Planning ministers in Victoria have a habit of trying to cut corners and then coming unstuck, writes Stephen Rowley, an urban planner and former co-editor of Planning News.
Urban planning
Held up by red tape, developers want ‘super councils’
As new home sales decline and residential construction remains in the doldrums, Australia’s biggest property developers are pointing the finger of blame at councils.
History shows gangland journo wins million-dollar property claim
Gangland journalist Adam Shand is standing on the brink of a million-dollar payout from the NSW government after archival research revealed his family’s historical claim to a western Sydney lane.
My Cup Of Tea: Hey Cate, you wouldn’t know a cultural heart if you planned it yourself
Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton are out of touch, argues Ben Eltham. From their state-sponsored ivory tower they can’t see where Sydney’s real cultural beats are played.
Battle over inner city cinema: residents fear urination
The fight over a small-scale screening room in inner Melbourne is emblematic of a gentrification conflict repeated in cities around the world, pitting the last dregs of a suburb’s arts culture against private citizens more concerned about their personal amenity.
Planners say it’s time to take people out of flood-prone areas
With the flood waters subsiding, Queenslanders are beginning to think about rebuilding their towns and cities, with discussion from academics, politicians and urban planners on appropriate places to rebuild starting to rumble, writes Crikey intern Emma Buckley Lennox.
Marcus Westbury: time to get creative about regional development
Something is broken in the very heart of many communities and urban decay is breeding decay. But within these empty spaces lies incredible opportunity, writes Marcus Westbury, the founder of Renew Newcastle and the forthcoming Renew Australia.
Can our cities get bigger (and remain liveable)?
Australia’s major cities are certainly not bursting at the seams, notwithstanding residents’ concerns about issues like traffic congestion and housing affordability, writes The Melbourne Urbanists’ Alan Davies.
Highway to car hell
To encourage a healthy cycling culture, cities need to improve their infrastructure to make cycling safer. Would specialised bike roads, rather than just a lane on car roads, work effectively?
These streets are made for walkin’
Encouraging people to walk — as opposed to driving their cars — can be done by urban planners increasing the aesthetics of our footpaths. Try more greenery, better lights, interesting things to look at and paving that doesn’t catch high heels.
Why medium density housing is a health issue
The ever increasing urban sprawl and private car based travel is causing enormous health, social, environmental and economic costs, says Victoria Walks’ Ben Rossiter. But can the public be convinced that more urban housing doesn’t necessarily mean more concrete?
Why we need to kill the cul-de-sac
Living in a cul-de-sac might be great for street cricket, but they are a giant fail when it comes green urban planning. Cul-de-sacs use too much land and breed a population reliant on driving. The tranquillity isn’t worth the trouble.
Better latte than never to get excited about Goat Island again
Sydney ruthlessly expunged most of the “working harbour” aspects of its heritage years ago, rendering it blandly safe for the café latteratti set and retail mall developers, says Ben Sandilands. So why are Sydneysiders suddenly getting historical about their harbour again?
Guy Rundle: We don’t need new fast trains, Albo, we need new cities
When it comes to infrastructure, what we need first and foremost are not new rail lines. Not even fast rail lines. What we need are new cities.
Over-crowded and under-planned: Australian cities in crisis
Don’t believe state governments’ glossy planning documents promising of “strong communities” and “smart growth”, says Peter Spearritt: Australia’s cities are a mess of urban sprawl, inadequate transport, congested roads, dwindling water supplies and energy-guzzling buildings.
NSW the epicentre of our housing crisis
NSW is at the centre of a long-term public policy disaster in housing that will have a major impact on Australia’s recovery from the recession.
Hail a taxi from the future
Even with hybrid cab fleets hitting the roads in a growing number of cities, when it comes to efficiency and intelligence, the design of most cabs falls short. Designboom featured a collection of taxi concepts from automakers and designers in markets around the world.
PHOTO ESSAY: Farming the future
High rise buildings that grow, beach pods and pyramids — what bringing farms to the city could look like.
The city challenge: how to build rapidly … and sustainably
Rapid urbanisation may be the “single greatest development challenge and opportunity in our century,” says a newly released World Bank report, Eco² Cities: Ecological Cities as Economic Cities.
Bulldozing the burbs
Razing declining neighborhoods doesn’t seem to be a priority right now for the Obama administration, but Harvard urban economist Edward Glaeser thinks it should be. In fact, Professor Glaeser argues that some cities just aren’t going to come back.
Hobart’s Parliament Square kerfuffle
Three very different designs have been shortlisted to become the future look of Hobart’s Parliament Square.
Will China’s cities ever be sustainable?
In China’s quest to urbanise, there is a huge potential for the country to invest in “mass-scale sustainable construction.”
