A hard day’s night

While most people go home at night after a hard day’s work, almost 10% of Australian workers are employed at night, helping to keep the country running while the rest of us relax or sleep.

Tiny houses may not be the big answer

There has been significant growth in small house living, but that doesn’t mean Australia should “go big” on them in terms of overall housing policy.

Building better after the bushfires

Rebuilding the homes lost to bushfires offers an opportunity to use more resilient designs, but some areas may be better abandoned, given Australia’s fast changing climate conditions.

Do we need a bushfire royal commission?

The prime minister has announced that the cabinet will consider a royal commission into aspects of the ongoing fire disaster once the bushfires are under control, so how might this be organised to ensure it produces results?

The bushfire threat to drinking water

Regional and metropolitan areas around NSW are facing water quality concerns in the face of the bushfire crisis.

Water decision making: Are politicians performing?

Australia’s record on delivering good public policy outcomes in water is laudable. But increasingly, in the face of climate change, we need to improve that performance.

Rewrite the road rules to put walking first

Changing state road rules to give more priority to pedestrians would help reduce deaths and injuries, and encourage more people to walk the pavements, rather than drive on the roads.

Politicians give transport models a bad rap

Transport modelling has been tarnished by its use to justify the predetermined projects politicians favour. But, if used more transparently, it’s a valuable tool for planning our future cities.

Cracks in the pavement

Two of Australia’s leading strategic urban plans could be expanded to promote better places to live for all residents, according to an expert report.

Australian cities pay the price for blocking council input

In many countries, city-shaping mega-projects are generally overseen by local government, but in Australia state governments often step in and exclude council and community representatives from the process.

Ditch the car to improve Sydney’s liveability

The problem in fast-growing Sydney isn’t too many people, it’s too many cars, says a UNSW urban design expert.

Rewrite the building code to restore apartment buyer confidence

Governments and regulators assume compliance with building regulations will restore public confidence, but complying with the National Construction Code won’t fix many common defects.