What imbues a place with meaning, making it ‘iconic’? Can labels such as ‘icon’ fit alongside Māori concepts of place, and if so how?

2016 marks the 30th anniversary of Richard Lowenstein’s acclaimed Dogs in Space, a fictionalized cinematic memoir of nominal bohemians in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. Set 6-8 years before the film’s release, Lowenstein utilised genuine participants in the events/milieu depicted, as well as key locations, notably the house central to the film’s story.

On 14 March 1977, the first non-Indigenous community legal centre in New South Wales, established in Redfern Town Hall, opened its doors to clients.

Planning is a cultural activity, with the way we represent the spatial structure of cities reflecting our worldview. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, planning traditions and approaches practiced by indigenous Māori have been marginalized by colonial planning practices based in Western epistemology. However, Māori are promoting their planning traditions through strategic planning documents.

Australia’s major cities have long relied on large dams as their main source of water. These dams, including Warragamba, are household names in their own cities. Some cities are blessed with good quality catchment areas, most notably Sydney, while others, including Brisbane, have catchments compromised by agricultural pursuits and very little green space in their...