Green streets

Australia’s cities are rapidly losing their trees and green spaces as houses with gardens are bulldozed for high density apartment buildings, so what lessons can we learn from New Zealand, whose population is equally urbanised?

The eight wonders of Melbourne

Architects don’t always live in the types of buildings they design for our cities, but here are some of the most striking examples in Melbourne.

A love letter to Sydney

Louis Nowra’s “Sydney, a Biography” offers a fascinating insight into the history and geography of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Natural design

The new field of bioarchitecture draws on principles from nature to help solve technological problems and address global challenges such as climate change.

Saving the world from ourselves

A new set of recommendations from Earth Commission experts addresses what businesses and cities must do to stay within ‘safe and just’ environmental limits for carbon, water, nutrients, land and other natural resources.

Six ways to boost electric vehicles

Discussions at Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Summit focused on ways to encourage their roll-out to replace traditional vehicles.

Melbourne’s suburban rail loop and housing affordability

Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop will not be enough to revitalise the city without economic incentives, better public transport and the creation of affordable and liveable higher density “activity centres”.

Higher living costs could increase homelessness

While we wait for a national housing plan, inflation and higher rents threaten to squeeze more households out of their homes and onto the streets.

Tyre walls

A new study by The University of South Australia has tested and verified the structural integrity of walls constructed from tyres packed with earth, with the results potentially providing new opportunities for the reuse of end-of-life tyres in the construction industry.

The rise of food deserts

Urban “food deserts” can leave low-income residents without access to private transportation with few options to buy fresh food, even in the wealthy cities of Australia.

Optimising social housing conditions

New social and public housing research offers insight into the situations many Victorians found themselves in during the pandemic.

Murder houses

What do real estate agents and vendors have to disclose about a house with a chequered – or even bloody – history?