Since the 1980's a 'great debate' has raged about the future of Australia's cities and the question of their density (Searle 2004: Forster 2006). In reality this was a continuation of a much longer struggle over the form and structure of human settlements and is tied to similar struggles in North America and elsewhere. Paul Mees' scholarly work (2000,2010) on the independent role of transport policy in urban transport and land-use patterns, and its disruption of the debate are the focus of this chapter. We consider the higher order questions of whether increases in density are necessary for transition towards sustainability and resilience, and what policy settings and institutional arrangements might be needed to provide better intervention and regulation of urbanisation and transport systems, as part of a shift towards a public city (See Gleeson and Beza, this volume).