Young refugees are at high risk of being homeless in Australia. A five-year study has found re-establishing connections with their communities was the pathway out of homeless for most of them.
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Analysis and Comment
From Cape Town to Kisumu and Greater Manchester, cities around the world are seeing the benefits of festivals that celebrate traditions and people.
Migrants who've settled in regional Australia find jobs, get on with the locals and feel safe. So the government wants to know how to encourage more migrants to move there.
City rankings have become big business – but this expert thinks it's best to ignore them.
The housing aspirations of young Australians change as they enter their late 20s and early 30s. But having somewhere safe and secure to call home is the top priority for all young adults.
The good news is that the growth of live music continued under Queensland's liquor licensing reforms. The bad news is that venues rely on late-night alcohol sales to cover costs.
Rates of unwelcome advances haven't changed under Queensland's 'Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence' policies. In one entertainment district, it happened to 26% of women the night they were interviewed.
Even after 'Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence' policies took effect in 2016, Queenslanders still drink more heavily on nights out. Reported levels of aggression are higher than in other states too.
A comprehensive two-year evaluation of statewide measures introduced in 2016 has shown it's possible to reduce alcohol-related violence while also producing economic benefits.
Genetic analysis shows that urban rats prefer to stay near their relatives; however, some of them migrate. Knowing this could help with pest control efforts.
Future Earth Australia is working to create a long-term national plan of transformation for our cities. As part of this, everyone in Australia is invited to have their say in a survey.
As neighbourhoods lost their milk bars, they also lost a daily point of connection for locals. But all is not lost. In some areas, the humble corner store is making a comeback.
Most older Australians want to live in a home they own, preferably in the middle and outer suburbs of a city. But increasing numbers look unlikely to realise their housing aspirations.
The need to manage long waiting lists for social housing, rather than serving the best interests of tenants and prospective tenants, is a major driver of policymakers' approach.
Almost half of apartment residents in Australia are families, but few high-rise dwellings were built with them in mind. Many find these apartments present barriers to building social connections.
The approach to housing in the UK hasn't worked for years. What could we learn from how it's done in other countries?
Hong Kong has few recognisable public places and none with the space for huge numbers of protesters. Instead, they have co-opted the streets and digital media as public spaces for protest.
A community of 200,000 in Dhaka faces eviction to make room for "development". Is it time to rethink the concept, especially with a billion people now living in informal settlements worldwide?
Shared e-scooter programs may seem like a green way to get around, but these small vehicles can have big environmental footprints.
While politicians ignore calls to raise Newstart, alarming levels of financial stress among private renters, particularly in low-rent outer suburbs, show why current welfare payments are too low.
Average commuting times for Australians have increased by 23% in 15 years. And those with long commutes are less satisfied with their work, working hours, work-life balance and even pay.
A report based on public consultations conducted by Sidewalk Labs has still not answered many pressing concerns about privacy and consent in Toronto's Quayside development.
The difficulties for people facing housing disadvantage don't end as soon as their situation improves. They are at higher risk of poorer mental health years or even decades later.
The values of a national park, translated to an urban context, to make life better for local people.
Cities around Australia have plans to increase their green space, but new research shows not all green spaces are equal. Good tree cover is better than grassed areas for residents' mental health.
Inequality, poverty, austerity, pollution and a faster pace of life all put strains on city-dwellers – but insights from psychology could help create a more supportive urban environment.
Thirty tree species make up more than half of Australia's urban forests. Some won't survive climate change, so cities must plant a more diverse mix of the right species to preserve their tree cover.
The seemingly ad hoc collection of nine City Deals announced so far falls short of a national settlement strategy that finally gets to grips with where our growing population might live and live well.
Combining big data sources about bike-share trips with anonymized data from traditional survey research can best capture who is using bike-share programs.
Instead of trying to explain the mystifying mathematics behind how algorithms work, this researcher started looking at how they actually 'see' the world we live in.
The global trend is to free up valuable city space by reducing parking and promoting other forms of transport that don't clog roads and pollute the air. Australian cities are still putting cars first.
The delay in adopting a national approach to building industry reform, based on a report received more than a year ago, typifies official neglect of the impacts of uncertainty on the affected people.
From building blocks made of fungus to self-healing concrete, architecture is using biotechnology to make buildings come alive.
A program aimed at getting people home safely has cost A$300 million but has had little impact, aside from increased intoxication in CBD venues. Rates of assaults and road crashes are much the same.
Smart cities are more likely to be defined by quieter upgrades to existing infrastructure and new partnerships that better represent residents.
The construction industry crisis didn't happen overnight. Authorities have been on notice for years to fix the problems that now have the industry itself calling for better regulation.
We commonly think of libraries as repositories of knowledge accumulated over centuries. But the public library also connects people in ways that can enable communities to plan for their future.
While governments focus on how to ease congestion and make affordable housing more accessible for workers in our biggest cities, fast rail could be a mixed blessing for regional cities.
Uber's expansion has become a global epic with regional episodes, but the legal conflict in Argentina has even higher stakes.
Building standards
The construction industry crisis didn't happen overnight. Authorities have been on notice for years to fix the problems that now have the industry itself calling for better regulation.
Australia requires a minimum six-star energy rating for new housing. New homes average just 6.2 stars, so builders are doing the bare minimum to comply, even as the costs of this approach are rising.
Liquor licensing reform
A comprehensive two-year evaluation of statewide measures introduced in 2016 has shown it's possible to reduce alcohol-related violence while also producing economic benefits.
Even after 'Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence' policies took effect in 2016, Queenslanders still drink more heavily on nights out. Reported levels of aggression are higher than in other states too.
Housing
The housing aspirations of young Australians change as they enter their late 20s and early 30s. But having somewhere safe and secure to call home is the top priority for all young adults.
Most older Australians want to live in a home they own, preferably in the middle and outer suburbs of a city. But increasing numbers look unlikely to realise their housing aspirations.
Sustainable cities
Future Earth Australia is working to create a long-term national plan of transformation for our cities. As part of this, everyone in Australia is invited to have their say in a survey.
The values of a national park, translated to an urban context, to make life better for local people.
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Car parking
The global trend is to free up valuable city space by reducing parking and promoting other forms of transport that don't clog roads and pollute the air. Australian cities are still putting cars first.
Commuting
Workers with long commutes are more likely to become sick. They also receive less net income (after deducting travel costs) and less leisure time.
Fences
In a time of populist momentum to 'build a wall', your front fence says more than you think.
Loneliness
Increasing numbers of older Australians don't own their homes. Whether they are private renters or live in social housing can make a big difference to their risk of loneliness and anxiety.
Homelessness
Homelessness in Australia is increasingly concentrated in the capital cities, where nearly two in every three people without a home are now found. That's the finding of a study of the data since 2001.
Surveillance
Darwin is one of the aspiring 'smart cities' that is adopting Chinese technology that can identify and track individuals. Add changes in Australian law, and we have the makings of a surveillance state.
Safety
Bright lighting alone does not make a space feel safe. It can blind and disorientate and create dark shadows at the edges. Tellingly, 'unsafe' places had much higher illuminance than 'safe' places.
Air travel
Some countries have already committed to using electric aircraft on domestic routes. These aircraft could slash costs and emissions on some of Australia's busiest flight routes.
Regional settlement
Encouraging migrants to move to regional areas could be a win-win' scenario, as long as policymakers pay attention to five key factors.
Urban culture
Kebab vans symbolise the success of 'bottom-up' multiculturalism, providing a way for the non-European cultural ‘other’ to become part of our way of life.
Granny flats
Parents and children rarely put agreements about granny flats in writing and almost never consult a lawyer. But when these arrangements go wrong, the consequences can be disastrous and costly for all.
Housing affordability
It's natural to assume that a downturn in the property market is good news for people who've been priced out of the market. In practice, they might still not be able to buy a home.
Water supply
Cities relied entirely on conserving and recycling water to get through the last big drought. We now have desalination plants, but getting the most out of our water reserves still makes sense.
Tiny houses
Tiny houses aren't for everyone, but most people who live in them are positive about the experience. Yet planning laws still make this way of life harder and less secure than it could be.
Disadvantaged neighbourhoods
Children growing up in the most disadvantaged suburbs also lack the social opportunities to develop skills and aspirations that would improve their prospects in life.
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- The regions can take more migrants and refugees, with a little help
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- With apartment living on the rise, how do families and their noisy children fit in?
- First home buyer schemes aren’t enough to meet young adults’ housing aspirations
- Tighter alcohol licensing hasn’t killed live music, but it’s harder for emerging artists
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