Welcome back to season 2 of the podcast! First episode back for 2022, and I am so thrilled to be joined by the 2021 Qld Young Planner of the Year, Nicholas Kamols. 

Nick is an exciting up and coming planner, who is really pushing the boundaries of traditional urban thinking. He is innovative, passionate, motivated and is really re-defining what it means to be a part of our profession.

We chat about:

• what led him to being a planner and what keeps him passionate about planning
• bridging the gap between academia and planning practice through his Masters of Philosophy and PhD, where he is looking to solve systemic workplace issues, such as how institutional cultures affect participatory planning, and institutional decision-making processes. 
• he founded a social enterprise called PowerWells, the social enterprise – where he and his team are repurposing batteries to give renewable energy to off-grid communities in Indonesia.
• how Planning seems to be spatial, but it really a social endeavour
• his interest in Effective Altruism,  Long termism, Future casting and Back casting, the Metaverve, Inter planetary species and other cool things 
• his interest in helping shape the 2032 Olympics and the obligation to contribute

And lots more!

This is the PhD book chapter mentioned in our chat: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/226785/

This came out last night: https://thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/planning/brisbane-climate-positive-olympics-the-pressures-on-queensland/

These are some others from Nick too:

MPhil article: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/209031/MPhil Thesis: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/208256/

Hope you enjoy this first episode back for Season 2!