Tensions are mounting between the professional practices of government planners, processes of public participation and the private sector’s increasing role in shaping Australian cities.
Neil Lee, London School of Economics and Political Science
The tech industry is booming - so how can we make sure that the cities where they’re based share the benefits?
Labor’s Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten announced plans for new tax rules, and the government, even as it attacked their plan, has also opened the door to changes to negative gearing.
AAP/Gemma Najen
The problem is there are already too many buyers willing to pay high prices, and negative gearing is designed to create more buyers willing to pay more.
There’s a lot of hype around 3D printing – should we believe it?
With so many city dwellers enjoying the benefits of digital connectivity, it is easy to overlook the barriers to access that homeless people face.
Reuters
We have come to see being digitally connected as part of the fabric of life in the city, but staying connected is a daily struggle for the marginalised and homeless.
Frederick Wiseman’s documentary ‘In Jackson Heights’ explores the joys, struggles, victories and defeats of one of the most diverse communities in the country.
The cover that trees provide transforms cities into much more hospitable places, especially in hot weather.
AAP/Joe Castro
Six years after Black Saturday, it’s worth remembering that heatwaves kill more people than bushfires do, so shade can be a life-saver. But tree cover and shade are not evenly distributed in cities.
The housing problems experienced by low-income households are a symptom of entrenched inequality within Australia.
AAP/Dan Peled
Government policy has not, on the whole, failed. It has been a huge success insofar as protecting the opportunities for speculative investment and profit for homeowners and private landlords.
Changing fortunes. Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Phil Thirkell
Planting more trees in our cities is a good idea, but we need to remember to plan ahead for conditions those trees might encounter when they mature in half a century’s time.
When would-be renters enquire about a property, their ethnicity can make a significant difference to how the agent responds.
AAP/David Crosling
An experiment compared the experience of Anglo, Indian and Muslim Middle Eastern “renters” looking for housing. The differences in how they were treated were significant.
At the Habitat III summit in October, governments will agree an agenda to guide sustainable global urban development over the next 20 years. The rise of the ethical city is a key element of this.
The urban landscape is complex and ever-changing in cities such as Perth, but digital aerial photography can now monitor even the smallest changes.
Wikimedia Commons
Constant, complex changes in cities and mine sites are hard to monitor. Drawing on digital aerial photography, it’s now possible to track land-use and vegetation changes in areas as small as 10-20cm.