Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 7 - Part 2: Monica Barone, CEO, City of Sydney

Jeff Risom reconvenes with the City of Sydney’s Monica Barone for part two of this episode of the Urban Exchange to find out more about the city’s engagement plans with citizens and the impact it has on climate priorities.

Monica explains how the city’s climate plan and it’s focus on citizen engagement amounts to more than just sentiment, relying on genuine partnership to take environmental sustainability in the right direction. She explains how the city has achieved that over time and the key differences between that relationship now and where it began.

Jeff goes on to quiz Monica on the city’s plans and the metrics by which they’re measuring the success of environmental and citizen action, as they encompass so many aspects of city life, from cultural space to waste reduction. Monica explains how collaboration with not only citizens but also other forms of government is driving this progress, particularly in areas where the city government alone can only be partially responsible for direct action.

There’s also discussion of how Sydney’s more decentralised set up helps support future goals and progress in comparison to other city governments who must take sole responsibility, but also how that model introduces its own hierarchical and structural challenges to overcome.

Furthermore, Monica explains how the city’s Resilient Sydney platform has become central to data-driven climate action, and contemplates what more could be done within the platform to deliver more holistic information about the urban environment.