In 2014, scientists studying the soil in Central Park were surprised at the vibrancy of the microbial life they discovered.
Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
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.
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.
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.
Circles designed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging social distancing line San Francisco’s Dolores Park on May 21, 2020.
(AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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.
Jakarta is sinking while sea levels rise.
dani daniar / shutterstock
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.
Catherine Knight, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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.
Installing light rail is costly, as Sydney has found, but it's the gold standard for public transport along road corridors. What trackless trams can do is rapidly expand such services at low cost.
The 'exodus' from capital cities amounts to 0.06% of their populations – similar to recent years – and people are still moving to the cities. What's missing is growth driven by international migrants.
A tidal drain at South Yarra, Melbourne, in 2008. The installation of litter-trapping equipment now prevents access.
Photo: Victoria Kolankiewicz
What was once the stuff of urban legends now spreads virally through social media claims the tunnels beneath our cities are used for child trafficking. The truth is both more mundane and important.
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.
Weak regulation and a lack of mandatory inspections have increased fire risks for the one in four homes with rooftop PV panels. Here's what we need to do to be safer.
Many older women are in desperate need of affordable housing where they can age in place securely, with dignity and as part of a community. The siheyuan model offers ways to meet these needs.
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.
Don't just let idyllic representations of life in the country seduce you. Making a successful move depends on ensuring the place you have chosen is a good match for your values and needs.
Electric vehicles would lower emissions, but if their lower running costs lead to increased car use that creates a whole lot of other costs for our cities.
Only the inner suburbs of Melbourne and other capital cities meet the 20-minute neighbourhood test. But we could transform the other suburbs for much less than the cost of current transport projects.