in the Swan River in Crawley, Perth in 2007. It commemorates the Crawley Baths which from 1914 to their demolition in 1964 were one of Perth’s premier meeting places. Eliza was commissioned by the Perth City Council as a monument to a lost place. Since its appearance, however, the statue has functioned not just as a place of memory, but dominantly of guerilla art and public comment. These activities foreground the transgressive potential of the coincidence of a heritage marker and guerilla art. Reading the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter 1999, however, alongside Eliza shows that interpretation which foregrounds transgression is incomplete. The steadily strengthening professional heritage emphasis on social value over the previous dominance of original fabric, suggests that the delight and frivolity - but crucially not vandalism - with which the statue has been greeted, supports evolving heritage practice.