Menu Close
The Conversation

Articles on Healthy Liveable Cities

Displaying 21 - 28 of 28 articles
Originating in the Netherlands, the concept of ‘woonerfs’, areas designed to invite walking, playing, socialising and cycling while curbing motor vehicles, has spread to cities in other countries, including Berlin. Eric Sehr/Flickr

Designing the compassionate city to overcome built-in biases and help us live better

Jenny Donovan, La Trobe University

All around us, the places we inhabit send us physical and visual cues that influence our behaviour. Good design can tilt the balance so our surroundings help us act in ways that fulfil our needs.
Health objectives are at last being integrated into all levels of planning in New South Wales, from cities and towns to local places and buildings. pisaphotography/Shutterstock

With health assuming its rightful place in planning, here are 3 key lessons from NSW

Patrick Harris, University of Sydney; Elizabeth Harris, UNSW Sydney; Emily Riley, University of Sydney; Jennifer L. Kent, University of Sydney, and Peter Sainsbury, South Western Sydney Local Health District

The connections between city planning and health are many and varied, but getting health objectives integrated into all aspects of planning in New South Wales has been a long struggle.
Having to own multiple cars comes at a cost to the finances and health of residents in the sprawling outer suburbs. David Crosling/AAP

Designing suburbs to cut car use closes gaps in health and wealth

Jerome N Rachele, Australian Catholic University; Aislinn Healy, Australian Catholic University; James F Sallis, University of California, San Diego, and Takemi Sugiyama, Australian Catholic University

One of the most effective ways to reduce health inequalities across Australia is to design neighbourhoods that free residents from having to rely on cars for transport.
For suburbs like fast-growing Tarneit in the Wyndham area, ‘hard’ infrastructure gets priority, leaving ‘soft’ social infrastructure to catch up later. Chris Brown/flickr

Some suburbs are being short-changed on services and liveability – which ones and what’s the solution?

Melanie Davern, RMIT University; Carl Higgs, RMIT University; Claire Boulange, RMIT University; Lucy Gunn, RMIT University, and Rebecca Roberts, RMIT University

Traditionally, new communities first get hard infrastructure – schools, hospitals, transport – and ‘soft’ social infrastructure comes later. Liveability and public health suffer as a result.
In Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, just over a third of dwellings are within 400 metres of a public transport stop with services every 30 minutes, but the proportions are much lower in other cities. Angela Brkic/AAP

City-by-city analysis shows our capitals aren’t liveable for many residents

Billie Giles-Corti, RMIT University and Jonathan Arundel, RMIT University

Governments, developers and urban planners all aspire to create liveable cities. Yet when it comes to Australian cities, the rhetoric and reality don’t quite match.
The Greening the Pipeline 100-metre pilot park at Williams Landing is the first step in transforming 27 kilometres of the heritage-listed main outfall sewer into a linear park and bike track. Greening the Pipeline, courtesy of Melbourne Water

How Melbourne’s west was greened

Casey Furlong, RMIT University; Jago Dodson, RMIT University, and Kath Phelan, RMIT University

Tree plantings are making a visible difference to Melbourne’s west. It’s the result of a collaborative model of greening, one that Australian cities need to apply more widely.
While parts of Australian capital cities are highly liveable, access to the features that underpin liveability is highly unequal. kittis/shutterstock

This is what our cities need to do to be truly liveable for all

Julianna Rozek, RMIT University and Billie Giles-Corti, RMIT University

The challenge of creating liveable communities across Australia’s capital cities comes down to seven key factors. And assessed on this basis, parts of our cities don’t fare so well.
Staying physically active can play a big part in ageing well – and a well-designed neighbourhood helps with that. Maylat/shutterstock

Eight simple changes to our neighbourhoods can help us age well

Jerome N Rachele, Australian Catholic University; James F Sallis, University of California, San Diego, and Venurs Loh, Australian Catholic University

Our ageing population presents several social and economic challenges, particularly for the health sector. Physical activity can tackle many of these.

Related Topics

  1. Cities
  2. Cities & Policy
  3. Liveability
  4. Liveable cities
  5. Melbourne
  6. Public health
  7. Public transport
  8. Urban design
  9. Urban planning
  10. Walking

Top contributors

More