How today's housing system rests on historical foundations | Rachel Gallagher | TEDxUQ

Rachel is passionate about one big question: why do housing shortages keep happening in wealthy cities? Through years of work in housing and urban policy, she’s seen how planning decisions quietly shape what gets built, where homes are allowed, and who can afford to live in them. What most people don’t realise is that today’s housing system rests on historical foundations. At TEDxUQ 2026, Rachel explores the deeper history behind Australia’s housing crisis and argues that understanding how our system was built is essential if we want to build enough homes now. An urban planner and researcher, Rachel Gallagher is passionate about one big question: who are our cities really built for? Through years of work in housing and urban policy, she’s seen how planning decisions quietly shape our daily lives—where we can live, how we move, and who benefits from growth. What most people don’t realise is that today’s planning systems are built on outdated ideas. In Australia, they emerged from settler-colonial land control and were later shaped by postwar, car-dependent suburban models—assumptions that still drive housing scarcity and inequality today. At TEDxUQ 2026, Rachel reveals the hidden history behind our cities and shows how understanding it is the first step toward creating more fair, inclusive, and livable places. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx