The Business Council of Australia’s Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott will deliver the next Utzon lecture at UNSW on July 30.

Ms Westacott will make the case for an urgent new “cities agenda” that will equip Australia to respond to the massive forces of change already upon us, including digital disruption, demographic shifts and a vastly more competitive world.

Drawing on her experience in senior roles in the public and private sectors, Ms Westacott will set out a framework for shaping Australian cities that are globally competitive. Ensuring our cities remain among the world’s most liveable will be vital to our success, she says. 

The free public lecture will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A led by Professor Bill Randolph, director of the City Futures Research Centre in UNSW's Faculty of Built Environment.

Panellists include Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, Chief Executive and Managing Director, Mirvac, and Brendon Riley, Group Executive, Global Enterprise and Services, Telstra Corporation Limited.

What: Utzon Lecture: “Cities, Competitiveness and Australia’s Competitive Advantage: Why We Must Get Australian Cities Right”. 

Where: Law Theatre G04, The Law Building, UNSW Kensington campus

When: Wednesday 30 July, 6.30-7.30pm

Cost: Free; but registration is essential at www.be.unsw.edu.au/utzon-lecture-series/utzon/2014

Media contact: Susi Hamilton, UNSW Media, 0422 934 024

*UNSW Faculty of Built Environment's flagship public lecture series is named after renowned Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who was the mastermind of the Sydney Opera House.