From larger-than-life Lego blocks to bird-nest inspired structures, researchers are finding innovative ways to reuse and recycle the plastic we throw away.
Remaking aged care in Australia starts with embracing people-centred design. Instead of the institutional model with its focus on restraint, we need to understand and design for people's needs.
In many cities contemplating new light rail systems, bus rapid transit offers a cheaper, faster and more flexible solution.
JobKeeper, the COVID boost to JobSeeker, and moratoriums on rent increases and evictions all ended this month. Only smarter policies will prevent homelessness, as a landmark Victorian report explains.
The proportion of people actually living in tiny houses hasn't been increasing but the movement has prompted debate about living smaller and more sustainably.
Active travel can help tackle the climate crisis earlier than electric vehicles – even if you swap the car for a bike for just one trip a day.
Today's risks will be tomorrow's normal. That means tough decisions have to be made about human settlements having to retreat from areas most at risk, whether from floods or bushfires.
JobKeeper and the COVID Supplement to JobSeeker benefits will be gone in a week. The combined effect will be to halve some recipients' incomes and the rent they can afford.
The social restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic have illustrated how important human connections are to health.
Evacuation and relief centres are often the first place disaster-affected people go, and should provide a minimum standard of living and care. But this standard is not always met.
Since the Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 lives in 2017, Australia has identified flammable cladding on more than 3,400 buildings. Despite apartment owners' fears and rising costs, few have been fixed.
Many people prefer the status quo as they struggle to imagine the alternatives. The pandemic has been the catalyst for urban experiments that have opened our eyes to new possibilities.
Sinking land plus rising seas are putting hundreds of millions of people at risk.
It's not enough to continue to build cities and towns based on business-as-usual planning principles. We need to plan and design our urban spaces around the idea that flooding is inevitable.
Bike-share programs don't just cater for residents. When tourists use them too, that greatly increases the value the whole community gets from these bikes.
Green hydrogen produced using New Zealand's mostly renewable electricity sounds like a great idea, but a high-tech smart rail and urban tram network is a more obvious and sustainable option.
The rise of build-to-rent development will affect a lot of Australians. Despite the rosy promises, tax, design, planning and tenancy reforms will be needed to avoid the potential pitfalls.
Even a short walk in nature can relieve mental fatigue and anxiety. With most of us living in cities, we need urban parks more than ever to take care of our well-being during the pandemic.
Australian data suggest that prices do not fall when zoning is relaxed.
Repurposing derelict Victorian canals could boost people's mood and their physical activity levels.
