Our largest cities, home to 80% of the population, are central to achieving sustainability in a time of climate change. The federal government has begun to act on the need for coherent urban policies.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Better Cities
Displaying 161 - 180 of 307 articles
Electricity prices are going up again by as much as 25% on July 1. The advice to consumers is to shop around to get the best deal. Yet neither electricity bills nor comparison sites are user-friendly.
Concern over bilingual road signs in New Zealand is as much political as it is about safety – but the international evidence suggests there’s little to worry about.
Some 60-100% of cats taken in are strays and at least 50% are kittens born in the preceding six months. Community cat programs focused on free desexing in problem areas are badly needed.
The communities of Australia’s biggest cities could soon face the prospect of having nowhere to bury their loved ones. Four key changes are needed to avert the crisis.
The environmental impacts of electric vehicle batteries range from mining, and energy and water use to the hazards of discarded batteries. These issues can be resolved, but there’s no time to waste.
Problems in finding suitable housing will make it even more difficult for migrants to integrate successfully in Australian society.
With a surge in people seeking help amid a cost-of-living crisis, volunteer groups urgently need to rebuild their numbers to meet the demand for their services.
Throughout last winter, 81% of homes in a new study were colder than the recommended minimum – the coldest fell to a minimum hourly average of 5 degrees. Cold homes can have deadly consequences.
Mould is a health hazard and renters are most at risk. Here experts in health, law, building and construction examine the problem of mould in homes and offer guidance for both renters and landlords.
When people are involved in planning for climate transition that takes account of their other daily concerns, such as housing and jobs, they become more positive about transformative change.
Local councils lack the means to tackle homelessness, but are often closest to the people at risk. A national plan should recognise and resource the role councils can play in preventing homelessness.
Most of our 10.8 million existing homes are in need of a retrofit to improve their performance and cut household energy use and emissions. The $1.6 billion for energy upgrades covers 170,000 homes.
There are no ‘silver bullet’ solutions to a crisis that has left both renters and owners struggling. Only a comprehensive package of bold policies can ensure all Australians are securely housed.
The new city bears a colonial name and there are questions about locating it in the hottest part of Sydney, but we are also seeing all 3 tiers of government work together in an innovative way.
Bus rapid transit is more than a way to get thousands of people to the game. Used in cities globally as an alternative to light rail, it can be a cost-effective way to transform cities for the better.
As the energy revolution gains pace, huge numbers of PV panels are already going to landfill. Many are still usable and even those that aren’t contain valuable materials that shouldn’t be discarded.
Energy poverty puts people’s health and wellbeing at risk, but many vulnerable households go undetected. Trusted intermediaries, such as doctors and community workers, can help solve this problem.
Improving the performance of nearly 11 million existing homes will make a much bigger difference to housing energy costs and emissions than an incoming 7-star energy standard for new homes.
In parts of Sydney, families occupy half the apartments and many value their convenient location. Yet, despite a surge in development, most apartments are one or two bedrooms and not family-friendly.
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Top contributors
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Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
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Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation, College of Design & Social Context, RMIT University
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Honorary Professor of Planning, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology
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Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University
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Professor of Housing Research, University of Adelaide
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Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Senior Lecturer in Retail Marketing, University of Tasmania
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Alan Morris is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor, Institute for Public Policy and Governance, University of Technology Sydney
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Research Associate, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology
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Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Western Australia
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Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Professor of Housing & Social Policy, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology
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Professor of Urban Policy and Director, Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University
