Ahead in the Crowds | BTalk

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Ralph McLaughlin

(Episode 483; 16 minutes 31) Kevin Rudd, Australia's Prime Minister, has said he wants a big Australia, with a population growth out-pacing the rest of the world. The forecast is for 35 million in the country by 2049, with Sydney and Melbourne bearing the brunt of the increased numbers.

Aside from the debate on whether this level of growth is a good idea, should we really be expecting our major capital cities to continue to expand at the same rate -- or faster -- than the rest of the country? Aren't we already feeling the impact of congestion and other detrimental effects of overcrowding?

On today's BTalk I ask Ralph McLaughlin, a lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at the School of Natural and Built Environments at the University of South Australia, what's the ideal -- do we want bigger cities, or more cities?

Have a listen to what he has to say and add you comments in the Talkback section at the end of this post.