Sydney has joined more than 600 local governments around the world – as well as the national governments of the UK and Canada – in putting the climate crisis at the heart of all policy decisions.
Activists watch the count in Bath.
Rod Minchin/PA Wire
Councils are facing their own revenue crisis – and local businesses are paying the price.
Local councils across Australia are concerned about a shortage of affordable housing, but feel the problem is beyond local government’s capacity to solve.
Dave Hunt/AAP
A national survey shows councils know much of the housing in their local areas isn’t affordable. But providing affordable housing is not a priority because they see it as being beyond their means.
The UK pioneered smart cards such as Oyster. But now, experimentation is being stifled as cash-strapped councils struggle to deliver basic services.
Hobart is facing a rental accommodation shortfall of about 5,000 households, but the statewide shortage totals more than 29,000 households.
Dave Hunt/AAP
Tasmania has an estimated rental housing shortfall of 29,200 households across the state. Especially in disadvantaged rural areas, local councils have had to step in to help house residents locally.
You can see koalas at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, but the city council has won a planning battle to preserve their wild population too.
Dave Hunt/AAP
Local planning rules have prevailed in a long-running dispute over a proposed Gold Coast quarry that threatened the amenity of nearby residents and koalas.
Bilingual and trilingual shop signs are a feature of Strathfield.
Alice Chik
Australia has no policy designating English as the official language, but an explicit ‘English first’ policy for shop signs would treat speakers of every other language as second-class citizens.
Cities and towns are becoming more technologically sophisticated – but remain vulnerable to attack.
It Never Ends/Pixabay
Donald Norris, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Anupam Joshi, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Laura Mateczun, University of Maryland, Baltimore County e Tim Finin, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Local governments don’t pay much attention to cybersecurity, leaving them vulnerable to hijacking as happened to Atlanta and Baltimore.
Tel Aviv has a reputation as a “non-stop city” but is also known for its local government’s use of smart technology to listen to and respond to residents’ needs and concerns.
Alexandra Lande/Shutterstock
To be a smart city is to know what your people want and need. And smart city leaders make sure residents can tell them by using technology to maintain a constant two-way flow of information.
Better local governance can make classrooms happier and more productive.
United Nations Photo/Flickr