Collective thinking, with Leanne Hodyl

Leanne is Managing Director of Hodyl & Co, a research and design consultancy focused on creating cities people love.  She is an established industry leader with 20 years of experience leading urban policy and design projects critical to the future development of Australian cities.
Leanne is the Founder and Editor of Cities People Love, a not-for-profit initiative of Hodyl & Co. dedicated to the creation and curation of urban research that can engage and empower communities and influence policy and practice. Leanne’s work is informed by qualifications and experience in architecture, urban design, strategic planning and social theory.

What do you love about cities?

I love that cities represent all the things that I'm most passionate about and interested in – culture, knowledge, history, ideas, creativity, even politics and how we shape our societies. All the best parts of ourselves and our societies are amplified and intensified in cities.  We may feel like we're just inhabitants, but we're actually collectively shaping them, and reshaping them, and remaking them.

What changes have you seen in cities over the past 20 years that matter the most to you?  

The decline in quality, affordable housing is a significant challenge, and one I’m both alarmed about and excited to try and improve. There has been a real swing towards lifestyle living and living in apartments in the central city, but it also coincided with a shocking lack of quality in building. Apartments were built with bedrooms with no windows, and living spaces that were too small to cook or do any basic activities in. It was a tragedy – housing was seen as an investment product rather than a home for people and essential infrastructure. Tied to that is an increase in poor mental health outcomes. We need to design better places, so people can thrive, actually be their best selves, and have good quality of life.

Tell us about a project/s you’ve worked on that has been most important to you?  

I went to New York, Vancouver, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul to investigate how those cities were delivering high-rise living in a way that's sustainable and desirable. It was an amazing opportunity – interviewing people and talking to a really diverse set of urban leaders and urban practitioners about how they were trying to deliver good high-density housing. It made me realise we don't have to solve problems on our own. There are cultural differences, and local and climatic differences, but we can work together to determine what people need to live a good life in a high-rise building. The experience showed me that good people are keen and available to help solve these key problems, and they will share what they have done well and their mistakes. 

To be a great ancestor for future generations, what does our sector need to focus on today? 

To be a great ancestor we have to leave the city in a better shape for the next generation. We need to focus on equity. I'm concerned our cities are evolving into the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. We won't be a great ancestor for future generations if we're only talking about a proportion of those populations. We need to turn our attention to the challenge that is social equity. People can't age in place, because they're priced out of where they grew up. They can't have their family living around them, because their kids can't afford to buy near them. People's quality of life degrades, because they have to live too far from where they can get a job, or can't access good healthcare. 

What's one piece of advice you would give to emerging urban leaders?

My advice is think big, think collectively, and believe that you will make a difference, because you absolutely can. Don’t feel like you have to solve it on your own – always reach out and ask others for their insights and their help. People do want to help. Think big, because that gets people excited. You will get more people connected to positive solutions and a positive idea of what the city can be if you invite them into a conversation which is expansive, and not tokenistic or narrow.