Engineering a labour-shortage solution

Engineers – real engineers – build the world around us, but instead of investing in training our own, Australia has been content to poach trained engineers from abroad, creating serious shortages only proper domestic education and training programmes can satisfy.

NSW’s housing crisis

A rapidly increasing population and soaring interest rates and rents have created a growing housing crisis which the new NSW government will have to deal with, whatever side of politics takes power.

Digital twin cities

Digital technologies that allow experts to design and predict future city environments can become be a key tool in sustainable urban design.

Concrete jungle

Concrete is the second most used substance after water, but the high energy and emission toll of turning limestone into cement is encouraging the use of substitute ingredients in the mix.

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.