Fifty-nine residences across 37 levels. No more than two per floor. With 80 per cent now sold, what remains at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/madeline-by-mosaic-broadbeach-22-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">Madeline by Mosaic</a> is a short list.

Madeline was always conceived at a scale that sits outside the normal register of Gold Coast apartment living. The residences are half- and full-floor configurations, with the largest spanning more than 400 sqm, dimensions that place them closer to the penthouse end of the market regardless of where they sit in the building.

That scale is the organising principle of everything else: how the floorplans are laid out, how the materials read, how the connection between inside and outside works.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150135 project_image_fid=355941]

The interiors were developed in collaboration with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fraser-partners-0">Fraser &amp; Partners</a>, the architecture practice&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mosaic-property-group">Mosaic</a> brought in as design partner for the first time on this project. The palette runs to natural stone, textured timbers, and soft metallics, materials chosen as much for their tactile quality as their appearance.

Light cleverly shifts across surfaces through the day, and the design is explicit about wanting that to be noticed. Full-height glazing runs across the primary living areas, and where the building faces east toward the ocean, those walls of glass are doing real work: framing a view corridor that the site's position directly opposite Broadbeach State School's playing fields keeps permanently open.

That outlook is the site's most consequential asset. In a suburb where new towers continue to rise, a protected view line is genuinely rare, and the Mary Avenue address secures it. Residents at Madeline will look out over open parkland rather than the rear of another building, a distinction that becomes more meaningful with each new development approved nearby.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150135 project_image_fid=355939]

The private outdoor spaces are sized to match the residences themselves. Terraces on the upper levels frame uninterrupted ocean panoramas, and the planning ensures that living areas extend into those outdoor zones rather than treating them as separate attachments. The flow between the two is part of the design intent, not an afterthought.

Inside, the finish specification reflects the same approach. Rich stone benchtops, warm timber joinery, bespoke hardware, each element specified to hold up over time rather than read as a moment in a particular trend cycle.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150135 project_image_fid=3409]

Beyond the residences, the amenity offering extends that register. A lap pool and sun deck anchor the outdoor space, alongside a magnesium pool, cold plunge, steam room, and sauna.

A commercial-grade gymnasium, residents' lounge, library, and boardroom round out a programme that functions more like a private members club than a standard building amenity floor.

Construction has commenced under Mosaic's in-house building arm, with completion scheduled for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150135]

Joel Robinson

Madeline by Mosaic delivers penthouse-level living across every apartment

Developer Fortezza Group is the latest to take its new apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-belvedere-5-7-church-street-nelson-bay-nsw-2315">The Belvedere in Nelson Bay</a>, to the NSW Government.

Fortezza, predominantly a South East Queensland developer, is the latest to apply for State Significant Development&nbsp; status through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority, a pathway becoming favoured by developers to speed up the approval process.

They are planning 57 two- and three-bedroom apartments across 5-7 Church Street and 42 Donald Street, near d'Albora Nelson Bay Marina. The diverse apartment mix has sizes from just over 80 sqm to the largest three-bedroom penthouses that reach nearly 200 sqm.

<img alt="Fortezza" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="090360e1-66d7-43ad-b686-aba81f173bf2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-29%20at%2010.22.40%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=DMqF96eBZolqSAAAcugX0l66ueWng66m" />

Fortezza calls the project a "piece of Istria in Nelson Bay,"&nbsp;referring to the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, shared by Croatia (90%), Slovenia, and Italy, which is known for its Roman history, Venetian-style coastal towns and inland hilltop villages.

They say the The Belvedere is strategically positioned at the apex of Nelson Bay, offering unrivalled views of the ocean, the bay and captivating topography of the area.

"Our commitment to maintaining the integrity of every view and sight line has been relentless," Fortezza Group says.

"Through extensive modelling and analysis, we ensure that each apartment enjoys the natural beauty of Nelson Bay, regardless of future developments. Each design element is carefully curated to harmonise with our European heritage, drawing profound inspiration from the Roman architectural marvels in Istria. The arches, the cascades of greenery and the stonework that define our project pay homage to the structures that once exemplified Roman grandeur."

Residents will have access to a pool, communal green spaces, an office and a coffee shop.

First look: Fortezza Group takes The Belvedere, Nelson Bay apartment development, to NSW Government

SEQ developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/keylin-group">Keylin</a>&nbsp;is the latest to jump into the hot Kangaroo Point market, filing plans for a prime site on Lambert Street.

The 52-unit development, predominantly made up of two-bed apartments, will sit on a 1,012 sqm site at 39 Lambert Street, within the&nbsp;Kangaroo Point Peninsula’s Shafston Precinct.

The 15-storey scheme by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/jackson-teece">Jackson Teece</a>&nbsp;is anchored by a strong focus on mid-sized apartments, with 48 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom dwellings forming the mix. The project includes three basement levels, as well as ground and mezzanine parking, delivering a total of 66 car spaces.

<img alt="First Look: Keylin targets Brisbane’s mid-market with 15-storey Kangaroo Point proposal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0df78d49-0723-442f-917e-fe29f4eb02c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/2_1.png?VersionId=Ud0OP4FZCGFHLvwFWbaeTcYq8Fc2mtdh" />

Planning documents describe the proposal as “a high-density residential outcome that integrates with its context and encourages urban consolidation and the efficient use of land in a well-serviced, inner-city location.”

The building adopts a slender tower form across 15 levels, including a rooftop communal terrace. Its design is shaped by setbacks and orientation that respond directly to neighbouring buildings, achieving up to 20 metres of separation to the adjacent Point Hotel and between 9 and 17 metres to nearby residential developments.

A key design driver is the integration of subtropical and biophilic elements. The architectural concept, described as an “elevated garden sanctuary,” draws from the natural character of the Kangaroo Point cliffs, incorporating landscaped ledges, deep planting zones, and extensive greenery throughout the façade. Curved balconies and layered planting soften the tower’s vertical form, while the lower levels feature heavier landscaping and screening to create a more human-scaled street interface.

<img alt="First Look: Keylin targets Brisbane’s mid-market with 15-storey Kangaroo Point proposal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="95bc4974-fcbd-4a9a-9dfb-95b8e1977187" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/4.png?VersionId=o8hwItpcfKBglOaTH8Hv7MmVOphZF_Fg" />

Residents will have access to a rooftop amenity offering spanning approximately 262 sqm, including a pool and spa, gym, lounge areas, and flexible wellness spaces. Landscaping is embedded throughout the building, with over 280 sqm of planted areas integrated across the façade and rooftop.

Kangaroo Point has been popular for developers in recent years. Mosaic Property Group has almost sold out its two Kangaroo Point buildings,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-bedford-by-mosaic-16-30-prospect-street-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">The Bedford by Mosaic</a> on Prospect Street, and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-carter-by-mosaic-77-linton-street-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">The Carter Building on Linton Street</a>.

Kenlynn has <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/130lambert-112-130-lambert-street-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">130Lambert</a>, just up the road from Keylin's proposal, while Pikos has two projects in the area.

Keylin targets Brisbane’s mid-market with 15-storey Kangaroo Point apartment development

"A legacy to last 100 years."

That's the view of Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG), which has just been given the green light to develop its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/47-skyring-terrace-newstead-qld-4006">Skyring Terrace, Newstead tower</a> on what is being pitched as "the last true riverfront address at Newstead."

CPG will now begin a VIP release, with buyer enquiries open ahead of priority outreach to registered clients in May.&nbsp;

Access to the as yet unnamed project will be limited, with CPG confirming a staged release strategy targeting a select group of buyers before any broader market launch.&nbsp;

<img alt="DA approved for last true riverfront address in Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f4ab3090-a2b8-46a8-a4f3-4ec16b5b25b9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Enscape_2025-09-18-13-10-37.jpg?VersionId=_9OV7Adc_zdCldf58WkP0iiagz3Ed3yd" />

Construction is scheduled to commence in August 2026, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hutchinson-builders">Hutchinson Builders</a> expected to be on site in the coming weeks preparing the sales office.&nbsp;

The approved development comprises 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower with more than 75% having northeast river views. There is also an absolute riverfront six-storey boutique building of only 12 residences which will each enjoy more than 21 metres of river frontage.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a>, the project adopts a contemporary interpretation of Brisbane’s classical architecture, with a focus on enduring materials including brick and stone.&nbsp;

<img alt="DA approved for last true riverfront address in Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bfe7254d-25c3-44bb-9a46-ed658d0aab8a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Enscape_2025-11-05-00-57-36.jpg?VersionId=O29la.BVNnSLxL0JVzvEETE8NaYIn3XG" />

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke says the approval marks a significant milestone for the group’s $1.5 billion plus riverfront development pipeline including Gloriette at Yeerongpilly.&nbsp;

“This will be a new signature building for the Brisbane skyline and riverfront,” O’Rorke said. “We want this building to be considered one of Brisbane’s best in 100 years.”&nbsp;

CPG Head of Residential James MacGinley says the design prioritises longevity and permanence over short-term trends.&nbsp;

“Woods Bagot’s design will stand the test of time,” MacGinley said.&nbsp;

“First and foremost, these are beautiful homes designed to enjoy river views that will never be built out. However, the heart of this design goes beyond the ‘now’ and draws from the past to create an enduring legacy for the future. We expect these homes to become very tightly held and passed from generation to generation.&nbsp;

The project will form part of CPG’s broader riverfront portfolio, with a fully fitted out sales office opening later this year.

&nbsp;

"A legacy to last 100 years" as Consolidated Properties approved for Newstead tower

Nearly a year after purchasing the former Leo's Fine Food &amp; Wine supermarket in Kew for a reported $52 million, Melbourne developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/orchard-piper">Orchard Piper</a>, in a consortium with billionaire James Packer, has filed development plans for the site.

The proposal includes just under 200 apartments on the 6,835 sqm block, which spans <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/26-36-princess-street-kew-vic-3101">26-36 Princess Street and 11-15 Brougham Street</a>. Approval is being sought through the Department of Transport and Planning’s (DTP) Development Facilitation Program (DFP).

The buildings, designed by Wardle, will vary in scale and rise up to 18 storeys. One-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments will be offered, along with townhouses. Ten per cent of the total dwellings will be allocated to key worker housing.

The development will also include 19 new retail premises, comprising a mix of shops, restaurants and cafés, including a dedicated space for a high-quality produce offering similar to Leo’s.

<img alt="Kew" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="67cc85a5-a9d8-4eaa-95ae-fd93762d3297" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-29%20at%208.15.07%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_p57VJNE2w16xNXB4ISvu3mnVHDDk86R" />

Orchard Piper noted the development is "designed to revitalise the Junction with high-quality housing and retail, while also improving the public realm."

"Assembling an expert team, we've been working with leading architects Wardle and landscape architects Oculus on a site-sensitive design. Wardle is one of Australia's pre-eminent architectural practices, and its founder, John Wardle, is a former long-term Kew resident with an intimate knowledge of the area.

"After close to a year refining the plans, our current opposition embodies Kew's unique character and meets the community's needs, including detailed consideration of the surrounding building design, streetscape conditions and broader planning context."

On top of the extensive retail component, the opportunity to deliver offsite public realm works, involving the council owned land to the south, would include a comprehensive new landscaped laneway strategy that connects Athenaeum Place into the site, a new public park, and the relocation of the public parking currently on the site to the adjoining council land.

<img alt="Kew" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="02da73ff-e9d9-4e6a-8b6c-75c6f4cb3b01" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-29%20at%208.15.12%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NXlzip8H0suSqc.X2H6nLKZr6LB1joJ." />

Orchard Piper, led by Luke Mckie and Rick Gronow, is currently delivering The Carter building on St Kilda Road and One Toorak Place in Toorak village.

Kew has been a popular suburb for new development in recent years. The likes of Piccolo, ANGLE, and Carpe are delivering projects in the area.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

First look: Orchard Piper, James Packer's Kew development revealed

Future Cities

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What does it take to develop a multi-million dollar luxury home? Over 100 design iterations, a free electric car and endless customisation options, are a few features which set 94 River Street apart from any other luxury home in Melbourne. 

94 River Street is a new development in South Yarra comprised of three luxury homes which occupy an entire floor each. The apartments have been designed as individual homes, to be created with their own unique character. Tall house (as the name suggests) boasts opulent, high ceilings, giving the appearance of a gallery-like environment. Pool House features an exceptional north-facing lap pool, complete with lush, leafy surrounds. The final property has been coined Penthouse and will span over two levels, and include lavish indoor-outdoor space for entertaining.

Intrigued to learn more about this exciting development, we had a chat to Toly Mezhov &amp; Irene Polo of Future Cities who shared some more insight into their highly anticipated new project. 

Urban.com.au: Congrats on the launch of your exciting project 94 River Street! What inspired you to embark on this development?

Toly Mezhov &amp; Irene Polo: To create bespoke homes, vertically integrated into a sustainable built form in an urban location of South Yarra with walking access to all activities for a fabulous lifestyle. We look forward to living there.

U: Could you please describe each of the three homes – Tall House, Pool House and Penthouse – and who you envisage living there?

TM &amp; IP: Tall House, as the name indicates is incredibly tall with ceiling heights ranging from 3.3m – 3.5m. A very unique gallery-like home of 335m2 internal and 55m2 of terraces and courtyards that break up the building with landscaping, natural light, serenity and airflow. Landscaping selections for this level respond to the orientation, solar access and plant species that thrive in this environment. Thus creating a real home with a sense of sanctuary, calm and healthy living environment. Whom we envisage living there? A special someone with an extensive art and furniture collection, a citizen of the world who loves to entertain when not globetrotting.

Pool House, a level up is a home of 245m2 internal and 88m2 of external wrap-around terrace and north-facing lap pool. Surrounded by lush landscaping gives the pool house a real sense of privacy and vistas over leafy South Yarra. The Pool House offers the versatility of making a fabulous young family home or an ultimate private sanctuary.

The Penthouse spans over 2 levels with 315m2 of internal space and a whopping 130m2 of external gardens. Sitting on top of the building positioned on the hill of River Street; the double story house gives a sense of personal kingdom with 360 views over South Yarra and beyond. A true house in the sky would suit a family or an accomplished couple with plenty of space for guests.

All houses include a secure 2 car garage in the lower ground level of the building to store your prized possessions and luxury collections. At ground level, each home further comes with a car spot (Penthouse with 2) and an electric BMW i3 vehicle. 

U: I know you have only released plans for Tall House at this stage, what secrets can you let our Urban audience in on about what to expect with Pool House and Penthouse?

TM &amp; IP: We have approached the design to each home on a very individual level of refinement. Starting with the Tall House. We are extremely happy now with each house to let the market view all three houses. All houses are customizable; however, the Pool House and Pent House do offer an even greater degree of customization to suit the buyer’s requirements, options for vistas and amalgamations. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-10-07_at_1.35.31_pm.png" rel="gallery-all" title="94 River Street's Tall House living room render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="357" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-10-07_at_1.35.31_pm.png?itok=bf9EZxsm" title="94 River Street's Tall House living room render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>94 River Street's Tall House living room render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-10-07_at_1.35.17_pm.png" rel="gallery-all" title="94 River Street's Tall House bedroom render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="356" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-10-07_at_1.35.17_pm.png?itok=1Uc4s-MC" title="94 River Street's Tall House bedroom render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>94 River Street's Tall House bedroom render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie</figcaption></figure> 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-10-07_at_1.35.01_pm.png" rel="gallery-all" title="94 River Street's Tall House bathroom render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-10-07_at_1.35.01_pm.png?itok=w_U9Se7W" title="94 River Street's Tall House bathroom render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>94 River Street's Tall House bathroom render. Credit: Hecker Guthrie</figcaption></figure>U: Which environmental features can we expect to see implemented within the 94 River Street development?

TM &amp; IP: The way the building has been designed, each home has been orientated and outdoor spaces have been considered to provide a truly sustainable building that is landscaped extensively at each level. This level of landscaping drastically increases the thermal comfort and natural environment of each house thus reducing the need for heating or cooling. We need to change our cities from being concrete jungles; heat and carbon-producing sources. This building achieves this by replacing hard reflective surfaces with landscaping. 

When looking at the building from above, you will see terraced gardens with some sitting areas, a pool and solar panels.

The location of the development is within walking distance to all amenities, parks, commercial needs and even the CBD thus eliminating the reliance on vehicles. However, when the need arises, we are collaborating with BMW Australia in providing each residence with an electric vehicle for the day to day zip around town.

There will be elements of prefabrication and timber building systems which give a lower environmental footprint and less greenhouse gas emissions. Our environmental footprint will be calculated through a carbon-based lifecycle assessment tool with any carbon emissions, offset through the planting of trees and bush regeneration programs.

U: What do you think are the key selling points of the 94 River Street location?

TM &amp; IP: Access to the neighbourhood of South Yarra, Cremorne, Richmond and Melbourne CBD through parkland and riverside walks. Sitting on top of the hill on River Street, you have everything you need within a stone throw. Unlike other areas of South Yarra, this location benefits and will further benefit from high-end mix-use developments at the Toorak Road end of River Street, Chapel Street and the emerging Cremorne design, tech and foodie hub. The effortless connectivity to the freeway network offers access in all directions of and from Melbourne.       

U: With a price range of $4-6 million+, what features of each home set this development apart from other luxury homes and penthouse apartments?

TM &amp; IP: Apart from those described earlier, the price point per m2 is actually very competitive in comparison to other homes and penthouse apartments. Your home takes over the whole footprint of the building and is only one of 3. Probably also the degree of customization and design journey for a buyer at this stage of the development.

U: What gave you the idea to include a BMW i3 with each home?

TM &amp; IP: The sustainability ethos and environmental benefits of the development’s walkable location; to further reduce the environmental footprint of our micro-community it is time to switch to electric vehicles and we want to set an example and offer this to our residents.

U: How many design iterations did you produce before deciding on the final plan?

TM &amp; IP: Hard to put a number on it; well over 100. The Hecker Guthrie team have produced plans for a wide range of living considerations for how people may live in these homes. So, if there are any specific lifestyle needs that are being put to us by a buyer; we likely already have a solution for or can sit down with the team and swiftly iron out.

U: What do you personally believe symbolises an exceptional development, and what has been the most rewarding part of the process so far?

TM &amp; IP: The degree of consideration to detail, the environment and timeless design to us symbolize exceptional development. The way how architecture, interior design and landscaping harmoniously connected in design development of the building and really took our vision to the next level is incredible and has been most rewarding. We can’t wait to build this building and live in it.  
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Olivia Round

Future Cities' Toly & Irene share more details about their latest South Yarra development

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The largest desalination plant in Australia, Victoria’s A$3.5 billion ‘water factory’ can supply nearly a third of Melbourne’s needs. 
Removing salts and other impurities from water is really difficult. For thousands of years people, including <a href="http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/meteorology.2.ii" target="_blank">Aristotle</a>, tried to make fresh water from sea water. In the 21st century, advances in desalination technology mean water authorities in Australia and worldwide can supply bountiful fresh water at the flick of a switch.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cape-town-is-almost-out-of-water-could-australian-cities-suffer-the-same-fate-90933" target="_blank">Achieving water security</a> using desalination is now a priority for the majority of Australia’s capital cities, all but one of which are on the coast. Using the abundance of sea water as a source, this approach seeks to “climate proof” our cities’ water supplies.
It’s hard to believe now that as recently as 2004 all Australian capital city water authorities relied on surface water storage dams or groundwater for drinking water supplies. Since Perth’s first desalination plant was completed in 2006, Australian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_desalination_plants_in_Australia" target="_blank">capital cities have embraced massive seawater desalination “water factories”</a> as a way to increase water security.
Perth and Adelaide have <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/water/npr/docs/2016-17/national_performance_report_2016_17_urban_water_utilities_lowRes_update.pdf" target="_blank">relied most on desalination</a> to date. Canberra, Hobart and Darwin are the only capitals without desalination.
The drought that changed everything
From the late 1990s to 2009 southeastern Australia suffered through the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a010-southern-rainfall-decline.shtml" target="_blank">Millennium Drought</a>. This was a time of widespread water stress. It changed the Australian water industry for ever.
All major water authorities saw their water storages plummet. Melbourne storages <a href="http://www.waterstory.melbournewater.com.au/content/our-urban-water-story/millennium-drought-finally-ends" target="_blank">fell to as low as 25% in 2009</a>. The Gosford-Wyong water storage, supplying a fast-growing area of more than 300,000 people on the New South Wales Central Coast, <a href="/news">dropped to 10% capacity</a> in 2007.
These were familiar issues in locations such as Perth, where the big dry is epic. For more than four decades, the city’s residents have been watching their <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-perth-really-running-out-of-water-well-yes-and-no-90857" target="_blank">supply of surface water dwindle</a>. Remarkably, only about <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-perth-really-running-out-of-water-well-yes-and-no-90857" target="_blank">10% of Perth’s water now comes from this source</a>.
Perth’s two desalination plants have a <a href="https://www.water.vic.gov.au/water-grid-and-markets/victorian-desalination-project/desalination-background/desalination-history" target="_blank">combined output of up to 145 billion litres (gigalitres, GL) a year</a>. That’s nearly half the city’s water needs. <a href="https://www.watercorporation.com.au/water-supply/our-water-sources/desalination" target="_blank">Both have remained in operation</a> since they were built.
Modern industrial-scale desalination uses <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis" target="_blank">reverse osmosis</a> to remove salt and other impurities from sea water. Water is forced under high pressure through a series of membranes through which salt and other impurities cannot pass.
Design, construction and maintenance costs of these industrial plants are high. They also <a href="http://www.awa.asn.au/AWA_MBRR/Publications/Fact_Sheets/Desalination_Fact_Sheet.aspx" target="_blank">use massive amounts of electricity</a>, which increases greenhouse gas emissions unless renewable energy sources are used.
Another concern is the return of the excess salt to the environment. Australian <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135418307012" target="_blank">studies have shown minimal impact</a>.
Just as many of the massive new desalination factories were completed, and proudly opened by smiling politicians, it started raining. The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-26/sydney-desalination-plant-to-switch-off/4092482" target="_blank">desalination plants were switched off as storages filled</a>. However, water consumers still had to pay for the dormant plants to be maintained – hundreds of millions of dollars a year in the case of the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5749621/Melbourne-desalination-plant-costs-tax-payers-eye-watering-649-million-year-operate" target="_blank">Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-27/nsw-desalination-plant-deal-costing-customers-%2410-billion/4985168" target="_blank">Sydney</a> plants.
Bringing plants out of mothballs
Now drought has returned to southeast Australia. Once again, <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/water/dashboards/#/water-storages/summary/state" target="_blank">many capital city water storages are in steep decline</a>. So what is the response of water authorities in the desal age? Not surprisingly, <a href="https://www.desalination.biz/news/0/Australias-demand-for-desalination-jumps-amid-drought/9090/" target="_blank">more desalination is their answer</a>.
One by one the desalination plants are being switched back on. Sydney has just <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-27/sydney-desalination-plant-turned-on-so-how-does-it-work/10753334" target="_blank">begun the process of restarting its plant</a>, which was commissioned in 2010. Adelaide has plans to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-14/adelaide-desal-plant-revival-plan-to-ease-use-of-murray-water/10619960">greatly increase the modest output</a> from its plant this year. The Gold Coast plant, which can also supply Brisbane, is <a href="https://www.seqwater.com.au/s3fs-public/PDF%20Documents/Publications/2017%20A4%20Fact%20sheet%20Gold%20Coast%20Desalination%20Plant%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">operating at a low level in “hot standby” mode</a>.
After a dry winter, Melbourne Water has advised the Victorian government to make the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/proposed-record-desal-order-to-put-pressure-on-water-bills-20180813-p4zx9e" target="_blank">largest orders for desalinated water</a> since its plant, able to produce 150GL a year, was completed in December 2012. Mothballed for more than four years, it <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-19/victoria-desalination-plant-finally-delivers-water/8367554" target="_blank">supplied its first water</a> to reservoirs in March 2017. The recommended annual order of 100GL from April this year is almost one-quarter of Melbourne’s annual demand. Plant capacity is <a href="https://www.aquasure.com.au/desalination-plant" target="_blank">capable of being expanded to 200GL a year</a>.
When bushfires recently threatened Victoria’s largest water storage, the Thomson dam, the government said desalinated water could be used to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-01/thomson-dam-fire-threaten-melbourne-water-supply-desalination/10770718" target="_blank">replace the 150GL a year taken from the dam</a>.
Sydney’s plan for future droughts is to <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/-/media/Files/DPE/Other/About-us/Metropolitan-Water/2017-Metropolitan-Water-Plan.pdf" target="_blank">double the output of its desalination plant from 250 million litres (megalitres, ML) a day to 500ML a day</a>. This would take its contribution from 15% to 30% of Sydney’s water demand.
Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast already have the capacity to supply larger proportions of their populations with desalinised water as required.
What about inland and regional settlements across Australia? Large-scale desalination plants may not viable for Canberra and other inland centres. These regions would require sufficient groundwater resources and extraction may not be environmentally sound.
How much, then, do we pay for the water we use?
The plants supplying our biggest cities <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-27/nsw-desalination-plant-deal-costing-customers-%2410-billion/4985168" target="_blank">cost billions to construct and maintain, even when they sit idle for years</a>.
The Australian Water Association estimates the <a href="http://www.awa.asn.au/AWA_MBRR/Publications/Fact_Sheets/Desalination_Fact_Sheet.aspx" target="_blank">cost of supplying desalinated water varies widely, from $1 to $4 per kL</a>.
In fact, water costs in general vary enormously, depending on location and how much is used. The pricing structures are about as complex as mobile phone plans or health insurance policies.
The highest price is in Canberra where residents pay <a href="https://www.iconwater.com.au/about/our-pricing.aspx" target="_blank">$4.88/kL</a> for each kL they use over 50kL per quarter. The cheapest rate is Hobart’s <a href="https://www.taswater.com.au/Your-Account/Water-and-Sewerage-Charges" target="_blank">$1.06/kL</a>.
The issue of water pricing leads on to the question of what happened to the alternative strategies – recycling and demand management – that cities pursued before desalination became the favoured approach? And how do these compare to the expensive, energy-hungry process of desalination? We will consider these questions in our second article.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110972/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Ian Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University
Jason Reynolds, Research Lecturer in Geochemistry, Western Sydney University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-turn-to-desalination-for-water-security-but-at-what-cost-110972" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Cities turn to desalination for water security, but at what cost?

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GUEST OBSERVER
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments about setting migration caps to alleviate congestion pressures in in our biggest cities are an interesting response to a highly contentious issue.
There is no doubt people in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane feel the liveability of their neighbourhoods and their overall city is eroding.
Rightly or wrongly, many ascribe this fact to the pace of overseas immigration.
The Federal Coalition’s proposal to involve state, territory and local governments in managing and planning Australia’s changing population was commendable since they bore most of the responsibility for providing infrastructure for their growing populations.
Immigration is only one of many complex factors at play in the growth and development of our cities and regions, and Mr Morrison has missed an opportunity to take a strategic and nuanced approach to shaping Australia’s future.
If Australia had an integrated national urban policy – something planners have been advocating for some years – we could alleviate the pressures now being felt in Sydney and elsewhere whilst ensuring that those regions which actually want more immigrants were not left behind.
As matters stand, there is no agreed vision for Australia’s future pattern of settlement, no consistent planning parameters. As well as no nationally agreed objectives on housing, employment or infrastructure.
In such a vacuum, how will the states and territories determine their population targets?
The Commonwealth’s policies and expenditure decisions have a major influence on where jobs, new housing and population growth are located, and these needed to be considered holistically.
Cutting immigration has consequences and trade-offs and these need to be explained to the Australian public.
The Australian economy is in good shape now, with strong job creation. If skilled immigration levels are cut, who is going to fill the jobs?
Or do we simply accept this constraint to our short-term economic growth?
Secondly, if the cuts continue into the medium term, then we will not have the flow of younger immigrants to balance our ageing population, which in turn threatens our long-term economic growth.
Australia needs a nationally consistent set of solutions to ensure the continued liveability and sustainability of our cites.
These include:
1) Development of a National Settlement Strategy that provides context for better targetted national taxation, investment and migration policy; informs the growth parameters to be applied to settlement strategies; and resolves roles and responsibilities associated with growth management, land use and infrastructure planning within the context of Australian federalism.
2) Infrastructure funding aligned to the National Settlement Strategy so that future Commonwealth investment and prioritisation of “growth’’ infrastructure is targetted to those areas aligned with state and territory growth strategies.
3) Appointment of a National Chief Planner by the Commonwealth with the role of coordinating policy evaluation and national settlement strategy preparation.
4) A spatial review and evaluation of Commonwealth policies, including, taxation, investment and immigration policies, to determine the effects these have on how different cities take shape and perform.
5) COAG recognition of strategic planning, which would build on the COAG Reform Council National Criteria for City Strategic Planning (2012), with an emphasis on explicit spatial outcomes and city structures which can improve the productive capacity and living conditions of our cities through more effective integration of land use and infrastructure.
6) City Deals realigned to National Settlement Strategy (including regions)
With bipartisan support, these solutions would serve us well into the future.
BRENDAN NELSON is the National President of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).
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Greater Commonwealth leadership needed on cities: PIA's Brendan Nelson

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EXPERT OBSERVER
With the Sydney CBD filling up fast with new development the Urban Taskforce believes that a long term plan is needed to continue Sydney as the leading global city in Australia by developing the Pyrmont Peninsula.
There are a number of early pointers to the rethinking of Pyrmont as a high rise spine to match Sydney’s CBD.
The regeneration of Darling Harbour with its high rise hotel has begun the change.
The proposed 61 storey tower for the Star Casino begins a rethink of heights on the peninsula along with the proposed tower at Harbourside.
The announcement of the design for the new fish markets in Blackwattle Bay means the existing site will be redeveloped presumably with high rise apartments and the move of the Power House Museum to Parramatta could open up new development on that site.
The Urban Taskforce asked Sydney architectural firm LAVA to develop a vision for how the Pyrmont Peninsula could look over the next 20 to 40 years as Sydney continues to grow (pictured in title).
The new development would establish a mixed-use precinct with an entertainment flavour.
We see the peninsula next to the Sydney CBD as being a genuine mixed use precinct with entertainment and hospitality uses as well as being a focus for IT and creative industries.
The peninsula would support the long term proposals for the Bays Precinct.
Clearly public transport will be essential for the new uses so we support the location of a station on the Metro West line as it connects to Parramatta via the Bays Precinct and Sydney Olympic Park.
The metro station should be located so that it serves the Star Casino and the new Fish Markets development.
There is also an opportunity for more ferry connections that are turn-up-and-go between the CBD and the Pyrmont peninsula.
The vision developed for Pyrmont is the work of the internationally renowned architects LAVA who were the European Architects of the Year in 2017.
Sydney director Chris Bosse and his team have developed the long term vision to generate discussion about how Sydney may look as the city reaches 8 million people over the next 40 years.
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cjohnson-8xfqfuuCSq

Pyrmont can become the next high rise peninsula as support for Sydney’s CBD: Chris Johnson

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
 
Outer-suburban dwellers in our large capital cities are the modern version of Menzies’ “<a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/linking-infrastructure-with-migration-the-solution-to-congestion/news-story/ab87493b400864976031666711a905e4" target="_blank">forgotten people</a>”, if the government is to be believed. The image of a low-income commuter forced to spend over an hour driving to the CBD is all too common, as the media reach for a way to make sense of population growth.
But any policy to fix congestion by <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/cities-fix-pms-plan-to-send-migrants-to-regions-for-five-years/news-story/c8573e68a1438295818d5aab9de5471b" target="_blank">making new migrants disperse to the regions</a>, where there’s plenty of space, is wrongheaded. In fact, a new <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/remarkably-adaptive/" target="_blank">Grattan Institute report</a> finds Australian cities’ adaptation to population growth has been nothing short of remarkable.
There’s no doubt Australia has had <a href="https://theconversation.com/factcheck-is-australias-population-the-highest-growing-in-the-world-96523" target="_blank">rapid population growth in recent years</a>. Sydney and Melbourne’s populations grew in the five years to 2016 at rates among the highest in the developed world, by 1.9% and 2.3% a year. Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra and Darwin also grew strongly.
But, contrary to frequent media reports, the population boom has had little impact on commuters. The distances that people are commuting barely increased over the five years. And there has been little change in commute times.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238254/original/file-20180927-48650-1kxtq6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238254/original/file-20180927-48650-1kxtq6f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Note: Distance is as the crow flies. Source: Grattan analysis of ABS Census ABS (2016a), Author provided
What’s more, commute distances and times in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are very similar, even though Melbourne and Sydney have twice the population of Brisbane. There’s also not much difference in commutes between Perth and Canberra – which is less than a quarter Perth’s size.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238255/original/file-20180927-48647-130ec46.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238255/original/file-20180927-48647-130ec46.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Notes: Working-age respondents to the Hilda Survey report commuting times for a typical week. These are converted here to times for an individual trip. BITRE (2016) finds that the travel times HILDA respondents report closely match other measures of travel times, further supported by Grattan analysis of Transport for Victoria (2018). Source: Grattan analysis of HILDA (2016), Author provided
<h2>The spread of jobs helps explain why</h2>
The spread of jobs within cities partly explains the benign impact of population growth on commutes. It’s a misconception that most jobs are centred in CBDs, which become harder to get to as cities grow. In reality, fewer than two in ten people work in CBDs, whereas three in ten work in a suburb closer to home.
The importance of suburban employment centres is similarly overblown. Parramatta, for instance, was the location of just 2.3% of Sydney’s jobs in 2016, and this proportion had not changed in five years. Similarly, Clayton, home of the Monash University and Medical Centre, had just 1.7% of Melbourne’s jobs in both 2011 and 2016.
In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, three-quarters of jobs are dispersed all over the city, in shops, offices, schools, clinics and construction sites.
People adapt to growing cities in a variety of ways. Some care most about living a short commute from work; others place a high value on being close to public transport; still others care about a bigger or nicer home, or the reputation of the local school. Everyone makes choices that reflect what they care about most.
This is not to suggest that population growth has left everybody better off. Some people elect not to take a new job that’s too far from home; sometimes people decide against venturing out so as to avoid peak-hour traffic; and some either pay higher rent or cannot afford to live in as nice a place as they used to or could once have afforded. And there is overcrowding on public transport, and commuting times can be unreliable.
But people are not hapless victims of population growth, dependent for their well-being on governments building the next freeway or rail extension. While new infrastructure is needed when cities grow substantially, Australia’s cities have coped even though major transport projects such as WestConnex, Melbourne Metro and Cross River Rail have not yet been completed. We should be sceptical of “congestion-busting” election pledges: building new infrastructure is far from the only way to cope with population growth.
So how should governments respond?
Governments should focus on facilitating the natural adaptations that people make. They should limit zoning and planning barriers to people and firms locating where they want to be. They should follow the ACT’s lead in phasing out stamp duty, which effectively locks people into staying put when they might otherwise move house.
Sydney and Melbourne should introduce <a href="https://theconversation.com/road-user-charging-belongs-on-the-political-agenda-as-the-best-answer-for-congestion-management-65027" target="_blank">congestion charges</a>, to encourage drivers who don’t really need to travel at peak times to stay off the most congested roads. And <a href="https://theconversation.com/westconnex-audit-offers-another-17b-lesson-in-how-not-to-fund-infrastructure-73206" target="_blank">less politicised infrastructure choices</a> could mean the infrastructure we get is the infrastructure we actually need.
With these changes, the benefits that draw people to live and work close together can outweigh the crowding and congestion that trigger demands to shut out new people.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103992/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marion-terrill-169480" target="_blank">Marion Terrill</a>, Transport Program Director, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168" target="_blank">Grattan Institute</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-fast-growing-cities-and-their-people-are-proving-to-be-remarkably-adaptable-103992" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Our fast-growing cities and their people are proving to be remarkably adaptable

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GUEST OBSERVATION
We live in an urban world. By 2030, 66% of the world’s population will live in cities, concentrated in only 3% of the planet’s land area. But city sizes vary greatly, so what can city size tell us about their residents’ quality of life?
Our new research shows that city size and population distribution matter when the priorities are access to amenities and equality of opportunities and outcomes – and not just economic growth. Larger cities are associated with greater inequality in both Australia and the United States. This is because a concentration of high incomes and wealth in the biggest cities flows on to spatial justice issues such as high housing costs and poor access to amenities for lower-income residents.
This suggests planning must focus on the development of cities of all sizes, not just the largest ones.
Further, development and growth should be measured not only in aggregative ways, such as the gross domestic product (GDP), but in ways that show how well this is distributed – such as distributions of income, housing stock and access to services. A massive global city, with a rising share of the nation’s GDP, but with segregation between rich and poor, and unaffordable housing and long commuting hours for most, should fare very poorly on such measures.
Why the focus on larger cities?
The development of ever-larger cities is a global phenomenon. In Australia, both Sydney and Melbourne are projected to have populations of 8 million by mid-century.
Large cities are often said to be innovation drivers, wealth producers, the economic engines of the country. The focus on large cities’ wealth generation and agglomeration economies – the benefits when firms and people come together in cities – means the distributive aspects are neglected. In our previous research, we found larger cities have more unequal income distribution.
The largest cities have disproportionate numbers of high-income earners. It’s not just a matter of large income gaps between rich and poor. High-income earners also push out or displace low-income earners.
Empirical evidence indicates that traditional metrics fail to capture the reality of these displacements and expulsions.
So how do Australian and US cities compare?
In our new research, we analysed all cities across Australia and the United States. Across both countries, larger cities were much more likely to have disproportionately high concentrations of high-income earners and disproportionately high housing costs.
We tested this finding by the geography of concentration. Using a measure called the location quotient (LQ), we compared the local city-wide proportion of people in each income or housing cost category to the same proportion nationally. A higher LQ implies greater local concentrations of a particular category in comparison to the national average proportion: note the starkly different signatures for the largest and smallest cities below. Sydney, specifically, is a very poor performer.
<iframe style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/276/f88a80619773479230a47de5fc9d6be52c492af2/site/index.html" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="820"></iframe>
Source: Author calculations from 2011 Census data. All 19 ABS 2011 rent categories are shown, lowest ($1-$74 per week) to highest (&gt; $650 per week). In the largest cities, the higher rent categories show high location quotients, meaning larger cities concentrate higher numbers of households in high rent categories. Adelaide is an exception. Melbourne is performing better than Sydney.
<iframe style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/277/f7cf7e2335f1cb25bbcc91796c6d93b9d12f04a1/site/index.html" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="820"></iframe>
Source: Author calculations from 2011 Census data. All 19 ABS 2011 rent categories are shown, lowest ($1-$74 per week) to highest (&gt; $650 per week).
But isn’t this a tautology? Larger cities have always had higher living costs, haven’t they? Two very subtle effects, that even an established measure of inequality like the Gini coefficient would miss, exist.
First, if high-income residents push out low-income residents, then the Gini won’t show this. But the fact there are no poor people left to measure is a sign of heightened inequities.
Second, large cities do not seem to be generating harmful consequences for everyone. Only lower-income earners face this disadvantage, since a low-income person in a large, high-cost city is worse off than a high-income earner in the same city and than all other earners in smaller or medium-sized cities.
However, since the largest cities have the best amenities and services, the best is available only to the richest.
What are the implications of these findings?
The research points to a need for some conceptual changes.
1. Reconceptualise inequality
Instead of the narrower term “income inequality”, inequality should be thought as the differential in individuals’ access to the resources, amenities and abilities needed for their wellbeing. Larger, more expensive cities must be disproportionately responsible for ensuring this access is affordable for all residents, not just high-income earners.
2. Recharacterise supply and demand
Large cities make the mismatch of housing supply to specific pockets of demand worse: housing as basic need clashes with housing as economic investment.
The high supply of mansions, luxury apartments and investment properties is inaccessible for living in if you don’t earn enough. It also enables wealth accumulation in a few hands. In addition, high-income earners with the ability to pay for a resource will inflate prices, further reducing affordability for low-income earners.
Thus, the (in)ability to pay for housing becomes a decisive factor in shaping wellbeing for residents of large cities.
Larger cities have a greater responsibility for correcting this mismatch between supply and demand.
3. Rethink planning and design
These developments affect the ability of communities to have a real say in the design and planning of cities. A community dominated by high-income earners is unlikely to make choices that represent the needs and wants of everyone. The absence of low-income earners in decision-making is likely to contribute to conditions such as segregation, displacement or polarisation.
When a city crosses a threshold where incomes of a few and living costs for all begin to rise disproportionately, affordability, accessibility and socio-spatial justice become important urban policy issues.
A greater spread of city sizes offer a way forward
Geoffrey West, in his book Scale, writes: "The great metropolises of the world facilitate human interaction, creating that indefinable buzz and soul that is the wellspring of its innovation and excitement and a major contributor to its resilience and success."
However, these great metropolises are also where we see the deepest troughs of poverty and injustice. A larger number of cities of varying sizes, with a diversity-specialisation balance of economic functions, could maintain the variation needed for innovative and, more importantly, equitable growth.
In terms of absolute population numbers, cities like Tokyo, Shanghai and Delhi each house populations larger than the entire population of Australia: it’s not the total population that is of concern, but its distribution. Australia has a “missing middle” of cities: many small cities of up to half-a-million, almost no medium-sized cities (half to one million), three large cities and two very large cities. Nearly 40% of Australians live in Sydney and Melbourne.
Our findings suggest a super-concentration of the population in very few mega-urban regions is undesirable. Instead, we must plan for cities of all sizes, increasing people’s choices of where to live and work. It is critical to plan for equitable growth of cities where, regardless of income, everyone can have a decent quality of life.
Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/aim-for-cities-of-all-sizes-to-give-everyone-a-fair-go-94657" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Aim for cities of all sizes to give everyone a fair go: Somwrita Sarkar

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An episode dedicated entirely to Infrastructure Australia's release of its paper: <a href="http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/future-cities.aspx">Future Cities - planning for our population growth</a>.

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Alastair Taylor

Weekly Podcast: Episode 4 - Infrastructure Australia's Future Cities paper

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GUEST OBSERVER
Smart cities create a symbiosis between information, the Internet of Things and technologies to make better decisions and provide desired services. 
These cities map community preferences to improve services and infrastructure including public transport, libraries and waste services. 
They use sensors, Bluetooth and iPhones to track conditions and activities and send awareness messages ahead of emerging problems and disasters.
Smart cities integrate businesses in an expanding global innovation network. They do much more than creating a single great product or industry to stay ahead of the innovation curve. They develop visioning initiatives to create their preferred futures.
But making products that “change the world” does help keep locations in the news. Hyperloop systems to increase the speed and lower the cost of travel are synonymous with Californian innovators. Augmented reality glasses that will remove the need to work at your PC put New York developers in the spotlight. Singapore is known for its digital economy and driverless taxis.
Smart cities cannot afford to be complacent about their achievements. If they stand still, they will soon be overtaken by further innovation.
Digital disrupter Uber plans to add driverless cars to its ride-sharing network. The next innovative mode of travel around smart cities will be autonomous aerial vehicles – drones and quadcopters. Dubai plans to have passenger drones up and running within months.
How can cities stay ahead of the curve?
For futurist Sohail Inayatullah, progressive innovation is empowering (increasing inclusion), nature-based (learning from, protecting and often enhancing through new technologies) and purposeful.
Mayors, CEOs and leaders create a progressive culture that attracts and retains talented staff. Smart organisations improve staff skills and design reflective spaces. They provide a healthy lifestyle culture supported by excellent pay and conditions.
They also encourage employees to participate in innovation hubs, city labs, maker spaces, universities and business start-ups, and via shared platforms with Creative Commons licences.
California’s high-tech companies – Apple, Facebook, Yahoo, Netflix, eBay, Tesla and the like – gain product feedback from customers and New York financiers every year at CES in Las Vegas. CES 2017 displayed TVs with 2.5mm screens that vibrate to make sound, holographic displays, eye-tracking phones and an electric car that accelerates from 0-59km per hour in 2.39 seconds. While products on display were designed in US cities, global suppliers made many of them.
Cities also stay ahead of the innovation curve through the actions of industry leaders who promote the diversity and stability of local workforces. In 2008, US smart cities benefited from the support of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who testified to the importance of hiring foreigners.
Microsoft, along with Amazon and Expedia, again supported Washington State in 2017 by testifying against US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban. In a joint message of co-operative governance to protect global relationships, 16 US attorneys-general rallied against the presidential executive order denying entry to citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. They rejected the immigration ban for undermining national security and America’s core values as a “nation of immigrants”.
Separating reality from hype
Smart city “reality” is about co-creation at the fastest rate in history. This relies on physical and digital connectivity, openness to global markets and high-speed internet. By 2020, Australians will enjoy a 5G wireless internet service with speeds 100 times fast than the current NBN.
High-speed connectivity is needed to support virtual reality and rich entertainment experiences. SpaceX wants to launch 4,425 satellites, rebuilding the internet in space to create a “full and continuous global coverage”.
For leaders, smart city “reality” also means promoting their city’s unique benefits. Socially inclusive, affordable cities with liveable climates attract talented staff.
Australia’s largest city, Sydney, offers those conditions. It is a global leader in bio-tech, high-tech manufacturing. It also has some of the highest levels of sustainability and natural environmental open space in the world.
Compared to London, Sydney rates better for political stability, crime rate, cost of living and cost of rent. Sydney is similar to London in productivity, world university rankings, and health system performance.
Cities with the most advanced technology and liveability include Sydney, London, Stockholm, Seoul and Toronto.
Aligning innovation to emerging futures
Smart cities reduce hype by creating visions. Visioning imagines socially inclusive, sustainable and transformational futures and consequences before enacting them.
When delivering foresight workshops, I use the acronym SELECTFTGP – for “select futures that grow possibilities”. This seeks to encompass all systems: social, environmental, legislative, economic, cultural, technological, futures, transport, governance and political. Considering all social possibilities and impacts, before narrowing to preferred futures, helps to avoid “hype”.
The Australian government has a national Smart Cities Plan. The plan emphasises attraction of talent, accessibility, connecting high-density housing and job centres and high-quality urban design. It recommends a smart city reference group to improve stakeholder engagement, a national cities performance framework, and City Deals.
Queensland is including a Townsville City Deal in its draft regional planning framework, ShapingSEQ. The City Deal will “hard wire” ShapingSEQ through an agreed delivery mechanism for project prioritisation, funding and governance. Submissions on the draft document close March 3, 2017.
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Sunshine Coast and Geelong have applied futures studies methods to their city visioning.
Smart cities will advance across the Australian landscape when state governments legislate for cities to create and align 20-to-30-year visions to their emerging futures.
Colin Russo is futurist, University of the Sunshine Coast and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/colin-russo-267108" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Here’s what smart cities do to stay ahead

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SPONSORED POST
The world is now completely connected – physically, digitally and with the energy sources to empower those connections.
As the world continues to grow more connected and mobile, with people able to work anywhere, anytime with anyone, then this begins to pose an enormous challenge to the value of the built environment. Savills ‘<a href="https://www.savills.com.au/research/australian-research/looking-glass-series/cities-of-the-future.aspx" target="_blank">Cities of the Future</a>’ explores issues of urbanisation, the evolution of the industrial age and worker mobility.
Megacities to future cities
Megacities, cities with populations greater than 10 million, are often thought of as huge economic engines and integral parts of the future. However what matters now is not the largest population of the city, but the greatest number of skilled workers. Innovation and creation are key industries for prosperity.
As technology continues to advance, many of the working class and service class jobs will increasingly be replaced through digital disruption and technological redundancy. It is the creative class or ‘knowledge workers,’ in other words those who use their brains rather than their hands to make a living, that will be key to the future. These workers are incredibly mobile – not tied down to anything – and move wherever they like, working from wherever they like. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/02/22/Cities-of-the-Future-1.jpg" alt="" width="783" height="402">
Where will the population of the future choose to live?
This mobility is what will create large shifts for the cities of the future. If these workers can choose to live wherever they like (and work remotely, connected by technology to any other part of the globe), where will they choose to go? 
The quality of destination becomes very important, and not just aesthetically, but socially and culturally as well. What type of people live there? What type of facilities are nearby? What happens on a social level? These are the questions that developers need to ask themselves when considering construction and enhancements to their cities. What type of lifestyle can residents have? Are there communities in place to allow social interaction? Is there anything authentic and unique to the identity of the area?  
Built environments of the future
Concrete jungles that are being built all around the world have no great future because they continue to ignore the fundamentals of cities – they are for people. If we, in Australia, want to attract and retain the best and brightest, then we should build communities for the people, that the creative class of the future want to live in. Open public spaces should be more frequent; we should ensure plenty of health care and education services; and not just one style of accommodation should be present, but multiple styles catering for singles, couples, families and aged care.
Interested in learning more?
The ‘Cities of the Future’ theme is explored as part of <a href="https://www.savills.com.au/research/australian-research/looking-glass-series.aspx" target="_blank">Savills Looking Glass</a>, a series of thought pieces produced by Savills Research in Australia. Savills National Head of Research, Tony Crabb, is heavily involved with the commentary. To learn more, <a href="https://www.savills.com.au/research/australian-research/looking-glass-series/cities-of-the-future.aspx" target="_blank">watch the video or download the whitepaper</a> on Savills ‘Cities of the Future’.
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