She has contributed to current debates about aesthetics and ethics; design, public art and architecture; urban and natural environments; society and politics, including criticism of the treatment of Julian Assange.

Farrelly has set writing for Wikipedia as a task for post-graduate students, and has commented that its demand for every input to be traceable and published, enables "genuine crowd-sourcing of scholarship" and is both "a revelation and a revolution".

As well as analyses and reviews for academics and practitioners,[14] Farrelly writes for the general public about the principles, morality, aesthetics and function of architecture, especially on Sydney.

Writer Tim Blair has written about Farrelly in the Daily Telegraph, calling her a 'frightbat' and criticising her for charging people to work on her farm digging holes.

[30][31] In December 2021, Farrelly's three-decade association with The Sydney Morning Herald came to an end when her column was terminated by editor Bevan Shields, after Farrelly had registered as a Labor Party candidate for Strathfield in the 2021 local government elections and had subsequently written a piece criticising Liberal and independent candidates in that election without declaring her own potential candidacy.

She has also been interviewed by the television and radio media, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the BBC World Service.

[34] Interviews include for the programs of Philip Adams, Mike Carlton, David Marr, Kerry O’Brien, Margaret Throsby, and Alan Saunders.

[41] Example episodes include discussions with: Farrelly is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Better Cities Initiative, which operates in New South Wales[47] and was registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission on 12 October 2023.

[51] It addresses the complexities surrounding the politics of designing for the built environment as well as the need for robust criticism to improve policy so that cities will be fairer and more sustainable places to live.