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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-badstuber-173721">Nicole Badstuber</a>.

Complaining about public transport might seem as English as moaning about the weather. And it isn’t very British to shout about success. So what follows might seem odd, but here goes: Transport for London leads the way as an effective transport authority. There, said it. And it does so by building popular and political consensus around the importance and urgency of transport investment. Step by step, the city reliant on Victorian suburban railways and a Georgian underground railway increases its fitness to cater to the demands of a <a href="http://londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/dataset/2014-round-population-projections/update-03-2015-2014rnd-trend-proj-results.pdf">growing 21st-century city</a>.

Transport for London has succeeded by creating an integrated transport authority from the fragmented patchwork of services it has inherited piece by piece since 2000. Today, <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/aac-20150616-part-1-item05-annual-report.pdf">30m journeys</a> are completed on TfL’s network every day. A testament to the TfL model is that both Sydney and <a href="http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2009/0032/latest/DLM2044909">Auckland</a> adopted many aspects of it. Here are six lessons from its success that other cities can follow.

<h2>1. An integrated network</h2>

Under the iconic TfL brand, different public transport modes were integrated to provide end-to-end services. Unlike other transport authorities, TfL also manages the main roads and streets in London, as part of which it is in charge of cycling, taxi and mini cab regulation, traffic signalling and congestion charging.

A testament to the successful integration of the different types of transport on offer is the significant growth in public transport usage, in particular bus services. Since 2003, the percentage of car users has dropped by <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-report-7.pdf">ten points</a>. And the success of cycling policies and campaigners' efforts is reflected in the rapid increase in cycling uptake.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84896/area14mp/image-20150612-1456-sxr4gz.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84896/width668/image-20150612-1456-sxr4gz.jpg"></a>

<figcaption>Cycling’s on the up. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/16673560307/in/photolist-rpomzH-agi5sG-iFYfSM-omTwqx-9tKnhQ-dsn4kg-ndmAUA-bBFyjq-bdy3UM-egi9L9-ktDCb4-vZ2dU-vZtDq-8ANugY-e7LyaF-o7WqjH-ekQoB6-8AKpU6-nVEjBo-bh4oqV-8YfhpF-ee79Cg-ktDVa3-fipVEP-bWdJwN-9aHjdr-nY7TJR-9fmbJ3-7ENrhV-iYqVQQ-nEcyQr-8nmNox-8rLcQp-ijkPem-e9J5x6-dYBGCu-8RFQMC-dyZw1k-dhdNrN-nBQ1tm-fgLCDq-ee77sg-bovwFU-dbezkg-i9377Y-csud9o-dvCiXH-oF8mMd-ofohHa-g4ivP2">Matt Brown</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure><h2>2. Easy to use</h2>

The transport system has become easy to use with the introduction of smart ticketing in the shape of the Oyster card in 2007 and cashless payment cards in 2014, allowing people to use their debit and credit cards.

By making data on their services openly available to app developers, many transport apps for London have been created which make the use of the network easy and accessible. <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube">Clear network maps at stations</a> and <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/ll-yellow-book.pdf">street maps across the city</a> make getting around easier and more hassle-free.

Since TfL was created in 2000, investment in the system has created a more reliable and safe system. For example, on London Underground reliability has improved significantly, with the excess journey time due to delays reduced by <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/travel-in-london-report-7.pdf">40% since 2000</a>. Clean and staffed stations create a safer and more welcoming environment for passengers to use.

<h2>3. Strong leadership</h2>

Key to TfL’s success is having a vocal and charismatic mayor to champion the transport agenda and secure political and financial support for it. The Mayor of London chairs the TfL board and currently spends <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/City%20Hall%20leaflet_2015.pdf">£11bn</a> – two-thirds of his annual budget – on transport via TfL. This is three times more than on policing <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/City%20Hall%20leaflet_2015.pdf">and 21 times more than on the fire brigade</a>. TfL’s revenues from fare and advertising cover only half its costs. To bridge the shortfall TfL relies on grants and borrowing. For these it is vital for TfL to drum up support across the political spectrum. Cross-party support ensures long-term funding security. It allows the transport authority to plan into the future and reduces the risk of projects being stopped midway through.

As a directly elected, executive mayor, London’s incumbent holds significant power. He has both the mandate and authority to realise his vision for the city’s transport. Without it, policies such as the congestion charging scheme in central London may not have been implemented. The potential downside, however, is that more contentious projects (the Emirates-sponsored cable car and the garden bridge spring to mind), both celebrated by the incumbent mayor, Boris Johnson, and supported by TfL funds can also gain traction.

<figure class="align-center"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84901/width668/image-20150612-1486-mt5x.jpg"><figcaption>The congestion charge was helped along by strong leadership. EPA/Andy Rain</figcaption></figure><h2>4. Unlocking potential</h2>

Transport is key to realising the mayor’s vision for London as a whole. With statutory responsibility for transport, land use and economic development, the three are seen as interdependent. Transport is therefore developed in a way that unlocks new development sites and facilitates the continued growth of the city’s industries.

The Olympics marked a shift in this thinking. TfL was no longer in the business of just transport service provision – instead, its role evolved to be part of wider mayoral objectives, whether to promote London as an attractive business centre, a liveable green city – or to tackle the housing crisis. By promoting its supportive role in the delivery of wider objectives, TfL becomes a key player in shaping London and strengthens its position for funding and involvement.

<figure class="align-center"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84877/width668/image-20150612-1456-q536vb.jpg"><figcaption>Charismatic, to say the least. EPA/Facundo Arrizabalaga</figcaption></figure><h2>5. Thinking strategically</h2>

Transport for London’s role is a strategic planner rather than an operator. With the exception of London Underground, which is wholly owned and run by TfL, the network is run on a concession system: TfL plans and manages the network, while private companies run the service.

For example, Transport for London will stipulate a bus services’ route, frequency and service hours. The private company will run the buses, employ the bus drivers and supervise the depot for a fee. London will carry the revenue risk, the risk that fare income will not cover the cost of the service provision. By taking on that risk TfL reduces the cost of the service provision. All buses, the Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground are provided in this way.

Even though TfL does not run the service, TfL branding is used on all concessions and worn by staff to present a integrated and recognisable network to the passenger.

<h2>6. Building on its successes</h2>

Transport for London seeks to take over more of the transport network within the Greater London boundary. Building on the success of the Olympics and London Overground, TfL is campaigning to take over more of the rail network in Greater London. A <a href="http://www.londonreconnections.com/assets/PUB_TfL_London_Rail_0311.pdf">recent report</a> indicates how much of the Greater London rail network TfL may take over:

<figure class="align-center"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/84903/width668/image-20150612-1461-ub05sn.png"><figcaption>Possible TfL controlled services. <a class="source" href="http://www.londonreconnections.com/assets/PUB_TfL_London_Rail_0311.pdf">NERA consulting</a></figcaption></figure>In the immediate future TfL has set its sights on routes terminating outside the authority boundary in neighbouring counties of Kent and Surrey, southeast of London.

TfL’s London Overground provides a good model for further suburban rail takeovers. For just over £1 billion, a neglected urban railway infrastructure was combined to create an orbital network. The route boasts <a href="http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research/publications/national-rail-passenger-survey-nrps-autumn-2014-train-operating-company-toc-best-in-class-report">high passenger satisfaction levels</a>, which reflect the investment in clean, well-staffed and safe stations that are fully integrated into the TfL transport network. Since TfL took over in 2007, passenger numbers have <a href="http://www.lorol.co.uk/go/about-us/improving-our-service">increased five fold</a> – <a href="https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/Item08-020212-Board-London-Overground-Impact-Study.pdf">from 2.5 million</a> to <a href="http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/public-transport-journeys-type-transport">13.5 million</a>.

There’s clearly a lot to learn from TfL’s success.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/42901/count.gif" width="1">

<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-badstuber-173721">Nicole Badstuber</a> is PhD Researcher and Research Assistant in Transport Policy and Governance at University College London at <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/ucl">UCL</a>. This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/six-things-other-cities-can-learn-from-transport-for-londons-success-42901">original article</a>.
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theconversation

Six things other cities can learn from Transport for London's success

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-de-percy-51417">Michael de Percy</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra">University of Canberra</a>.

The idea of motorists paying for the roads they use beyond tolls, fuel excise or registration fees has taken hold in Australia. A user-pays system might replace existing fees with charges based on motorists' actual use of roads. New technologies would allow charges to be applied at different rates during peak periods in the same way we pay for the use of telecommunications or electricity networks.

The <a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/FinalReport.aspx?doc=html/publications/Papers/Final_Report_Part_2/chapter_e3.htm">Henry Tax Review</a>, the <a href="http://competitionpolicyreview.gov.au/2015/04/14/speech20150414/">Harper Competition Review</a>, the Productivity Commission’s <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/infrastructure/report">Public Infrastructure Inquiry</a>, last week’s <a href="http://www.nationalpolicyseries.com.au/conferences/financial-services-conference/afr-national-infrastructure-summit">AFR National Infrastructure Summit</a>, and now the <a href="http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/15/00/04/tax-system-needs-bold-remodelling-ai-group">Australian Automobile Association</a>, agree it’s time. But politicians aren’t sure it will pass the <a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/motorists-being-asked-to-consider-user-pays-model/story-e6frfm1i-1227397413591">“pub test”</a> with voters.

A user-pays system is necessary to reduce <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/28188195/perth-gridlock-to-top-nation/">congestion</a> on our roads and improve productivity into the future. We must have a debate over how, not if, we should implement a road user-pays system. But chances are political debates will send the user-pays idea down a rabbit hole before it even begins.

<h2>Can it pass the “pub test”?</h2>

No politician wants to be the one who implements a user-pays system for roads. But while the <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/transurban-to-probe-travel-habits-of-melbourne-drivers-as-part-of-road-tolls-overhaul-push/story-fni0fit3-1227278656758">jury is still out</a> on whether motorists support the idea of user-pays, the current fuel excise hits those who can <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/replace-petrol-taxes-with-payasyougo-road-charging-experts-say-20150504-1mzfay">least afford it</a> the hardest.

A well-designed user-pays system would be fairer. And road users would know exactly what they were getting for their money.

There can be no such thing as a simple debate about transport reform. A debate about user-pays must cover:

<ul>
<li>earmarking <a href="http://fueltaxinquiry.treasury.gov.au/content/backgnd/002.asp">(hypothecation)</a> road-related revenue for road construction and maintenance</li>
	<li>efficient use (or <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21654085-cash-strapped-governments-are-leaving-riches-wayside-neglected-wealth">"sweating"</a>) of our existing transport infrastructure</li>
	<li>ways of <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/billion-dollar-moorebank-freight-terminal-to-go-ahead-as-qube-aurizon-reach-deal-with-federal-government-20141205-120tfo">enabling intermodal freight movement</a>
</li>
	<li>public-private partnerships to take advantage of available capital and <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/reserve-bank-governor-glenn-stevens-more-infrastructure-spending-now-please-20150610-ghl1ri">ramp-up infrastructure spending</a>
</li>
	<li>efficient approaches to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-14/france-spain-make-official-about-cancelled-east-west-contracts/6390906">competitive tendering</a> for infrastructure projects</li>
	<li>changes to the existing <a href="http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2015/05/29/greens-negotiate-on-fuel-excise">fuel excise</a>
</li>
	<li>effective ways to <a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australians-living-standards-face-the-greatest-threat-in-a-generation-report-20150423-1mrppz">limit the impact</a> of user-pays on those who can least afford it</li>
	<li>new ways to capture the value added to nearby properties by infrastructure improvements</li>
	<li>better ways to <a href="http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2015/5/29/policy-politics/greens-will-accept-portion-pt-fuel-excise-deal">fund public transport</a>
</li>
</ul>
The debate will be intense. But <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/22/gridlock-australian-traffic-congestion-could-cost-53bn-by-2013">business-as-usual</a> will only lead to mounting congestion in our cities, decreased productivity and ultimately a decline in our standard of living. And it will be very difficult to implement the necessary reforms without a user-pays system.

<h2>Pricing and charging are not the same</h2>

Two important issues must be considered separately in the debate: pricing and charging. First, there needs to be a way to recognise the price – the amount consumers are willing to pay for using roads - relative to the costs associated with the funding, construction and maintenance of roads. Second, there needs to be a way to charge users for actually using the roads where the amount charged reflects the price.

Much of the political debate will likely focus on charging, though pricing will be the major reform. Even though voters are already paying for roads, they don’t really know how much and the contribution has little to do with their actual use of roads.

Without accurate pricing, we can only guess at how to prioritise road construction and maintenance. In the absence of such market information, simply <a href="http://www.perc.org/articles/study-building-roads-cure-congestion-exercise-futility">building more roads</a> will not address the underlying issues.

Although a simple per kilometre charge is supported by many, accurate pricing would mean different charges to reflect demand. This may require a combination of per kilometre and <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-21451245">congestion charging</a>. Also, charges would need to vary to reflect how much motorists would be willing to pay under different circumstances. A broad user-pays system might even encourage more flexible work practices as the cost of commuting becomes more transparent.

But there are many sticking points. For one thing, the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party is <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/135499/subdr149-infrastructure.pdf">opposed to any user-charges</a> for existing roads, even though road pricing may make it <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-06/regional-aged-care-and-road-funding-reform-needed/6372848">fairer for motorists in regional areas</a>.

<h2>We can’t afford another GST ‘birthday cake’</h2>

The introduction of road pricing may prove as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-13/infrastructure-rethink-could-save-1-billion-annually/5317002">difficult</a> – if not more – than the introduction of the GST. That took <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-07-01/36428">30 years</a> to happen. Can we really afford to wait that long?

At 650 pages, the Coalition’s Fightback! policy was known as the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/unloseable-election-haunts-tony-abbott-coalition-20130906-2t9bh">“longest political suicide note in history”</a>. But more than two decades later, most of Fightback! <a href="http://www.cis.org.au/publications/issue-analysis/article/3776-the-long-march-of-fightback">has been implemented</a>.

However, the GST debate was less complex than the road user-pays debate is shaping up to be. For one thing, John Howard had the backing of the States to introduce the GST. The introduction of road pricing will require getting the States on board again, but in an area that is clearly within the States' constitutional powers.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s relationships with <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/premier-annastacia-palaszczuk-tells-tony-abbott-and-his-mps-they-must-be-on-team-queensland/story-fnn8dlfs-1227391345881">Queensland</a> and <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoria-will-be-loser-in-any-funding-fight-over-east-west-link-warns-warren-truss-20150514-gh1la0">Victoria</a> are far from congenial. And transport reform is shaping up to be a major issue for all levels of government. So it is not difficult to see why politicians “<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/motorists-may-have-to-pay-more-to-cut-congestion-20150522-gh7lib">are wary of a voter backlash </a>” over transport reform.

<h2>Media one-liners will hinder reform</h2>

To make matters worse, the complexity of transport reform will be more difficult to explain in media-grabbing one-liners than the impact of the GST on a birthday cake. And history suggests that another “birthday cake” incident has the potential to put transport reform on hold for several years.

We cannot put all of the responsibility on our politicians. Sensible debate with large-scale community support for reform is essential. Otherwise, achieving transport reform will make the implementation of the GST look like a political cake-walk.

In the meantime, whether user-pays happens now or in the future, the longer we wait, the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/22/gridlock-australian-traffic-congestion-could-cost-53bn-by-2013">more we will pay</a>.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/43259/count.gif" width="1">

<a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-de-percy-51417">Michael de Percy</a> is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra">University of Canberra</a>. This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/road-users-must-pay-sooner-rather-than-later-43259">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Freeway_(Victoria)">Wikipedia</a>
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Road users must pay, sooner rather than later

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-beck-90705">Matthew Beck</a> and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/michiel-bliemer-14639">Michiel Bliemer</a> (<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney">University of Sydney)</a>.

Congestion is a major source of frustration for road users and has worsened over time in most cities. Different solutions have been proposed, such as introducing congestion charging (a favourite of transport economists) or investing in public transport. One solution that is most <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases-premier/busting-congestion-300-million-create-gateway-south">often</a> put forward is to <a href="http://www.danielandrews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Victorian-Labors-Project-10000.pdf">build</a> more roads, but does this approach work?

A recent <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2014/03/04/the-most-traffic-jammed-cities-in-the-u-s/">study</a> in the United States identified Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco as the top three most gridlocked cities in the United States. All of these cities use almost exclusively road-based solutions to transport citizens.

While China has increased its <a href="https://www.kpmg.com/cn/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Transport-Logistics-in-China-201112.pdf">expressway network</a> from 16,300 km in the year 2000 to around 70,000 km in 2010, the average commute time in <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-09/29/content_18679171.htm">Beijing</a> for 2013 was 1 hour and 55 minutes, up 25 minutes from just the year before.

Why, then, do residents of these cities with large amounts of road capacity, not live in a driving utopia?

<h2>Induced demand</h2>

The first concept you need to get your head around is called induced demand.

Think about the street on which you live. If a new road makes driving to work quicker, you may benefit from that, but this reduced travel time might be enough to encourage two other people in your street to start driving; and two more people in the next street; and two more people in the street after that; and so on. Very quickly the drive to work takes just as long as it ever did.

In transportation, this well-established response is known in various contexts as the Downs-Thomson Paradox, The Pigou-Knight-Downs Paradox or the Lewis-Mogridge Position: a new road may provide motorists with some level of respite from congestion in the short term but almost all of the benefit from the road will be lost in the longer term.

Further, while more roads may solve congestion locally, more traffic on the road network may result in more congestion elsewhere. In Sydney, for example, the <a href="http://www.westconnex.com.au/">WestConnex</a> may improve traffic conditions on Parramatta Road, but may worsen congestion in the city.

<h2>Weakest links</h2>

Congestion is determined by the weakest links in the road network. If road capacity expansion does not involve widening of these bottleneck links, congestion may simply move to another part of the network without solving the congestion problem. Moreover, it could potentially make congestion even worse.

The Braess Paradox is a famous example in which building new roads in the wrong location can lead to longer travel times for everyone, even without induced demand, because such new roads may lead more car drivers to the weakest links in the network. The reverse may also be true: removing roads may even improve traffic conditions.

This paradox occurs because each driver chooses the route that is quickest without considering the implications his or her choice has on other drivers. Car drivers only care about the number of vehicles in the queue in front of them and do not care about vehicles queueing behind them. This is a classic problem in game theory, very similar to the type for which <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=429">John Nash</a> was awarded a Nobel Prize.

<h2>What does the data say?</h2>

One US <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/aer.101.6.2616">study</a> has shown a strong relationship between the amount of new road length and the total amount of kilometres travelled in US cities, a finding the authors of that study termed “the fundamental law of road congestion”.

Similar findings are reported in <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856411001728">Spain</a> and in the <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00166218">United States</a>, where even major road capacity increases can actually lead to little or <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01621459.2014.956871#.VRpXEPmUePY">no reduction</a> in network traffic densities. It has also been found to exist in <a href="http://www.ejtir.tudelft.nl/issues/2012_03/pdf/2012_03_02.pdf">Europe</a>, where neglecting induced demand has led to biases in appraising of environmental impacts as well as the economic viability of proposed road projects.

In <a href="http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/230107/Zeibots-EWS.pdf">Sydney</a>, there is similar evidence from traffic volumes crossing the harbour. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was carrying a stable traffic volume of around 180,000 vehicles per day from 1986 to 1991. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel opened in 1992, and the total volume of traffic crossing the harbour increased in 1995 to almost 250,000 vehicles per day. This 38% increase in traffic can be attributed to induced demand and not to population growth (which was around <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3105.0.65.0012014?OpenDocument">4% during this period</a>).

Empirical observations have also confirmed the existence of the <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01918335#page-1">Braess Paradox</a>. For example, in 1969 a new road was built in Stuttgart, Germany, which did not improve the traffic conditions. After closing the road again, congestion <a href="http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-642-95121-3">decreased</a>.

Similar observations in which road closure led to improved traffic conditions have been observed in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2013.00662.x/pdf">New York City</a>, where upon closing 42nd street (a major crosstown street in Manhattan) it was observed that traffic was significantly less congested than average.

A <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10683-013-9378-4#page-1">recent</a> experimental study confirmed that this paradox still exists by showing that expanding road capacity can result in worse traffic conditions for everybody.

The theory of induced demand is accepted by a large majority, but not by everyone.

For example, authors of a 2001 <a href="https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/applec/v33y2001i12p1579-1585">paper</a> have argued that induced demand does not exist. However, UK researchers Goodwin and Noland have <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0003684032000089872#.VRzO5TuUf-U">criticised</a> this study.

In isolation, building more roads can certainly improve traffic conditions but these effects may only be local and only in the short run. Congestion may become worse in other parts of the network and experience shows that spare road capacity is quickly filled up with new cars.

Even without the extra road users that new roads create, if the new roads are built in the wrong locations congestion may actually become worse simply because of the way people behave. Roads alone do not solve congestion in the long term; they are only one (problematic) tool in a transport management toolkit.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/39508/count.gif" width="1">

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/do-more-roads-really-mean-less-congestion-for-commuters-39508">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Congestion_on_Eastern_Freeway,_Melbourne.JPG">Wikipedia</a>.
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Do more roads really mean less congestion for commuters?

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/graeme-hodge-262">Graeme Hodge</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university">Monash University</a>.

Two cheers for resolving the East-West toll road project mess. The agreement reached by the Andrews Government in Victoria to pay the consortium $339 million for its bid costs and early work is unprecedented, but also honourable and transparent. It was always going to involve considerable pain on all sides, because it was created by Labor, by the Coalition and by the consortium in the first place. But what a tangled government-business ‘partnership’!

Signed contract deals, a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-05/east-west-link-victorian-opposition-releases-secret-side-letter/6072904">hurried side letter</a>, four court challenges and an election fought and won over whether the five kilometre East-West toll road was good for Victorians or not… The signed business contract said “yes”, the democratic verdict was “no!” All the hallmarks of a comedy show on television. But it was our reality; $339 million down the drain. Opportunistic behaviour on all sides fanned along by a bunch of voracious bankers and eager businesses counting their future revenues.

<h2>Payout is lesser of two evils</h2>

Perhaps this agreement is the lesser of two evils, though. After all, with a benefit cost ratio for the project of just 0.45, after spending $10 billion we would also be losing around $5.5 billion straight down the drain. No-one in their right mind would “invest” in such a massive waste. In this respect, the price tag of only a few hundred million dollars to stop this financial catastrophe may be cheap.

But let’s talk about the bigger picture here. The past two Victorian elections have resulted in huge Public-Private Partnership controversies - firstly over a $5 billion desalination plant (which the conservatives apparently tried to renegotiate) and the second over the East-West toll road (which Labor, smelling the blood of infrastructure politics, did renegotiate.)

Both episodes have put into doubt the State’s professional planning capacity and resulted in arguably illegitimate project proposals being implemented through long-term privately funded infrastructure contracts.

<h2>Stop burning money</h2>

A new approach is needed so that we can make better infrastructure decisions. It is only by doing this that we will avoid burning so much of our money on stupid “Taj Mahals”. Business Councils can also play a role here by stopping their self-serving calls for new projects to replace the current failed ones. Perhaps they could devote their energy to ensure current businesses pay their tax bills here instead of sheltering in faraway tax havens?

Contract renegotiations of this size are extraordinary. And they are also tough because of our dual expectations. On the one hand, we expect government to maintain commercial legitimacy, drive a hard deal in our name, and behave in legally responsible ways. And as part of this we assume that governments believe in the sanctity of commercial contracts. After all, private contracts are the building block of the economy.

But on the other hand, we equally expect governments to take their democratic mandate and carry out policies taken into an election. In big projects such as the Desal plant and the East-West toll road, there is a clash of expectations. We want government to be both commercially sensible on our behalf, and democratically responsible on our behalf.

<h2>Legitimate projects, not ministerial favourites</h2>

Of course governments have always been able to sign us up to long-term projects and long-term debts - whether aluminium plants, hospitals or dams. And we will never take all the politics out of public infrastructure projects - this would be naive.

We do though need governments to put infrastructure priorities into a bipartisan process in which legitimate projects gravitate towards the top (instead of just the Minister’s personal favourites), undertake competent economic assessments (instead of back-of-the-envelope trumped-up business cases worth less than the napkin on which they were developed) and seriously consider whether dozens of smaller expenditures are likely to be better than the “Taj Mahal” mentality that government egos still seem to thrust on Victorian citizens.

It would also be better if governments could leave aside their <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/911b-melbourne-metro-swanston-street-project-to-go-ahead-daniel-andrews-20150416-1mm3wh">love of long-term infrastructure contracts</a>, private finance and commercial secrets and level with us. We are not mugs. Citizens expect to know what governments are doing in their name, how they are behaving with the power they temporarily hold and how the relationship they have with businesses is being employed.

<h2>Big secrets?</h2>

Can this be solved through legislation stopping governments from signing contracts before elections? I doubt it. Business and politics are both incredibly innovative in getting around new rules. But let’s try anyway. Big infrastructure projects imply big decisions, with big risks. Public risks.

Our current Victorian PPP habit, though seems to imply big secrets, and big “success” fees, even for failed public projects! These are particularly galling. But together, these form a cocktail of complex ongoing deals that could cripple the state if we keep going like this. If we can’t improve our infrastructure priority planning, our assessments, our transparency and bipartisan discourse we will repeat the recent history many times over in coming decades. So the real task here is to take another road.

Independent institutionalised professional planning needs to be reintroduced into the picture, not sidelined. Consultation needs to be undertaken. And priorities need to be re-established so that debates around medium and long-term project options, alternatives and relative timing can occur. Not just the immediate personal choices of ministers as if they were purchasing something in a retail shop.

We need to get on and re-professionalise for a more democratic approach to medium and long-term infrastructure success. And quickly.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/40232/count.gif" width="1">

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/east-west-link-shows-miserable-failure-of-planning-process-40232">original article</a>.
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East-West Link shows miserable failure of planning process

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/joe-hurley-157161">Joe Hurley</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university">RMIT University</a> and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-taylor-97922">Elizabeth Taylor</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne">University of Melbourne</a>.

Research into the way cities do – or do not – work can make a critical contribution to urban policy and practice. Yet our <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2014.994741">recent research</a> finds that urban policy practitioners rarely engage with applied urban research outputs. This is despite practitioners identifying research as an important factor in good practice, policy and professional development.

In related disciplines such as urban health and natural resource management, the role of research in policy development is more accepted and embedded. But in planning policy the research-practice disconnect is large and entrenched.

There is no shortage of applied urban research that seeks to influence practice – for example, the <a href="https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/research-centres-and-clusters/city-futures/soac">State of Australian Cities conference</a> series. Recent research on <a href="http://www.envplan.com/abstract.cgi?id=a140124p">community engagement</a> in plan-making processes and planning policy mechanisms for <a href="http://www.envplan.com/abstract.cgi?id=a140124p">affordable housing</a> provide examples where a significant contribution to practice could be made. We argue that engagement with such research is often critical for good practice outcomes, but find there are systemic barriers to this.

Many of these barriers stem from the nature of urban scholarship in Australia. Here, critical theoretical scholarship, published in high-ranking international journals, is most rewarded by institutional settings.

In the case of applied research, the task of communicating findings to professional audiences is not easy or particularly well rewarded institutionally. Researchers lack the drivers and often skills to <a href="https://theresearchwhisperer.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/research-and-policy/">disseminate their work</a>. Outlets such as The Conversation are starting to break down this barrier, challenging academics such as ourselves to communicate better to a wider practice audience.

There are similarly significant barriers on the practice side. Professional planners are time-poor when it comes to engaging with research outputs. In a minefield of gruesome-sounding mixed metaphors, planners we interviewed described themselves as working in “sausage factories”, with “cookie cutter” outcomes and surviving “in the trenches with the bullets over their head”.

<h2>What information do planners use?</h2>

Much of the research base that could inform and improve practice is locked behind fee-for-access paywalls and rarely accessed by professionals.

Even when easily available, research outputs are often written in ways that make distilling practical and localised implications difficult or time-consuming. Practitioners reported being intimidated by academic language, preferring succinct and targeted information with which to navigate the practice landscape.

So where do urban policy practitioners get their information from? In the words of one respondent:

<blockquote>
Well, Google is a good place to start.
</blockquote>

Common sources of information mentioned included mainstream media, issue blogs and professional publications and networks.

Planners rely extensively on practice networks, which are valued for making connections and for finding out “what other people are doing”. Professional planners value “accepted knowledge” and the views of experts.

In this context, experts are most often identified as professionals with significant practice experience. While not wanting to dismiss the value of such sources, the lack of engagement with urban research is notable.

<figure><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/74019/width668/image-20150306-3324-1u7ea4o.jpg"><figcaption>Communities may have to live with the consequences of poor, and poorly informed, urban planning for a long time. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lydiashiningbrightly/3000574028/">Flickr/Lydia</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a>.</figcaption></figure><h2>Planners pay attention to the politics</h2>

The bias toward popular media is partly a product of planners having to be accountable to public and political viewpoints:

<blockquote>
It’s important for us to know the rubbish as well, if it’s influential.
</blockquote>

In this, the significant consideration for the practitioner is seemingly not what is written but that someone else – their councillor, minister, client or community – will have read it.

It is important to acknowledge the <a href="https://theconversation.com/without-a-national-cities-policy-who-joins-all-the-planning-dots-24634">political nature and participatory environment</a> of planning practice and the limitations this can place on research engagement. As a local government planner said:

<blockquote>
My client is my councillors. I have a brand-new market every three years.
</blockquote>

In this environment of politicised consensus-driven decision-making, the role of research is not straightforward. However, politics alone cannot excuse overlooking evidence and scholarship.

Our research reveals a lack of resources to help interpret research and adapt findings to local practice needs. While consultants and some arms of government undertake this task, it is not widespread.

One means of helping to bridge the divide is to invest in making research outputs more accessible and targeted to a practitioner audience, via dedicated <a href="http://www.rtpi.org.uk/knowledge/research/planning-research-exchange/">research-practice exchange</a> forums and vehicles. This would require better communication between key organisations in the sector, such as university research centres, industry peak bodies and government agencies.

Exchange between research and practice in urban policy and planning is, in our view, inadequate. A culture shift is arguably required in both researcher and practitioner communities to better understand, value and facilitate effective information exchange.

Cities matter. For better cities, there is a pressing need to bring academia and practitioners together in the urban policy arena. <img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/38234/count.gif" width="1">

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/not-a-lot-of-people-read-the-stuff-how-planning-defies-good-theory-38234">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_West_Link,_Melbourne">Wikipedia</a>.
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'Not a lot of people read the stuff': how planning defies good theory

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/alexa-delbosc-147245">Alexa Delbosc</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university">Monash University</a>.

Australians have long had a love affair with the car. Car ownership and use has <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2007/wp_071.aspx">increased every decade</a> since its introduction to Australia. The car has fundamentally shaped the urban form of Australian cities – not just through investments in roads, highways, bridges and tunnels but also by facilitating the spread of Australia’s suburbs and activity centres. The car has provided significant social and economic benefits and helped generations of young adults break free from their parents.

Recently, however, Australia’s love affair with the car has begun to cool. For the first time in Australia’s history, young adults are becoming less likely to get a car license than their parents. Where baby boomers couldn’t get enough of their cars, an increasing number of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials">millennials</a> (the generation born from the mid-1980s onwards) have had enough of them.

<h2>Putting the brakes on driver licensing</h2>

In Australia, the decline in driver licensing has been recorded in New South Wales and Victoria. Australia is one of the few countries that doesn’t compile national licensing rates. In Victoria, the decline has been slow but steady. Licensing rates for people under 25 have dropped from 77% to 66% since 2000-01.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/67321/area14mp/image-20141216-24291-1ga2ykt.png"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/67321/width668/image-20141216-24291-1ga2ykt.png"></a></figure>Australia isn’t alone in this trend. A <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441647.2013.801929">review</a> of youth licensing rates in 13 countries found declines in the US, Canada, UK, Japan and much of Europe.

All over the developed world millennials are turning their back on the car. But why is this happening and what does it mean for Australia’s future?

<h2>What’s driving this trend?</h2>

Research into this trend is still unfolding, but a range of explanations are being explored. Recent changes in driver licensing regulations cannot be overlooked. All Australian states and territories have gradually introduced more restrictions on learner permits and driving licenses. Most notably, depending on the jurisdiction, millennials are now required to log up to 120 hours of supervised driving before applying for a provisional license.

How many baby boomers would have put off getting a license if they were expected to spend that much time driving with their parents? However, this explanation cannot fully explain this shift. In Victoria, the decline in youth licensing was documented at least as far back as 2000, seven years before the 120 hours requirement came into force.

So if driver licensing regulations aren’t all to blame, what else could be turning millennials away from the car? One complex but significant shift in recent years is how the life course of millennials has changed compared to previous generations.

In the past, many young Australians quickly transitioned from secondary school to full-time work, marriage, mortgage and children. Today’s young Australians are more likely to attend tertiary studies, work part-time, live with parents and delay marriage, mortgage and children. All of these changes mean that young adults have less need for a car in their teens, but also have less money to pay for one.

This raises the question of whether the cost of motoring has discouraged young adults from getting a car. This is a more complex issue as even though fuel prices have certainly increased in recent years, overall the relative cost of motoring has actually decreased.

Finally, there’s some suggestion that the attitudes and lifestyle of millennials have caused a cultural shift where the car is no longer king. The car has long held a cherished place in Australian culture, especially for the baby boomer generation. But recent <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X13001716">research</a> suggests that for millennials, the car is less a symbol of status and pride and more a symbol of adult responsibility – a responsibility that not everyone is ready for.

In the words of one 22-year-old research participant:

<blockquote>
A car to me symbolises commitment, financial responsibility and to some extent becoming an adult.
</blockquote>

Instead, it has been suggested that gadgets and mobile phones have replaced the car as the new status symbol, hobby and means to keep in touch with friends.

There is no doubt that these technologies are a major part of the lifestyle of many millennials, but the jury is still out as to whether technology is reducing the need for face-to-face contact (and therefore reducing the need for a car). Preliminary research suggests that young people who maintain frequent contact with friends through technology are actually more likely, not less, to see their friends in person.

<h2>Where to from here?</h2>

There are many factors that influence how young adults travel, and further research is needed to better understand these decisions.

There are still important questions that need to be answered. Are these young adults forgoing cars entirely, or merely delaying a few years before they get behind the wheel? Are young adults actively choosing a more sustainable lifestyle, or are they being forced out of cars due to unwanted circumstances? The societal benefits of fewer cars are obvious, but are car-less millennials suffering significant negative consequences?

We can react to this change in car use in one of two ways. We can sit in the back seat and passively enjoy the benefits of fewer cars on the road, slowing the growth of emissions and congestion by a small amount. Or we can take the wheel and actively support this change, putting in place policies and structures to support and encourage young adults who are deciding between L-plates or a new bicycle, car keys or an annual public transport pass.

Once someone shapes their life, work and home around the car it is far, far harder to persuade them not to use it.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/35468/count.gif" width="1">

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/why-are-young-australians-turning-their-back-on-the-car-35468">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="http://www.3aw.com.au/news/racv-rejects-suggestions-for-pplate-age-to-be-dropped-to-17-in-victoria-20150213-13eg1d">3AW</a>.
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Why are young Australians turning their back on the car?

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-burke-1677">Matthew Burke</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university">Griffith University</a>.

Australian governments heavily subsidise car, bus and train commuting, but not cycling. Yet a <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/news-media/Media-Releases-2014/Pages/australian-workers-support-national-ride-work-scheme.aspx">new survey</a> shows many workers would consider riding to work if they got paid for it, and most would even support it if they didn’t participate, because of the wider benefits for cutting road congestion.

The list of existing transport subsidies is long. Fuel tax receipts have fallen so low that they now fail to pay for road-building programs as they once did. Company car concessions remain one of the largest distortions in the Australian tax code and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/closing-the-company-car-tax-loophole-is-an-obvious-budget-winner-26045">severe hit to the federal budget</a>. Many employers provide free car parking at great cost, and few jurisdictions impose parking levies. Fare subsidies on Australian public transport are <a href="https://theconversation.com/public-transport-has-been-let-down-by-our-reluctance-to-pay-for-it-27745">very high</a> relative to other countries, especially considering how poorly our rail networks perform.

The welcome rise of bicycle commuting seen in all our major central business districts over the past two decades is helping save all city workers from congestion on the roads and crushes on trains and buses. Getting more Australians cycling to work provides considerable health, economic and environmental advantages for government, society and the riders themselves, and the infrastructure to provide for it is, relatively speaking, extremely cheap. The question is: how do we get more people to do it?

<h2>Car comforts</h2>

Price factors influence Australians' travel choices. Even though cycling is one of the least expensive ways to travel, the concessions for motoring remain so large that it is hard to convince many Australians to <a href="https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/programs/178/">ride to work</a> even where high-quality cycling infrastructure exists.

As cycling conditions improve in our cities, and bike parking is provided at more and more workplaces, can small financial incentives help encourage the next wave of increase in bike commuting?

Many places overseas have introduced financial incentives to tilt price signals back towards cycling (although in many cases the subsidies still remain skewed in favour of motoring). France, Belgium and the Netherlands have all introduced small direct subsidy schemes that allow employers to offer <a href="https://theconversation.com/paying-commuters-to-get-on-their-bikes-is-not-enough-28998">tax-free payments to employees</a> worth a few cents for each kilometre of bike commuting.

<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441640500184385#.VE3DQ4uUdPQ">Research suggests</a> that financial incentives have played a key role in the relative success of urban cycling in these countries. Meanwhile, in car-dominated America, a small Seattle-based program that gives employees financial incentives for walking or cycling has also <a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/256999070_Parking_management_financial_subsidies_to_alternatives_to_drive_alone_and_commute_mode_choices_in_Seattle">encouraged non-motorised commuting</a> in that city.

<h2>Getting Australians on their bikes</h2>

The <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Pages/default.aspx">National Heart Foundation</a> and the <a href="http://www.bikeoz.com.au/index.php/cycling-promotion-fund">Cycling Promotion Fund</a> have <a href="http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/news-media/Media-Releases-2014/Pages/australian-workers-support-national-ride-work-scheme.aspx">recently surveyed</a> more than 2,000 Australian workers aged 25-54 who do not currently ride to work, and who live within 15 km of their workplace.

Survey respondents were asked about three types of potential incentive for bicycle commuting: direct subsidies to employees; indirect subsidies via employers; and tax deductions to buy bicycles for commuting purposes.

The results are striking. Around half the respondents said that financial incentives would encourage them to take up bicycle commuting, while 80% said they supported the implementation of such incentives, regardless of whether they rode a bicycle to work themselves.

We must view these figures with some caution – it is one thing to respond to a telephone survey, and quite another to actually go through with it and change your daily behaviour.

But the strength of the response on the impact of very small incentives is extremely encouraging. It suggests incentives could be useful in helping some non-cyclists make the crucial transition from thinking about cycling to work, to doing it on a daily basis.

Yet perhaps an even more obvious policy change for Australia would be to reduce the disproportionate incentives for motoring, which increase proportionally every year as fuel taxes decline. Even shifting from a company car benefit to a scheme that subsidises business travel by any mode would be preferable to the current arrangement.

If that is a political non-starter, as seems the case at the moment, then a very modest scheme to support cycling to work seems prudent. As the Heart Foundation and Cycling Promotion Fund’s data shows, Australians are both ready to respond and supportive of the idea.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/33468/count.gif" width="1">

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/we-subsidise-road-and-rail-commuters-why-not-bikes-too-33468">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: Wikipedia.
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We subsidise road and rail commuters - why not bikes too?

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-newman-1858">Peter Newman</a>, Curtin University.

Labor’s state election victory in Victoria has fatally undermined Melbourne’s most controversial tunnel, the now-doomed <a href="http://www.linkingmelbourne.vic.gov.au/east-west-link">East-West Link</a>, with new Premier Daniel Andrews pledging to rip up the contracts for the project.

His decision is a victory for anyone who values 21st-century urban thinking over the outdated car-first mentality.

It’s also a financial relief, because – as the project’s back story shows – the East-West Link was always more about politics than economics.

<h2>Courting cars</h2>

For many years, the only groups calling for a tunnel to link Melbourne’s Eastern and Citylink freeways were the <a href="http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/racv/Internet/Primary/home">RAC of Victoria</a> and <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/">VicRoads</a>. The problem was that the tunnel never made economic sense when it was just a freight project, yet most attention in the transport planning system was on public transport, where demand was growing rapidly. The East-West tunnel needed a large dose of cars to justify it.

Enter Tony Abbott, who <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/tollfree-eastwest-link-preferable-tony-abbott-20130902-2t0ff">pledged A$1.5 billion</a> before last year’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/federal-election-2013">federal election</a> for the East-West plan, arguing that Australians love their cars and public transport was not in his federal knitting.

The East-West project grew in concept and soon became a massive capital cost, with the price tag for the whole plan, including the western extension to Melbourne’s port, threatening to <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-budget-2014-major-road-and-rail-projects-worth-24b-to-transform-melbourne-20140506-zr5mj">hit A$10 billion</a> and swamp the transport budget.

Meanwhile, in the waning days of the first <a href="http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au">Infrastructure Australia</a> (on which I was privileged to serve for four years), it became obvious that the East-West tunnel and Sydney’s <a href="http://www.westconnex.com.au">WestConnex</a> would never be subject to the scrutiny of our process. They were to be seen as purely political projects and the case for their going ahead would depend on their popularity, not on value for money.

<h2>Why tunnelling Melbourne was a bad idea</h2>

The old shibboleth that building roads is vital for improving the economy is no longer true. Economic growth has divorced itself from car dependence (my new book with <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeff-kenworthy-15708">Jeff Kenworthy</a>, <a href="http://www.bibliovault.org/BV.book.epl?ISBN=9781610914635">The End of Automobile Dependence</a>, traces the fall of the empire of car-based planning).

Growth in the Victorian and Australian economies now depends on the growth in “knowledge economy” jobs. These jobs at the creative, productive, innovative edge of our economy are now firmly enmeshed in the dense centres of our cities.

As the US urban economists Ed Glaeser and Richard Florida have <a href="/news">shown</a>, the knowledge economy depends on close interactions between creative people and those who can deliver projects. This work requires intensive spaces in cities, which in turn need intensive modes of transport to enable them. This means that rail, cycling and walking are critical to the knowledge economy. Although heavily into digital communications, knowledge economy workers need face-to-face contact and are now shifting back into central and inner city locations to optimise this process.

In contrast, cars and trucks are dispersive modes of transport, and are needed for the consumption economy. These jobs are important too, but are essentially based in the dispersed spaces of the suburbs. These jobs are not the ones we are seeking as much as those in the knowledge economy, because they do not drive productivity growth as effectively.

It is no wonder that around the world, we are seeing <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=38472#.VH1FI2SUdgA">declining car use per capita and growing public transport use</a>, as well as a widespread return to formerly neglected inner cities.

The six most walkable US cities have <a href="http://urbanful.org/2014/06/20/walkable-cities/">38% higher gross domestic product than the national average</a>. Cities now compete on new measures such as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/now-coveted-a-walkable-convenient-place?_r=0">walkability</a> and <a href="http://www.livablecities.org/blog/value-rankings-and-meaning-livability">livability</a>. Governments everywhere are aiming to build quality rail projects and make city centres more human in scale. Even <a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberras-780m-light-rail-line-gets-final-go-ahead-business-case-to-be-released-20140915-10gzr3">Canberra</a> and <a href="http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/work/business_in_parramatta/strategy/solving_transport_problems/light_rail_for_western_sydney">Paramatta</a> are joining in, as they work out how to build light rail.

Melbourne has one of the most attractive city centres in the world for knowledge economy jobs. It needs to ensure that this is not lost by tipping more cars into its walkable centre. Instead it needs to encourage commuting by rail, bike and on foot.

<h2>Change in the air</h2>

Victoria’s people have now spoken. The East-West Link will be scrapped, and should be replaced by more sensible transport planning. Melbourne does need to improve east-west access for people and freight, but it should not be beyond us to find some solutions that do not break the bank.

Clearly there are plans for upgrading rail access through several proposed rail projects, including the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-19/melbourne-rail-a-better-deal-than-east-west-toll-planners-say/5902268">original Melbourne Metro plan</a>, and the <a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/PTV%20docs/Melbourne-Airport/Melbourne-Airport-Rail-Link-Study-Overview.pdf">Airport Rail Link</a>. <a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/projects/rail-projects/doncaster-rail-study">Doncaster Rail</a> should remain on the table, hopefully not for another 100 years, as it is a simple and direct way to move passengers east-west.

The freight system seems to be amenable to much simpler concepts than the East-West Tunnel, like those <a href="http://habitattrustmelbourne.org.au">presented by the Habitat Trust</a>, using several inland rail interchange facilities.

The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/spinifex/bays-precinct-five-principles-emerge-from-summit/69895">same principles</a> should lead New South Wales to modify the Connex West project, especially where it spills traffic into Sydney’s central and inner areas. Such traffic “solutions” actually harm the economy of inner urban areas, burying investment opportunities under bitumen for parking and road-widening, and congesting areas that already have too many cars.

The public can sense that we have to update the way we travel and how we build cities so they are not car-dependent. The road-building brigade needs to take a deep breath and see that their plans are old-fashioned. Perhaps the legacy of the East-West Tunnel will be that such projects will never again be foisted on the Australian public.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/34914/count.gif" width="1">

Peter Newman does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-east-west-link-is-dead-a-victory-for-21st-century-thinking-34914">original article</a>.
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The East-West Link is dead - a victory for 21st-century thinking

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/wendy-walls-141515">Wendy Walls</a>, University of Melbourne and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/joseph-barrins-141300">Joseph Barrins</a>, University of Melbourne.

Heatwaves — Australia’s <a href="http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/natural-disasters">biggest natural killers</a> — are getting <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-council-heatwaves-are-getting-hotter-and-more-frequent-23253">more frequent and hotter</a> thanks to climate change. One day cities such as Melbourne may see unprecedented heat, perhaps 48C or higher.

But our research shows that smart urban design can create refuges in cities that could feel more than 10C cooler, and without increasing energy use.

Recently the Victorian Auditor-General released a report that found Victoria is not adequately prepared to deal with <a href="http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports_and_publications/latest_reports/2014-15/20141014-heatwave-management.aspx">heat disasters</a>.

While this report focused on the ability of our services to respond to and communicate about extreme heat events, it also raises an important question: how do we better prepare our cities for <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-council-heatwaves-are-getting-hotter-and-more-frequent-23253">more frequent and hotter</a> heat waves?

<h2>Record-breaking heat</h2>

In Australia, 2013 was the <a href="http://theconversation.com/human-hands-are-all-over-australias-hottest-ever-year-32267">hottest year on record</a>. Globally, 2014 is on course to <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/2014-on-track-to-be-hottest-year-on-record/">break records again</a>.

With increasing predicted temperatures and the impact of the urban heat island effect (where urban space is much hotter than surrounding areas) to consider, there is increasing pressure on Australian cities to support the health of their populations during extreme heat events.

In Victoria, statistics show that the last two heat waves, in 2009 and 2014, caused as many as <a href="http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publications/20141014-Heatwave-Management/20141014-Heatwave-Management.pdf">500 deaths</a>. (see also <a href="http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/9901f6614a2cac7b2b888f55b4dff9cc.pdf">here</a>). This figure is set to <a href="http://www.climatechange.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science/climate-change-impacts/victoria">quadruple between now and 2050</a> (see also <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/">here</a>)

Whilst it’s important to make sure our emergency services are able to cope in the best way possible, this is a reactive response that will help manage crisis situations. Reinforcing the electricity grid to make sure that outages are minimised is also valuable.

However, proactively dealing with mitigation of extreme heat can take the pressure off services, minimise expense and most importantly, reduce heat stress.

<h2>How do we mitigate extreme heat?</h2>

There is an important body of work on reducing the urban heat island effect, particularly through urban greening infrastructure and building performance. A notable example of green infrastructure is the <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Sustainability/UrbanForest/Documents/Urban_Forest_Strategy.pdf">Melbourne Urban Forest Strategy</a>.

Urban forests have been found to be very effective methods for city heat mitigation. However, vegetation takes a long time to grow and may not be as appropriate in every part of a city, so we need a greater diversity of solutions.

It is important to design at the street level scale: particularly in those places used the most. The spaces between buildings are necessary to urban functionality and where people spend most outdoor time.

A recent study in Sydney found that streetscapes have <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/viewFile/35128/20347">higher minimum temperatures than rooftops</a> indicating the importance of cooling this highly used part of the city. Streets, train stations, even car parks can be designed to contribute towards much cooler experiences.

<h2>Keeping cool on the streets</h2>

Research on urban microclimates from around the world has shown that we can control the thermal comfort of smaller spaces, <a href="http://www.vcccar.org.au/sites/default/files/publications/VCCCAR%20Green%20Infrastructure%20Guide%20Final.pdf">without using more energy</a> (see also <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096014811400336X">here</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204613002399">here</a>). This is not just about reducing the absolute temperature, it’s also about making people feel comfortable.

The experience of temperature is controlled by both personal and environmental factors. Combinations of air temperature, wind, humidity and radiated heat will change the feeling, or <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/info/thermal_stress/index.shtml">apparent temperature</a>, of the weather.

We can create spaces with optimum comfort levels through a combination of shading, reduced heat build up in materials, humidity and wind management. Rather than trying to change the temperature of the whole city, we can provide heat refuges at street level to make the city more functional on hot days.

We know that a comprehensive toolkit is needed to understand how we can cool the city in different places. Trees and greening are important but aren’t practical everywhere, and certainly not when they are used in isolation.

Designs that also include redirecting wind, controlling humidity and water and that consider thermal qualities of materials are necessary. There are also further opportunities for enhanced cooling that use virtually no energy.

For example, geothermal cooling (where wind is tunnelled underground and cooled by the earth) and misting are two tools that can actively reinforce cool space within cities.

<h2>A winning design</h2>

In a recent <a href="http://moorabbinjunction.com.au/tag/street-14-2/">Street14 ideas competition</a> run by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Kingston City council we tested these design ideas on a site in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin. Our entry won Best Urban Tactic, you can watch the video below.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" scrolling="no" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gH0lRonGyc4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="100%"></iframe></figure>Our research using on site temperature and humidity sensors revealed temperature differences of up to 10C across a small urban block. In addition, whilst exposed sites were the hottest, they were also often the quickest to cool off.

This gives us big clues into designing urban spaces for use across a whole day, where it’s important to minimise heat build-up but also to encourage rapid heat loss.

Key to this idea of designing microclimates is designing responses to the local conditions.

In Moorabbin, having the sensors on site was important because it meant we weren’t designing using generalised ideas, but instead able to work with the specific events on site.

<h2>Global movement</h2>

This kind of work on design with atmospheric conditions is beginning to be explored in cities around the world.

Examples include climate engineers <a href="http://www.transsolar.com/">Transsolar</a>, who were instrumental in demonstrating that Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid was viable, showing how well designed stadia could mitigate the extreme temperatures of a <a href="http://www.transsolar.com/blog/design-for-outdoor-comfort/index">Qatar summer</a> (see also <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/wolfgang_kessling_how_to_air_condition_outdoor_spaces">here</a>).

In Taiwan construction is underway on the <a href="http://www.philipperahm.com/data/projects/taiwan/index">Jade Eco Park</a>, a climatically controlled park that works to vary temperature, humidity and to provide clean air within microclimates to counter or enhance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDr-6UtlUu8">local climactic conditions</a>.

Australian cities, with very particular weather conditions, need responsive design solutions that work with those kinds of factors.

For example, Melbourne’s very dry summers are more suited to cooling tactics that involve evaporation than other more humid capital cities.

Urban design can create spaces of heat refuge at street level within cities. Tram stops, train stations and streets that need to be used even during the most extreme heatwave are places that can be cooled.

If we can drop the temperature of these spaces by even a few degrees, we can <a href="https://wiki.csiro.au/download/attachments/442597561/Thursday%20Chen_1140Th.pdf?version=1&amp;modificationDate=1334212028180&amp;api=v2">save lives</a>.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/33246/count.gif" width="1">

Wendy Walls received prize money from the Street14 ideas competition. She is the recipient of the David Yencken scholarship in Landscape Architecture. Joseph Barrins does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/smart-urban-design-could-save-lives-in-future-heatwaves-33246">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/11972019693/in/photolist-jdp65a-jdnVFp-jds3Df-jdpVRj-jdoLgP-jdpGnA-5W8th3-5WcSh5-jeVJLg-jeUfkn-5W4jx8-jeVJmD-5XF7rN-5Y3B1Y-6uzGbR-7d1Eak-5W4adK-5XYqPp-jeYsEA-jeVHGT-jeWjB3-nJmFzT-63iwCG-63iwCw-4zWML6-jeYsqC-jeUgai-jeYswE-jeWkDd-jcahrH-jBqJyG-jfecrQ-xcjRj-5W1ty7-5Wc197-5Y1juH-5VYbUL-65gSbq-e3sUGT-7vceLC-6aws9p-7vceFs-jfee9s-jyqpqu-jyvLZF-jdXsTr-jf47fz-dx6w64-4yN8HU-5VLjah">Flickr</a>, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Smart urban design could save lives in future heatwaves

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By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/philip-laird-3503">Philip Laird</a>, University of Wollongong.

Australia has scored poorly in the energy efficiency of its land transport, and is well behind other major economies, a recent <a href="http://www.aceee.org/research-report/e1402">international scorecard</a> has revealed. That means Australians are using more energy to travel each kilometre than people in developed nations such as the US, and major emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and India.

On overall energy efficiency across national efforts, buildings, industry and transport Australia ranked tenth out of 16 major OECD countries.

But the scorecard, published by the <a href="http://www.aceee.org">American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy</a>, found that Australia ranked last for transport and that for overall energy efficiency, Australia is the “one country in which a clear backward trend exists”. The report notes that this has occurred recently.

<figure class="align-centre zoomable"><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/57427/area14mp/8qhrd8th-1409096614.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/57427/width668/8qhrd8th-1409096614.jpg"></a>

<figcaption>Of 16 countries Australia ranked tenth for overall energy efficiency, but last for energy efficiency in transport. ACEEE</figcaption></figure>How has Australia got here? The trend is driven largely by Australia’s continuing and increasing investment in favour of roads rather than urban rail. Under the first budget for the Abbott government, nearly A$4.25 billion of funds were withdrawn from urban rail and diverted to road construction.

But, if we compare road and rail, we find roads not only encourage more energy use, but cost more too.

<h2>Australia’s transport scorecard</h2>

On the recent scorecard, using OECD, International Energy Agency and other independent data, Australia’s transport was ranked against 15 other countries.

Countries could earn a possible 25 points for transport energy efficiency (on land), on eight different criteria.

On three of eight criteria, Australia scored zero: fuel economy of passenger vehicles on both performance and the setting of future standards, and, for having no fuel efficiency standards for heavy trucks.

For each of four metrics including the use of public transport, and, investment in rail transit versus roads, Australia scored just one point each.

Only in the metric “energy intensity of freight transport” did Australia get full marks. This score was assisted by the very high energy efficiency of the iron ore railways in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Such a low ranking for transport energy efficiency policy and performance should act as an incentive for Australia to do better.

<h2>Rail and road compared</h2>

During 2011-12, cars, buses and trucks used nearly <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/9208.0/">32 billion litres of petrol</a>, diesel, and LPG. By way of contrast, rail used <a href="http://www.ara.net.au/publications-list?task=track&amp;id=677&amp;url=%2FUserFiles%2Ffile%2FPublications%2F13-09+ARA-2011-12-Rail-Industry-Report.pdf">1.67 billion litres of diesel</a> (or its electricity equivalent) in a year for a smaller passenger task but a larger freight task than road. This reflects the fact that rail is much more energy efficient than road transport to move people and freight.

In the late 1990s, both the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and Engineers Australia gave <a href="http://parkesfoundation.org.au/activities/orations/2011-2/">considered warnings</a> that cheap oil would not last forever, and more energy efficient transport was needed.

These warnings, and one in 2002 by the then Australian Treasury Secretary <a href="http://archive.treasury.gov.au/documents/440/PDF/Transport_Speech.pdf">Dr Ken Henry</a>, demonstrate the very challenging problems posed to future generations on the projected increases in urban traffic and interstate road freight.

In 2004, oil prices were rising, yet there were government forecasts that oil could be expected to drop back to US$20 a barrel. However, by mid 2008, oil prices had peaked at about US$146 per barrel. With the global recession, oil prices have since receded and so far petrol prices have been restrained. They are expected to increase over the next decade.

A further reason for reform is the sheer amount of money spent on roads, road vehicle usage, and its high external costs. In the early 1990s, research commissioned by the Australian Automobile Association found that the total cost of road vehicle operations, including the fuel they use, buying and maintaining the vehicles, road works, road crashes and external costs was about 11% of GDP.

In 2013-14 terms, this is some <a href="http://www.rba.gov.au/inflation/measures-cpi">A$173 billion each year</a>. Due to fuel costs and road outlays increasing faster than inflation over the past 20 years, and growing road congestion, this estimate is likely to be conservative.

There are numerous hidden costs of road vehicle use, but not including road congestion, leading to leading to a “road deficit” of about 1% of GDP. Road congestion costs add a further 1% or so of GDP. These costs simply cannot be reduced by building more roads.

In addition, Australia’s four largest cities need major urban rail upgrades, and the states need federal funds to progress the new rail construction. This includes a second Sydney Harbour rail crossing, the new Melbourne Rail Link (Metro), a Brisbane Bus and Train Tunnel, and Perth light rail.

<h2>Wrong way-go back</h2>

A <a href="http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2013/files/INFRA1886_R_BITRE_INFRASTRUCTURE_YEARBOOK_0813_web.pdf">recent report</a> from the Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics notes Australia’s three levels of government and the private sector are now spending over A$20 billion a year on road construction and maintenance.

Informed comment on our land transport policy (or lack thereof) has been provided in a recent report “<a href="http://www.ycat.org.au/?news=why-dont-they-do-it-in-the-road">Spend more, waste more. Australia’s roads in 2014: moving beyond gambling</a>”. The report, prepared for Infrastructure Australia was briefly placed on their website, and then withdrawn. It now may be found at the website of the <a href="http://www.ycat.org.au">Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport</a>, which would much prefer a better rail system for Melbourne rather than the proposed East West motorway that could cost up to <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/comment/labor8217s-east-west-link-8216policy8217-is-pathetic-20140820-1069pz">A$1 billion for each kilometre or $1m per metre</a>.

As noted by the recent report for Infrastructure Australia, “between 2008-09 and 2011-12, over A$4.5 billion more was spent on roads than was raised in almost all road taxes and charges.”

After noting the need for reform in road pricing, including mass distance location for the heavier trucks, this report considers that the big annual outlay of roads, which is set to grow even larger at the expense of federal funding of urban rail, is a “road spend [that] can only be described as hideously inefficient.”

Clearly, current federal policies of putting more money into roads and less into rail is a case of ignoring all the signs of “Wrong way-go back”.

Building more freeways will induce <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-freeways-cure-congestion-time-to-put-the-myth-to-bed-13896">more traffic</a>, and hence more road congestion with more liquid fuel use.

A more sustainable approach would be for Australia’s major cities to expand their urban railways, and for people to use more buses, cycling and/or walking. This would reduce liquid fuel use and hence emissions.<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/29881/count.gif" width="1">

Philip Laird owns shares in some rail and road freight companies. He has previously received funding from the two Rail related CRCs and is affiliated, inter alia, with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and Engineers Australia. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/australias-transport-is-falling-behind-on-energy-efficiency-29881">original article</a>.

Lead image credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Freeway_(Melbourne)">Wikipedia</a>.
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Australia's transport is falling behind on energy efficiency

Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tsioMLcnjas?si=zq-ys3JuWpfa5hFv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

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