Jonathan O'Brien
@jonobri.com
Writer, software dev, lead organiser yimbymelbourne.org.au // jonathan@jonobri.com // lead@yimbymelbourne.org.au
This new work from @grattaninstitute.bsky.social is nothing short of seminal.
For too long we have let our cities be locked up by bad, unjustifiable land use and housing policy. But the tide is turning on bad policy—and that is for the better.
bsky.app/profile/grat...
For too long we have let our cities be locked up by bad, unjustifiable land use and housing policy. But the tide is turning on bad policy—and that is for the better.
bsky.app/profile/grat...
November 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM
This new work from @grattaninstitute.bsky.social is nothing short of seminal.
For too long we have let our cities be locked up by bad, unjustifiable land use and housing policy. But the tide is turning on bad policy—and that is for the better.
bsky.app/profile/grat...
For too long we have let our cities be locked up by bad, unjustifiable land use and housing policy. But the tide is turning on bad policy—and that is for the better.
bsky.app/profile/grat...
Why? Because different states have different rules around cooling-off periods. Where auctions and private treaty are subject to the same rules, auctions are far less popular, as they offer fewer net benefits for either the buyer or the seller.
September 30, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Why? Because different states have different rules around cooling-off periods. Where auctions and private treaty are subject to the same rules, auctions are far less popular, as they offer fewer net benefits for either the buyer or the seller.
Almost 200 years later, more than 25% of properties in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra sell at auction, while Perth and Hobart barely use them.
September 30, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Almost 200 years later, more than 25% of properties in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra sell at auction, while Perth and Hobart barely use them.
Auction popularity can be traced back to colonial land auctions, which were mandated in 1831 when the British Colonial Secretary ended free land grants due to a concern that settlers were spreading themselves too thin across vast territories.
September 30, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Auction popularity can be traced back to colonial land auctions, which were mandated in 1831 when the British Colonial Secretary ended free land grants due to a concern that settlers were spreading themselves too thin across vast territories.
Why does Australia have so many live house auctions?
On my recent trip around the US, I learned that the Saturday morning pastime of house auctions are mostly unique to Australia. So I set out to investigate.
On my recent trip around the US, I learned that the Saturday morning pastime of house auctions are mostly unique to Australia. So I set out to investigate.
September 30, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Why does Australia have so many live house auctions?
On my recent trip around the US, I learned that the Saturday morning pastime of house auctions are mostly unique to Australia. So I set out to investigate.
On my recent trip around the US, I learned that the Saturday morning pastime of house auctions are mostly unique to Australia. So I set out to investigate.
Still, we should enable industries—especially those which are land-intensive—to take advantage of our smaller cities. That means making planning rules much less restrictive, and enabling firms and individuals to move without friction in cases where it is advantageous to do so.
September 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Still, we should enable industries—especially those which are land-intensive—to take advantage of our smaller cities. That means making planning rules much less restrictive, and enabling firms and individuals to move without friction in cases where it is advantageous to do so.
Moving down the line, sizes of Australian cities as a proportion of our largest city don’t stand out particularly from peer countries, showing that our concentration is not worth writing home about.
September 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Moving down the line, sizes of Australian cities as a proportion of our largest city don’t stand out particularly from peer countries, showing that our concentration is not worth writing home about.
It’s worth noting, as per Jonathan Nolan, Australia is not particularly concentrated in our capitals. Sydney and Melbourne are two very big cities, but together they don’t meaningfully stand out from other top-two city pairs globally.
September 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
It’s worth noting, as per Jonathan Nolan, Australia is not particularly concentrated in our capitals. Sydney and Melbourne are two very big cities, but together they don’t meaningfully stand out from other top-two city pairs globally.
No, Australia does not need new cities.
My new essay sets the record straight: we have a lot of cities, but we aren’t using them as well as we could be. To make our cities more successful, we have to open up a lot more land for commercial uses to enable agglomeration.
My new essay sets the record straight: we have a lot of cities, but we aren’t using them as well as we could be. To make our cities more successful, we have to open up a lot more land for commercial uses to enable agglomeration.
September 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
No, Australia does not need new cities.
My new essay sets the record straight: we have a lot of cities, but we aren’t using them as well as we could be. To make our cities more successful, we have to open up a lot more land for commercial uses to enable agglomeration.
My new essay sets the record straight: we have a lot of cities, but we aren’t using them as well as we could be. To make our cities more successful, we have to open up a lot more land for commercial uses to enable agglomeration.
big things are happening
September 16, 2025 at 3:25 AM
big things are happening
The concept of an “urban village” is a falsehood, and a linguistic sleight of hand. There are cities and there are villages, but there are no urban villages.
September 10, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The concept of an “urban village” is a falsehood, and a linguistic sleight of hand. There are cities and there are villages, but there are no urban villages.
The YIMBY movement’s crowning cultural achievement is making it abundantly clear that to live in a city is to live in a place that changes and grows and evolves—over and over and over again.
Despite what the NIMBYs might believe—a city is never finished. A city is never done.
Despite what the NIMBYs might believe—a city is never finished. A city is never done.
September 10, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The YIMBY movement’s crowning cultural achievement is making it abundantly clear that to live in a city is to live in a place that changes and grows and evolves—over and over and over again.
Despite what the NIMBYs might believe—a city is never finished. A city is never done.
Despite what the NIMBYs might believe—a city is never finished. A city is never done.
A flagrant violation of what it means to live in a city.
September 10, 2025 at 10:16 PM
A flagrant violation of what it means to live in a city.
It is fantastic to see Clare O’Neil and the Federal Government increasingly on-message about the housing crisis.
The Minns and Allen governments are undertaking some of the most meaningful and ambitious housing reforms in decades. Federal Government backing is crucial— 🧵
The Minns and Allen governments are undertaking some of the most meaningful and ambitious housing reforms in decades. Federal Government backing is crucial— 🧵
September 3, 2025 at 10:00 PM
It is fantastic to see Clare O’Neil and the Federal Government increasingly on-message about the housing crisis.
The Minns and Allen governments are undertaking some of the most meaningful and ambitious housing reforms in decades. Federal Government backing is crucial— 🧵
The Minns and Allen governments are undertaking some of the most meaningful and ambitious housing reforms in decades. Federal Government backing is crucial— 🧵
Consultation should be done proactively: harnessing the power of broad representative polling, or representative deliberative bodies.
But I cannot emphasise enough that more consultation will rarely make thing better. True leadership requires just making a decision to build.
But I cannot emphasise enough that more consultation will rarely make thing better. True leadership requires just making a decision to build.
August 31, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Consultation should be done proactively: harnessing the power of broad representative polling, or representative deliberative bodies.
But I cannot emphasise enough that more consultation will rarely make thing better. True leadership requires just making a decision to build.
But I cannot emphasise enough that more consultation will rarely make thing better. True leadership requires just making a decision to build.
I wrote about this in The Problem with Urban Planning for @inflectionpoints.work:
August 31, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I wrote about this in The Problem with Urban Planning for @inflectionpoints.work:
The biggest sin of opt-in consultation is that it gathers low-quality information. Everyone who shows up is motivated to be there because they want to create a given outcome.
You don’t get information about the world as it is—but about the world as a small no. want it to be.
You don’t get information about the world as it is—but about the world as a small no. want it to be.
August 31, 2025 at 10:11 PM
The biggest sin of opt-in consultation is that it gathers low-quality information. Everyone who shows up is motivated to be there because they want to create a given outcome.
You don’t get information about the world as it is—but about the world as a small no. want it to be.
You don’t get information about the world as it is—but about the world as a small no. want it to be.
Today we @yimby.melbourne drop our new research note, demonstrating the bias of opt-in community consultation.
It will shock no one who’s paying attention, but our sample of 15 consults across six councils found a massive overrepresentation of homeowners and older folk.
It will shock no one who’s paying attention, but our sample of 15 consults across six councils found a massive overrepresentation of homeowners and older folk.
August 31, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Today we @yimby.melbourne drop our new research note, demonstrating the bias of opt-in community consultation.
It will shock no one who’s paying attention, but our sample of 15 consults across six councils found a massive overrepresentation of homeowners and older folk.
It will shock no one who’s paying attention, but our sample of 15 consults across six councils found a massive overrepresentation of homeowners and older folk.
The conservative stalwarts over at Charter 29 have put out a new report on Victorian planning reform.
It reveals a complete lack of understanding. They think the 'missing middle' is a set of suburbs—but no, it's the medium density housing that they'd like to see remain banned.
It reveals a complete lack of understanding. They think the 'missing middle' is a set of suburbs—but no, it's the medium density housing that they'd like to see remain banned.
July 28, 2025 at 9:52 PM
The conservative stalwarts over at Charter 29 have put out a new report on Victorian planning reform.
It reveals a complete lack of understanding. They think the 'missing middle' is a set of suburbs—but no, it's the medium density housing that they'd like to see remain banned.
It reveals a complete lack of understanding. They think the 'missing middle' is a set of suburbs—but no, it's the medium density housing that they'd like to see remain banned.
A few years back, Siang and I collaborated on a project called The Beige Index. As an attempt at viral marketing for Siang's first novel, The Whitewash, we built a database of diversity in the IMDb Top 250. It got some good coverage, including a writeup in the Financial Review.
July 24, 2025 at 10:13 PM
A few years back, Siang and I collaborated on a project called The Beige Index. As an attempt at viral marketing for Siang's first novel, The Whitewash, we built a database of diversity in the IMDb Top 250. It got some good coverage, including a writeup in the Financial Review.
Absolutely awesome to see my dear friend and collaborator Siang Lu take home the Miles Franklin Award for his excellent novel Ghost Cities.
The devil works hard. Siang Lu works harder.
The devil works hard. Siang Lu works harder.
July 24, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Absolutely awesome to see my dear friend and collaborator Siang Lu take home the Miles Franklin Award for his excellent novel Ghost Cities.
The devil works hard. Siang Lu works harder.
The devil works hard. Siang Lu works harder.
The @inflectionpoints.work launch made an enormous splash. I could not be more proud of what we have already achieved.
Our Melbourne launch event is next week, free, and getting booked out fast. Get yours at the link below!
Our Melbourne launch event is next week, free, and getting booked out fast. Get yours at the link below!
July 24, 2025 at 9:52 PM
The @inflectionpoints.work launch made an enormous splash. I could not be more proud of what we have already achieved.
Our Melbourne launch event is next week, free, and getting booked out fast. Get yours at the link below!
Our Melbourne launch event is next week, free, and getting booked out fast. Get yours at the link below!
Thank you to the Australian Financial Review for publishing an op-ed version of The Problem with Urban Planning. Always an honour to be an editor's choice!
bsky.app/profile/jono...
bsky.app/profile/jono...
July 14, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Thank you to the Australian Financial Review for publishing an op-ed version of The Problem with Urban Planning. Always an honour to be an editor's choice!
bsky.app/profile/jono...
bsky.app/profile/jono...
The essay ends with a set of five key recommendations, ranging from broad—planning policy should have material, measurable goals—to specific—AHURI should lose its NHRP grants pool monopoly.
Implementing these would make a huge, positive difference to our country.
Implementing these would make a huge, positive difference to our country.
July 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM
The essay ends with a set of five key recommendations, ranging from broad—planning policy should have material, measurable goals—to specific—AHURI should lose its NHRP grants pool monopoly.
Implementing these would make a huge, positive difference to our country.
Implementing these would make a huge, positive difference to our country.