It’s only been a few months since local Gold Coast developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dankav-developments">Dankav</a> unveiled its next precinct-driven project, and less than a month since formally launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-alfred-mermaid-beach-2375-gold-coast-highway-mermaid-beach-qld-4218">The Alfred Residences</a>, a reimagining of the former Mermaid Beach Shopping Village.

In just the first three weeks, 30 of the 40 residences in stage one have been secured, predominantly by local buyers already living within the coveted 4218 postcode, underscoring the demand for a well-connected, beachside lifestyle.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149942 project_image_fid=355148]

The origins of the shopping village, a community staple for several decades, will continue under DANKAV’s precinct-driven scheme. The apartments in the first stage will sit above a curated collection of restaurants, cafés and boutique retailers.

A central landscaped laneway defines the ground plane, framed by a series of low-scale buildings that open into shaded courtyards and plazas designed by <a href="http://j.ar">J.AR</a> Office. The residences above were designed by BDA Architecture and feature generous balconies, modern interiors and elevated views across the ocean, skyline or hinterland. The interiors are curated with layered detail and coastal-appropriate finishes, with layouts focused on privacy, natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149942 project_image_fid=355150]

It was the site’s prime location that first appealed to DANKAV founder Daniel Veitch. The development sits directly across the road from the future Mermaid Beach South light rail station, giving residents convenient public transport access to the rest of the Coast.

While DANKAV is delivering extensive amenity as part of the retail plaza, the area is already well serviced, with a Woolworths Metro, established cafés and restaurants, and the all-important sand of Mermaid Beach just 100 metres from the front door.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149942 project_image_fid=355149]

DANKAV is also behind the recently completed The Oxley 1823 at Nobby’s Beach, which has become the area’s go-to lifestyle precinct. They are nearing completion of LAANI on Alexandra Avenue, also in Mermaid Beach.

Construction on The Alfred Residences has already commenced, with the first stage slated for completion in 2027.

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Joel Robinson

DANKAV approaches first stage sell-out of The Alfred Residences in Mermaid Beach after three-week sales blitz

On the top floor of Gardner Va​ughan Group’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/danby-lane-nundah-village-5-danby-lane-nundah-qld-4012">Danby Lane</a> project in Nundah, just two penthouses offer some of the largest and most detailed new apartment homes ever delivered in the well-connected suburb, and among the biggest in Brisbane’s inner north.

Each of the four-bedroom, three-bathroom residences spans the full depth of the building on the 10th storey, one of the tallest buildings in Nundah. They are split between north and southeast orientations, maximising natural light and cross-ventilation, as well as capturing the suburb’s best views from the large wrap-around balconies.

One of the penthouses has already been snapped up by a local.&nbsp;The remaining 270 sqm penthouse is priced at $3.4 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112531 project_image_fid=340185]

The open plan living, kitchen and dining area, which flows seamlessly to the terrace, forms the heart of each home. The kitchen has been designed as much for entertaining as everyday living, featuring large central island benches with stone overhangs that double as dining spaces. Butler’s pantries, European appliances and soft-close joinery complete the space.

The master bedroom in each penthouse features a walk-through wardrobe with integrated shelving and storage, and an ensuite with double vanities and a freestanding bathtub.

The additional bedrooms also include ensuites and balcony access, with one offering flexibility as a study or multi-purpose room. Each penthouse includes three secure car spaces, as well as a dedicated laundry with linen storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112531 project_image_fid=320117]

Buyers can choose from two exclusive interior schemes. The Champagne palette pairs warm whites with timber grain and gold accents, while Truffle introduces deeper tones with forest-inspired wood finishes and matte black fittings. Both schemes extend consistently throughout the home, from kitchens to bathrooms.

Gardner Vaughan Group, a vertically integrated builder-developer that has already commenced construction on Danby Lane, is set to move its headquarters into one of the commercial spaces upon completion in early 2027. Having been based in Nundah for more than a decade, Danby Lane is very much a passion project for the team.

Residents will also enjoy a suite of private amenities, including a rooftop recreation area with a swimming pool, gym and function room, along with retail tenancies on the ground floor.

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Staff Writer

Inside the remaining penthouse at Danby Lane in Nundah

Developer Tian An LFD has been given the green light from the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority to go ahead with its new Chatswood apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hammond-greens-chatswood-5-9-gordon-avenue-chatswood-nsw-2067">Hammond Greens</a>.

The 35-storey mixed-use tower at 5-9 Gordon Avenue, on the edge of the Chatswood Bowls Club, will comprise 91 apartments, 22 of which will be affordable homes managed by Link Wentworth. They will sit above a two-level podium with retail and commercial space.

The plans were upsized from the early 25-storey scheme which proposed 64 apartments, following the Government's new planning provisions under the Housing SEPP that gave developers the opportunity to increase heights and floor place in exchange for an affordable housing component.

&nbsp;

The design by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fjc-studio">FJC Studio</a>&nbsp;builds on the concept first presented when the firm won the site’s design competition, describing Hammond Greens as “a unique form of vertical living that belongs on the North Shore - drawing on the vernacular and materiality of suburban living, and integrating native landscaping between the narrow tower forms”.

At ground level, 1,500 sqm of retail and commercial space will activate the podium, supporting a hybrid work environment and creating a stronger connection with the local community. Residents will also have access to an outdoor pool deck, yoga room, golf simulator, and landscaped gardens designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/sturt-noble-landscapes">Sturt Noble Associates</a>.

&nbsp;

Located less than 500 metres from Chatswood Transport Interchange, the project contributes to the suburb’s growing pipeline of high-density development. It joins the likes of Changfa's recently launched The Anderson and Billbergia's Chatswood Grand Residences.

Hammond Greens is the first of two towers Tian is planning in Chatswood. They have a sister project, dubbed Hammond Place, just one street away at 15-19 Nelson Street. That will have around 110 apartments.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=142900]

Tian An LFD greenlit for Hammond Greens apartments in Chatswood as project launches

The sought-after Latent Defects Insurance policy, offering off the plan apartment buyers peace of mind for 10 years post-completion, has made its way to Sydney’s harbourside. Boutique developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/toohey-miller">Toohey Miller</a> has secured this insurance for its newly launched Elizabeth Bay development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/barncleuth-square-elizabeth-bay-4-4a-barncleuth-square-elizabeth-bay-nsw-2011">Barncleuth</a>. This marks the developer’s second project in the area, following the success of No. 1 Onslow Place.

Latent Defects Insurance, offered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/resilience-latent-defects-insurance">Resilience Insurance</a>, provides cover for structural or waterproofing defects in new apartment buildings. It is a policy that only the developer or builder can take out, not the apartment purchaser.

Located just&nbsp;off Macleay Street, one of Sydney’s most desirable high streets, Barncleuth offers a rare collection of only 10 residences. With just two per floor, each oversized floorplan has been designed by SJB specifically for the owner-occupier.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140184 project_image_fid=356342]

The five-storey building captures views over Rushcutters Bay and Paddington, blending contemporary brickwork with the expressive silhouettes of its Art Deco neighbours.

Inside, the residences, designed by David Hicks, prioritise generous scale and enduring quality, with a mix of two- and three-bedroom layouts. Expansive terraces and cross-ventilated interiors maximise light and airflow, while sustainable features such as a green roof and locally sourced materials reflect SJB’s commitment to long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140184 project_image_fid=356341]

Developer Toohey Miller, led by Nick Couloumbis, says the design aims to bring lasting quality to an area long celebrated for its apartment heritage.

"It's a stone's throw from the best restaurants in Sydney. Some people call it the Soho of Sydney," Couloumbis told Apartments.com.au when the project was approved.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140184 project_image_fid=356337]

By securing <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/resilience-latent-defects-insurance">Resilience Latent Defects Insurance</a>, Barncleuth joins a growing group of premium Sydney projects adopting the gold standard in building protection.&nbsp;

The cover, provided before construction begins, ensures any hidden structural or waterproofing defects are repaired immediately, without lengthy litigation or fault disputes.

Resilience Insurance CEO Corey Nugent said the product has been a catalyst for renewed confidence in the off the plan market.&nbsp;

“Ultimately what we’re trying to do is build better buildings consumers can trust. When buyers take possession, they have full insurance protection from day one, for 10 years,” Nugent explained.

Unlike traditional policies such as strata or construction insurance, Resilience LDI is a first-resort, strict liability policy, meaning repairs are covered immediately without needing to prove negligence. Coverage extends to foundations, load-bearing walls, and waterproofing, the elements most critical to long-term structural integrity.

Regarded construction firm Jasara has been appointed to deliver Barncleuth. They are forecasting an early 2027 completion.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140184]

Toohey Miller brings 10-year Latent Defects Insurance to Elizabeth Bay as Barncleuth apartments launch

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/golden-sedayu">Golden Sedayu</a> has unveiled plans for the next phase of its landmark $4 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/burswood-point-saintly-entrance-burswood-wa-6100">Burswood Point</a> project, just 3.5km from the Perth CBD at the Belmont Racecourse site.

The Local Development Plan Application has been lodged for a world-class mixed-use hub (Precinct B) on the previously untouched 2.5km stretch of Swan River foreshore.

Designed by Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill (SOM), recognised for their work on the world’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the One World Trade Centre in New York, Precinct B will feature 15 buildings, offering a mix of residential and commercial spaces including a shopping centre up to 30,000 sqm in size.

Complementing this, an internationally acclaimed five-star hotel, and a high-end pedestrian-friendly retail boulevard with vibrant day-and-night retail, dining, and entertainment venues, will provide exciting new ways for Perth residents to connect with the riverfront.

This latest milestone signals continued construction and expansion momentum across Perth’s premier riverfront community, which is set to attract local, national and international visitors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=142314 project_image_fid=263304]

The masterplan features 110,000 sqm of public open space, which is comparable to other Perth landmarks including inner-city Langley Park and South Perth foreshore. The riverside precinct will be brought to life through a visionary landscape concept by globally renowned architectural practice Grant Associates.

With an impressive international portfolio, including Gardens by the Bay and Funan Mall in Singapore and Barangaroo South in Sydney, the firm brings expertise in creating environments that harmonise with surrounding amenity.

At 38 hectares, Burswood Point is one of the largest urban development projects ever undertaken in Australia, and one of Perth’s most transformative mixed-use developments.

Golden Sedayu Managing Director Andrew Sugiaputra said the company was working closely with SOM, Grant Associates and the Government of Western Australia to ensure Burswood Point’s design responds sensitively to its surroundings, reflecting and enhancing the character, history, and natural features of the local environment.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=142314 project_image_fid=1817]

“West Australians enjoy a privileged outdoor lifestyle and the Swan River is central to their enjoyment,"&nbsp;Sugiaputra said.

"We’re proud to be creating something truly spectacular and unique for the city, a place that feels alive from sunrise to sunset, a place where people can stay, shop, dine, and celebrate life on the river."

Precinct B builds on the outstanding success of Burswood Point’s first residential stage, which has been met with exceptional market demand. Somerset Residences, a two- tower luxury apartment development, and the exclusive riverfront homes collection are under construction and selling fast. As the number of Perth houses listed for sale remain at or near record lows, Burswood Point will deliver 4,500 new homes over the next 10 years.

“Golden Sedayu is dedicated to delivering on our promises,"&nbsp;Sugiaputra added.

"Our clients can buy with confidence, knowing that the price is fixed throughout construction. In an industry that has faced challenging market conditions, we’re proud to provide our clients complete peace of mind and confidence in the value of their investment."

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=142314]

Golden Sedayu reveals next 15 buildings in Perth's $4 billion Burswood Point precinct

Urban Design

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<h2>OPINION:</h2>

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the limitations of historic urban design, putting the pressure on urban planners and property developers to rethink the way we build our communities. I believe new directions are required to design, develop and promote masterplanned communities, to suit the needs of people both now and into the future Masterplanned communities are wonderfully designed for self-contained living, with all the local amenities residents would need right on their doorstep. However, traditional planning has focused on connectivity, not just through sentiment, but through physical design and landscapes and there are still design changes within our communities that we need to consider for a post-COVID world.

For developers like us at AVID, the challenge now is finding a solution to an integrated philosophy of ‘connection’ while creating built environments and community spaces that allow for physical distancing. Three key areas for reimagining the urban design of communities include: streets, parklands and home designs.

<h2>1. Building wider paths and narrower roads </h2>

In the past, engineers would design streets predominately with vehicle-use in mind. Now we need to consider design that allows for the movements of people. Reports continue to show that more people are using walking and cycle pathways since COVID-19 with an increase of <a href="https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2020/04/16/swap-our-streets-for-cycleways-to-keep-people-riding/">up to 79% in some areas</a>.

The narrow paths and wide roads of today <a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/art-architecture-design/how-streets-could-become-more-liveable-and-inclusive-post-coronavirus">don’t allow enough space to allow movement of people with safe social distancing</a>. We need to adapt our built environment for more pedestrian and cyclist dominant movement over vehicular focused streets to prepare us for new waves of COVID-19 or similar future health pandemics.

It has also become clear that we need the foresight to create dedicated zones to allow safe pedestrian and cyclist traffic, which could also include a separate zone for more intense use of pathways for fitness. This would be one way that we could manage safe social distancing requirements under movement restrictions, such as the 5-kilometre radius rule.

<h2>2. Innovating park designs and recreational spaces</h2>

People have a need for fresh air and open spaces to manage their health and wellbeing, especially under the trying times of COVID-19. For people living in Melbourne, the lack of open parklands is impacting people’s mental and physical health with recent reports indicating that 340,000 people don’t have sufficient access to open space, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-12/thousands-of-melburnians-no-parkland-within-5km-coronavirus/12547050">with only between 0 to 4.5 square kilometres of parkland within 5 kilometres of their home</a>.

While parklands are an essential feature of masterplanned community design, our recreational spaces will need to change. They are typically hubs of activity and social interaction for families and new innovative designs need to be explored that include surfaces that don’t have to be touched or cleaned every day to be enjoyed. We need to think outside the box and look to more sensory experiences as opposed to hard landscape.

At AVID we are asking ourselves, ‘what does a more sensory and immersive play area look like?’ In some of our own communities, plans are already underway to integrate these new design ideas into our communities to future proof our projects.

<h2>3. Changing home designs and living spaces</h2>

Another added benefit of masterplanned communities are close partnerships with builders who we can work with to provide building designs that meet the changing living arrangements of Australians. Changing home designs have been very much under discussion in the construction, building and design industry.

We are seeing design trends that provide a more comfortable living experience as we spend more time in our homes. For example, designs with additional light and space, larger backyards for private outdoors spaces and gardens, home office spaces or nooks and more options to keep homes hygienic and germ-free, are <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e6b9a8ff-0812-49ad-9eae-84125433ad4b">trends being seen across the industry globally</a>.

<h2>Final thoughts</h2>

As we look to innovative ways of community development, we would need to retrofit existing communities. But with proper urban planning and rigorous investigation into how we can best meet the needs of a changing world, we can strategically design these new requirements right from the beginning of new projects.

Lead image: Bloomdale community development, Victoria. Credit: AVID Property Group
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Olivia Round

3 ways urban community design needs to change post COVID-19

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We are entering an era of profound change in how we work, learn, socialise and live with COVID-19.
Many people will adjust to this new world order and work remotely at home if they don’t have to attend an office or other workplace. This, in turn, will create an opportunity to adapt unused buildings, which were needed for the previous economy, for the new ways of living and working. Buildings could be transformed or redeployed through adaptive reuse for much-needed housing.
We already have the technology and the capacity to work and live remotely from an office or institution, if we choose to.
For some people, working-from-home models have become the norm during the enforced COVID-19 isolation periods of 2020. Many of them are likely to choose alternative work patterns as an ongoing model in preference to daily <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-12/jobs-boom-in-cbds-leaves-a-long-commute/11198142" target="_blank">commuting to the traditional central office</a> in busy cities.
If we approach figures like those of earlier recessions, employment will fall even <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-todays-economic-statement-143088" target="_blank">more dramatically than it has already</a>. Reduced trade will slow the economy for many years. The burgeoning numbers of unemployed and low-income citizens will find it difficult to find affordable homes.
The people who suffer most during this period, the “new poor”, will struggle to pay for even basic housing, let alone homes that provide space for occupants to work and live at home. Public and subsidised housing will have to fill the gap.
<h2>Silver linings to the COVID cloud</h2>
Some positives are appearing from this new world order.
Some professions will find themselves comfortably working away from the traditional workplace. They will be able to manage work and family more easily.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349494/original/file-20200727-23-tkty56.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/349494/original/file-20200727-23-tkty56.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="Apartment block converted from former telephone exchange and post office building at 118 Russell Street, Melbourne."></a>
The building that formerly housed a telephone exchange and post office at 118 Russell Street, Melbourne, has been converted into apartments. Author provided
As well as offices becoming redundant, delivery services like Amazon, Deliveroo and Uber Eats might replace many traditional retail outlets, including shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Many buildings housing such businesses might not reopen.
Buildings that are no longer fit for purpose, or not required in a new detached working environment, could be <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Theo_Van_der_Voordt2/publication/235289905_A_new_life_Conversion_of_vacant_office_buildings_into_housing/links/00b49515082bc04d42000000/A-new-life-Conversion-of-vacant-office-buildings-into-housing.pdf" target="_blank">repurposed as housing</a>. Empty <a href="https://ggwash.org/view/61871/abandoned-office-buildings-can-become-new-housing" target="_blank">office blocks</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-30/a-case-for-turning-empty-malls-into-housing" target="_blank">shops and stores</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrosowsky/2020/06/22/how-does-a-pre-pandemic-building-inventory-serve-a-post-pandemic-university-whats-next-for-campus-spaces/#7a625eb61da4" target="_blank">unused teaching facilities</a> could all be recycled for social and community low-cost rental housing.
Of course we will need to retain many resources, such as distribution warehouses, places of worship, hospitals, childcare centre, kindergartens and primary schools, laboratories, workshops, manufacturing factories, prisons, bakeries, farmers markets, personal health and hygiene salons – for hair, massage, wellness and mental health. Other places such as transport hubs, sporting facilities, theatres, tourist accommodation, cafes, bars and restaurants will be maintained too.
But underused office buildings will not be needed as offices. They can become part of the new model for blended home-and-work operations.
Families who have experimented with shared responsibilities during COVID-19 lockdowns may continue this routine as a new “normal” and select <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/publications/adaptive-reuse" target="_blank">newly adapted old buildings</a> for accommodation.
<h2>Commercial buildings can be easily converted</h2>
One advantage of reusing a commercial building is the relative openness of its plan. New living areas can be planned and fitted into the office open space, using simple lightweight partition walls.
Usually large open office spaces surround a service core. The core contains lifts, plumbing, ducts and risers, fire stairs, bathrooms and equipment.
Wet areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundries would be located against the core. Here they can be connected easily to the building services and systems.
Commercial buildings are usually solid constructions. They are built to last, so their recycled concrete, steel and glass suits reclamation.
These buildings are generally spacious, with a floor-to-ceiling height of about three metres (not the miserable norm of cheap apartments, which is less than 2.5 metres).
It is even possible for some old office building floors to have part of their outside walls removed and refitted inside the floor slabs, which creates open-space balconies and gardens.
The environment would benefit too
As a byproduct of repurposing old buildings, we’d benefit the environment. Re-use conserves natural resources and minimises the need for new materials. That’s because these adapted buildings are effectively <a href="https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid%3A48305aea-75d8-4285-aa5d-0056fe5305d0" target="_blank">already half built</a>.
Building construction, maintenance and use produce about a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318754386_From_leaders_to_majority_a_frontrunner_paradox_in_built-environment_climate_governance_experimentation" target="_blank">quarter of Australia’s emissions</a>. Maybe the world could largely meet its <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement" target="_blank">Paris Agreement</a> emission-reduction targets before 2030 by making better use of existing buildings as well as increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy’s market share.
COVID-19 might eventually be eliminated, but the impacts will roll on for many years. A long-term benefit of this disaster could be a focus on no longer needing to duplicate so much space to live and work in. The result would be reducing consumption of building materials as the world tightens its environmental belt.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142897/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/norman-day-228477" target="_blank">Norman Day</a>, Lecturer in Architecture, Practice and Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767" target="_blank">Swinburne University of Technology</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/unused-buildings-will-make-good-housing-in-the-world-of-covid-19-142897" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Unused buildings will make good housing in the world of COVID-19

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GUEST OBSERVATION
You may mock the national anthem by singing “Our land abounds in nature strips” but what you might not know is how true that is.
In Melbourne, for example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866719300718" target="_blank">more than a third of all public green space is nature strips</a>. (That figure includes roundabouts, medians and other green bits of the street.)
That’s a remarkable amount. The nature strip is everywhere. A million small patches combine into a giant park spanning the city, making it a significant player in our urban ecosystems.
A second remarkable thing is that the nature strip is <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2007/11/apo-nid60258-1105966.pdf" target="_blank">public land that private citizens are required by law to maintain</a>. Councils manage the trees, but we residents mow the lawn.
What are the rules on nature strips?
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296146/original/file-20191009-3872-1i673y4.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/296146/original/file-20191009-3872-1i673y4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Succulents, Agapanthus and Gazanias are the most common plantings on nature strips. Adrian Marshall CC BY 4.0, Author provided
Many residents go further and plant a street tree or some garden plants – succulents, Agapanthus and Gazanias are the most common. But the chances are that, whatever the garden on the nature strip, it’s against the rules.
The rules on nature strips vary from council to council. Some councils don’t allow any plantings. Others restrict plantings by height or allow only plants indigenous to the local area. In some areas, nature strips can only be planted to prevent erosion on steep slopes.
Some councils disallow food plants, for fear of historic lead contamination from leaded petrol. Others insist on no plants within a metre of the kerb and two metres of the footpath.
These bylaws are inconsistent and illogical. For instance, councils that insist on indigenous species nevertheless plant exotic street trees. Councils that say plants must be less than 30cm high to ensure they don’t block drivers’ sight lines still allow vehicles to park on the street, blocking sight lines.
Bylaws deny us many benefits
To have council bylaws restrict or disallow gardening in the nature strip flies in the face of common sense. Street greenery, whether it's trees, shrubs or lawn, provides many benefits. The science is in on this.
Urban wildlife uses street greenery for habitat and food and as green corridors for movement.
Even for those who mow, the lawns of nature strips are not just turf grass. They are home to over 150 species of plants, based on my yet-to-be-published survey data for nearly 50 neighbourhoods, confirming <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11252-009-0098-7" target="_blank">earlier studies</a>. Many of these, like the clovers, provide important resources for pollinators.
One <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/55816" target="_blank">US study</a> showed that changing from a weekly mow to every three weeks increased the number of flowers in a lawn by 250%. Less mowing is good news for bees and butterflies.
An unpublished recent survey by the author and colleagues found gardening in the nature strip adds native plants to the streetscape, increases biodiversity and add structural complexity (more layers of plants, more types of stuff), which is important for many species.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296397/original/file-20191010-188823-3m94cd.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/296397/original/file-20191010-188823-3m94cd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
The greater the diversity of plantings, the greater the benefits a nature strip can provide. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tedxmelbourne/9642464172/in/photolist-hj8dyc-skaU1u-dREut-eJsU1F-ffLmZK-indYV3-cLiW2J-vB2sc-7NsaK4-4VkF3d-yGjbRF-beH7sn-6Y5uUZ-rxC4mN-6LgaCq-8uZkP8-fFMrYB-fFMzz6-959BCc-fFMqN6-9XyM3R-8uZkQZ-fG59Eh-fG55kj-MdakbU-zKkV6-9A3mjp-2hgzR2Y-2gLLfma-2gLM1dK-2gjDcaq-fG56q1-V4CxJS-2EepMw-AJYA3h-8PLEFM-2Nnv4q-3HCckP-8LfDb6-F9XHNG-fG5dib-9hzViT-d5L2G-fG57A5-7tQdTT-vh8B5S-2d9eEDd-2gtBYEp-fFMxhv-6tVDoj" target="_blank">TEDxMelbourne/Flickr</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY-NC-ND</a>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/1135097" target="_blank">Street greenery helps</a> water <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27094440" target="_blank">soak into the ground</a>, filtering out pollutants, recharging aquifers and making rivers healthier. It <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26828172" target="_blank">cools streets</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204614002503" target="_blank">helps counter the urban heat island effect</a>. It also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953613003742" target="_blank">promotes a sense of community</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140518303281" target="_blank">encourages walking</a> and lowers the incidence of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140518303281" target="_blank">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2524191" target="_blank">diabetes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-living-in-green-neighbourhoods-are-less-likely-to-develop-asthma-96190" target="_blank">asthma</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204614002941" target="_blank">depression</a>.
But councils tend to be risk-averse. They worry they will be sued if someone trips on groundcover or stubs their toe on an out-of-place garden gnome.
Fortunately, this risk aversion isn’t universal. For instance, the <a href="https://www.vincent.wa.gov.au/residents/environment/environmental-sustainability/news-events/adopt-a-verge.aspx" target="_blank">City of Vincent</a> in Western Australia is so keen for residents to convert lawn to waterwise plantings that it will remove turf and provide native plants.
But, as climate change looms, stubbed toes are not the main risk we should be worrying about. Rather, we must urgently remake our cities and our culture for sustainability and resilience.
Gardening becomes a neighbourly act
One of the great things about gardening in the nature strip is that people are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866719302535" target="_blank">more likely to do it if their neighbours do it</a>. It’s contagious, a positive-feedback loop creating a greener street.
Our recent survey found residents who garden in the nature strip have a greater <a href="http://www.communityscience.com/news-detail.php?news=114" target="_blank">sense of community</a> than those who don’t.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296997/original/file-20191015-98653-wopjbq.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/296997/original/file-20191015-98653-wopjbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
A well-designed street garden, fully covering the nature strip, allowing pedestrian access to cars and using indigenous plants. Adrian Marshall CC BY 4.0, Author provided
Interestingly, the benefits nature strips provide are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866719302535" target="_blank">not equally distributed across the city</a>. For instance, newer neighbourhoods have more nature strip than older neighbourhoods (though their trees are younger). People garden the nature strip more on minor roads than major roads, and in more socially advantaged neighbourhoods.
Almost a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866719302535" target="_blank">quarter of residential properties</a> in Melbourne have some sort of nature strip gardening. If councils were to encourage this activity we might achieve more street greening with little cost to our cash-strapped councils. Such encouragement would also free many residents of their sense of frustration at being required to maintain the nature strip but forbidden to do anything more than mow.
Given that more than a third of our public green space is nature strip, the many small actions of residents can add up to substantial positive change.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124781/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
Adrian Marshall, Lecturer, Landscape Architecture and Urban Ecology, University of Melbourne.
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-land-abounds-in-nature-strips-surely-we-can-do-more-than-mow-a-third-of-urban-green-space-124781" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Our land abounds in nature strips – surely we can do more than mow a third of urban green space

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Humans have a long history of living on water. Our water homes span the fishing villages in Southeast Asia, Peru and Bolivia to modern floating homes in Vancouver and Amsterdam. As our cities grapple with overcrowding and undesirable living situations, the ocean remains a potential frontier for sophisticated water-based communities.
The United Nations has expressed support for <a href="https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/dsgsm1269.doc.htm" target="_blank">further research into floating cities</a> in response to rising sea levels and to house climate refugees. A speculative proposal, Oceanix City, was unveiled in April at the first <a href="https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/dsgsm1269.doc.htm" target="_blank">Round Table on Sustainable Floating Cities</a> at UN headquarters in New York.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276269/original/file-20190524-187176-ooh8cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Life on a floating city, Oceanix. <a class="source" href="https://oceanix.org/media/" target="_blank">OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group</a>
The former tourism minister of French Polynesia, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccollinschen/" target="_blank">Marc Collins Chen</a>, and architecture studio <a href="https://big.dk/#about" target="_blank">BIG</a> advanced the proposal. Chen is involved with the <a href="https://www.seasteading.org/" target="_blank">Seasteading Institute</a>, which is seeking to develop autonomous city-states floating in the shallow waters of “<a href="https://www.seasteading.org/about/vision-strategy/" target="_blank">host nations</a>”.
While this latest proposal has gained UN attention, it is an old idea we have repeatedly returned to over the past 70 years with little success. In fact, the Oceanix City proposal has not reached the same level of technical sophistication as previous models.
A brief history of floating cities
The architecture community was fascinated with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602360500285641" target="_blank">marine utopias between the 1950s and ’70s</a>. The technological optimism of this period led architects to consider whether we could build settlements in inhospitable places like the polar regions, the deserts and on the sea.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276277/original/file-20190524-187176-jxhgel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Plan for Tokyo Bay by Kenzo Tange, 1960. <a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism_(architecture)#/media/File:Tokyo_Bay_Plan_by_Tange_1960.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a>
<a href="https://www.mori.art.museum/english/contents/metabolism/about/index" target="_blank">The Japanese Metabolists</a> put forward incredible projects such as Kenzo Tange’s 1960 Tokyo Bay Plan and the marine city proposals of Kikutake and Kurokawa.
In the West, <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/253750/happy-birthday-buckminster-fuller-1895-1983" target="_blank">Buckminster Fuller</a> proposed Triton City, which would be connected to the mainland via bridges. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/18/archigram-60s-architects-vision-urban-living-the-book" target="_blank">Archigram, a neofuturistic architectural group</a>, proposed underwater sea farms.
These proposals were directed at solving the impending urban crises of overpopulation and pressures on land-based resources. Many were even <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602360500285641" target="_blank">sophisticated enough to be patented</a>.
The arc of this global architectural discussion was captured during the first UN Habitat conference (“Habitat I”) in Vancouver in 1976. In many ways, the UN has returned to the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.jstor.org/stable/43620457?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents" target="_blank">Vancouver Declaration from Habitat I</a> to “[adopt] bold, meaningful and effective human settlement policies and spatial planning strategies” and to treat “human settlements as an instrument and object of development”.
We are seeing a pivoting that began in 2008 with Vincent Callebaut’s “<a href="http://vincent.callebaut.org/object/080523_lilypad/lilypad/projects/user" target="_blank">Lilypad</a>” - a “floating ecopolis for ecological refugees”.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rJmB-dtt_qI?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe>
Where floating cities were once dismissed as too far-fetched, the concept has been repackaged and is re-emerging into public consciousness. This time in a more politically viable state - as a means of addressing the climate emergency.
The technology and types of floating city structures
No floating settlements have ever been created on the high seas. Current offshore engineering is concerned with how cities can locate infrastructure, such as airports, nuclear power stations, bridges, oil storage facilities and stadiums, in shallow coastal environments rather than in deep international waters.
Two main types of very large floating structures (VLFS) technology can be used to carry the weight of a floating settlement.
The first, pontoon structures, are flat slabs suitable for floating in sheltered waters close to shore.
The second, semi-submersible structures (such as oil rigs), comprise platforms that are elevated on columns off the water surface. These can be located in deep waters. Potentially, <a href="http://wcfs2019.floatingsolutions.org/2018/11/07/repurposing-jack-ups-semi-submersibles-and-super-barges-into-offshore-and-nearshore-settlements/" target="_blank">oil rigs could be repurposed for such floating cities in international waters</a>.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273724/original/file-20190510-183103-13tbuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Transforming oil rigs into liveable structures. Ku Yee Kee and Hor Sue-Wern’s entry in the 2011 eVolo Skyscraper Competition. <a class="source" href="http://www.evolo.us/transforming-abandoned-oil-rigs-into-habitable-structures/" target="_blank">Ku Yee Kee &amp; Hor Sue-Wern/ eVolo</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
Oceanix City is based on the pontoon structure. This would restrict it to shallower waters with breakwaters to limit the impacts of waves. This sort of structure could serve as an extension of a coastal city, as a life raft for island communities inundated by rising waters, or to <a href="http://wcfs2019.floatingsolutions.org/2018/11/12/design-guidelines-for-upgrading-living-conditions-in-wetslums/" target="_blank">provide mobile essential services to residents of flood-prone slums</a>.
Sovereign floating cities and micronations
While some early marine utopian proposals were responses to emerging urban issues, many proposals conceptualised <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602360500285641" target="_blank">“seaborne leisure colonies”</a>. These communities would be independent city-states allowing inhabitants to circumvent tax laws or restrictions on medical research in their own countries.
This sort of floating city was conceived of as a micronation with sovereignty and ability to provide citizenship to its occupants. The example was set by the <a href="https://www.sealandgov.org/" target="_blank">Principality of Sealand</a>, off the coast of Britain.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276282/original/file-20190524-187157-1cx6cb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
The Principality of Sealand is a micronation situated on Roughs Tower, a platform off the coast of Britain. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/octal/487066477/in/photolist-K3kTT-K3cX8-K31B9-fEWY5s-dmuTKL-9BwfaP-8X9owh-6xepMg-4xuCns-mxvpNS-T2YyAS-KhLYkp-TPVe7P-4dQzQe-9ydsV8-dU6HSQ-59RH1W-4xqrdM-4xuCQC-6TTFv1-juStE-py5QQM-o8tHuy-4xqqMM-4xuBG1-6TTCp9-9YAPn7-6SQ1iy-g5hj1h-TGjue4-hNEcW1-7wbpKR-7wbS5V-252v7aW-e5apAk-o66jYb-5VPqK2-28gwVUz-WadBt6-xoQ3G-fUP67E-2eiBc2R-6ZEjEb-oZ81Ys-oQ9bBu-7RL9xE-bn7XhF-5GpwHF-mxvv2N-5Gpxea" target="_blank">Ryan Lackey/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
None of these proposals have succeeded. Even modern attempts such as the Freedom Ship and the Seasteading Institute’s plans for an autonomous floating settlement under French Polynesian jurisdiction have stalled. A recent attempt at creating a sovereign micronation (seastead) off Thailand led to its proponents becoming fugitives, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-18/bitcoin-couple-face-death-penalty-in-thailand-for-seastead/11031336" target="_blank">potentially facing the death penalty</a>.
A viable project?
Technology is not a barrier to floating cities in international waters. Advances in technology enable us to create structures for habitation in deep sea waters. These schemes have never really taken off because of political and commercial barriers.
While this time round proponents are packaging floating cities in a more politically viable concept as a life raft for climate refugees, commercial barriers remain. Apart from the UN, few organisation have the economic and political influence or reason to deliver a satellite floating city in the ocean.
In my view, the future of ocean cities is in technology campuses and in tourism. Given the significant risk of a community in extreme isolation in international waters, the solution to bringing people together in mid-ocean requires us to think about what connects us: technology, work and play. In these three elements we see, perhaps, the two lowest-hanging fruits (or the most buoyant of possibilities) for ocean cities.
The first is in floating tech campuses where large technology companies set up floating data centres and campuses in international waters. Situated outside national jurisdictions, these campuses could circumvent increasingly onerous privacy regimes or offer innovative technological services without having to negotiate regulatory barriers.
The second prospect is a return to the seaborne leisure colonies of the past. Companies like Disney could expand on their cruise offerings to build floating theme parks. These resorts could be sited in international waters or hosted by coastal cities.
Given our fascination with living on water, even if Oceanix City does not suceed, it won’t be long before we see another floating city proposal. And if we get the mix of social, political and commercial drivers right, we might just find ourselves living on one.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116511/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;">
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276291/original/file-20190524-187143-9fjuu6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
The Disney Cruise Line could potentially develop seaborne leisure colonies in future. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieguico/6711417377/in/photolist-be4LyH-GF3ZEQ-fgkwZ9-bDyhSP-eb3ppx-dJC5yy-dvknz-UnsmHH-bCighc-J167Cv-4YcMpZ-eLQt3N-6mNWvF-4JNMYm-4x1Ykd-fg67VX-4YcMkZ-fHxtck-pyXdDW-5fXWZk-cbqhLw-223Sqgb-dVUAxZ-badfuK-4MUNA6-24pEDpa-yomb3-7mmExM-bfWuU2-5XZhQw-fNSsK6-2dCgPj8-24pE8Rx-a8wRQk-jhpovE-5ZhepL-24pE87r-24pECq6-24pE8D8-RfJ9ik-agoZ6A-86eVfe-4YKXgB-2a4aKE3-dayZLx-4YcMGx-agoBFu-fqtGUb-agp9sw-o2At4d" target="_blank">Diego Villuendas Pellicero/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY-NC</a>
Brydon T. Wang, Research Assistant and PhD Candidate, Queensland University of Technology
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/floating-cities-the-future-or-a-washed-up-idea-116511" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo: Oceanix, a proposed floating city, has captured the attention of the UN. <a href="https://oceanix.org/media/" target="_blank">OCEANIX/BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brydon-t-wang-441848" target="_blank"> </a>
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Floating cities: the future or a washed-up idea?

Laurence Dragomir

CAR WARS: To maintain its liveability Melbourne needs to change its attitude towards car use

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GUEST OBSERVATION
<a href="http://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/" target="_blank">Recent studies</a> show <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/hindi/en/article/2018/04/26/revealed-australias-fastest-growing-suburbs" target="_blank">Melbourne’s and Sydney’s fast-growing outer suburbs</a> <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/why-5-million-australians-can-t-get-to-work-home-or-school-on-time-20190215-p50y1x" target="_blank">lag behind other parts of the city</a> in <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/homes-in-new-suburbs-four-years-away-but-services-to-take-much-longer-20190215-p50y46" target="_blank">access to urban design, employment and amenities and services</a> that foster liveability. The National Growth Areas Alliance of local councils launched a national campaign, “<a href="https://ngaa.org.au/catch-up-with-the-outer-suburbs-campaign-launch" target="_blank">Catch up with the outer suburbs</a>”, on Monday. But what is it really like to live in these areas?
<a href="http://cur.org.au/project/living-liveable-the-lived-experiences-of-life-on-the-urban-fringe/" target="_blank">Living Liveable</a> is a short documentary film produced by RMIT University researchers showcasing the lived experiences of residents in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. The film includes interviews with 11 residents that highlight their perceptions and experiences of liveability in their suburbs. This article explores their reasons for living where they do and recounts their experiences of life in the outer suburbs.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/315541276" frameborder="0" width="500" height="281"></iframe>
Living Liveable, a documentary produced by RMIT researchers.
Why all the fuss about liveability?
Liveability and its underlying indicators have been the subject of substantial research. Most well-known liveability indices produced by the private sector — such as the <a href="https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/Insights/quality-of-living-rankings" target="_blank">Mercer Quality of Living Ranking</a> and the <a href="http://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability" target="_blank">Economist Intelligent Unit’s Liveability Index</a> — rank cities against each other. And most Australian capital cities are ranked relatively high in such global liveability indices.
These measures overlook inequities within cities between established inner areas and newer outer suburban areas. Many of these urban fringe suburbs are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549175.2017.1363077" target="_blank">experiencing rapid population growth</a>. <a href="http://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/" target="_blank">RMIT researchers</a> have developed spatial liveability indicators, showing that residents in outer suburbs <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/why-5-million-australians-can-t-get-to-work-home-or-school-on-time-20190215-p50y1x">lack access to basic amenities</a> that inner-city residents take for granted.
Yet residents’ perceptions of their neighbourhoods and their lived experiences are often unheard in such measures. The interviews show that a combination of factors shapes decisions to live in an outer suburb. These include perceived affordability, people’s aspirations for a good life, and access to public transport. As one resident said:
"I was looking for an affordable area where I can, you know, buy a decent-size house within a decent budget and all those things. So, this area probably suits me, which is nearest for public transport, but yeah, it’s a bit far from the CBD area, which is alright." – male resident of Wyndham
Access to green spaces and a sense of community were among the things residents loved most about living in their suburb:
"We live opposite a beautiful park … it’s right at our doorstep. We feel very, very lucky to live opposite this beautiful park, it’s very well maintained by the local council and it’s highly utilised. So even just out there walking, I’ve got to know people in my neighbourhood." – female resident of Wyndham
Traffic makes life worse
However, traffic volumes and poor access to daily living destinations and public transport had negative impacts on residents’ lived experiences. While current liveability indices usually consider access to daily living destinations – such as food outlets, schools, hospitals, and public transport – traffic is often overlooked. Yet, 10 out of 11 people mentioned traffic, in 30 separate instances, as something that makes their neighbourhoods less liveable.
A painter living in the City of Casey described how increasing traffic in recent years was forcing him to wake up half an hour earlier and get back home half an hour later in the afternoon:
"I’m a painter, so I work anywhere from here to the city. The Monash [freeway] … I call it my driveway. So I’m on that every day, and it just depends which exit I’m taking for the day.
"So, I get up at the moment at 4.50am. I get up to beat the traffic, which starts at about 5.20, and then I get to the job, and then I might have a bit of a snooze in my car or eat breakfast. And that’s just all just to beat traffic. And I can stay there for an hour before I have to, you know, knock on the client’s door, and say, “Oh I’m here to start.”
"And, yeah, then at the end of the working day, which is 4pm, after I’ve done my eight hours, I just have to grind with the traffic on the way home… I might get home at about 6.10pm." - resident of the City of Casey
For some, the traffic has affected their mental health and increased stress levels.
"We’ve lived in this house for 16 years and just the buildup of traffic … I was used to getting from A to B very quickly. I now have to plan, embed in my day, more time to get from A to B. I think that’s the biggest negative.
"And it’s certainly one that impacts my husband. He doesn’t work locally. He works in the eastern suburbs and he also has to travel around a lot for his work. And that’s becoming a bit of a nightmare for him and actually creating a bit of stress." – female resident of Wyndham
Lack of access to daily living destinations, including employment and supermarkets, means residents depend on their cars. This adds to their cost of living and reduces neighbourhood liveability.
Lack of public transport or infrequent services also has negative impacts on residents’ quality of life and well-being.
"I take my hubby to work in Derrimut and so that normally takes me … about two hours easy; just over two hours. … he doesn’t drive. He can’t use the train simply because the train doesn’t go anywhere near where he works. There’s nothing. No public transport to take my husband to work.
"S0 … we’ve got no choice. So, if something happens to me, uh, we’re in a load of trouble. That’s where it’s difficult. We need more public transport. We really do." – female resident of Wyndham
Planners need to hear what residents say
The film highlights the gaps in current measures of liveability. For example, future liveability indices should consider including traffic and car-dependency indicators. Increasing traffic, the time spent travelling, and the financial burden of car dependency can detract from some of the key reasons residents choose to live in Melbourne’s outer suburbs – namely, affordability and sense of community.
We need to engage with communities and hear from them about their lived experience to better understand and measure their quality of life, their health and their neighbourhoods’ liveability. Objective measures of the quality of access should be accompanied by insights from residents about their lives in the suburbs. The voice of residents needs to be included in the planning of our cities as they grow, as well as the metrics of how successful we are in delivering equitable cities that foster healthy, affordable and prosperous lives for all.
Leila Mahmoudi Farahani, Research Fellow in Urban Studies, RMIT University
Billie Giles-Corti, Director, Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform and Director, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, RMIT University
Cecily Maller, Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Melanie Lowe, Lecturer in Public Health, Australian Catholic 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/living-liveable-this-is-what-residents-have-to-say-about-life-on-the-urban-fringe-111339" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Living ‘liveable’: this is what residents have to say about life on the urban fringe

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Transport, mobility and congestion continue to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-new-pm-wants-to-bust-congestion-here-are-four-ways-he-could-do-that-102249" target="_blank">hotly debated topics</a> in politics, the media, academia and soon at the <a href="http://www.urbanmotion.com.au" target="_blank">Urban Motion</a> conference in Brisbane. And rightly so.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics counted <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/9309.0" target="_blank">19.2 million registered motor vehicles</a> in Australia as at January 31 2018. While the human population grew by 27% since the turn of the century, vehicle numbers <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/if-car-ownership-keeps-growing-australians-will-be-outnumbered/news-story/92f65fe440421d9ede7155e895db723c" target="_blank">increased by 43%</a> and continue to grow in all states and territories.
The Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities recently released a comprehensive report, <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/ITC/DevelopmentofCities/Report" target="_blank">Building Up &amp; Moving Out</a>, on its inquiry into the Australian government’s role in the development of cities. The committee recommends:
"… the Australian Government, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments, undertake the development of transport networks which allow for fast transit between cities and regions, and within cities and regions, with a view to developing a more sustainable pattern of settlement based on the principle of accessibility at a local, regional and national level. The Committee further recommends that the development of a fast rail or high speed rail network connecting the principal urban centres along the east coast of Australia be given priority, with a view to opening up the surrounding regions to urban development."
The committee further recommends the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-30-minute-city-how-do-we-put-the-political-rhetoric-into-practice-56136" target="_blank">30-minute city</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-are-short-changed-when-it-comes-to-transport-funding-in-australia-92574" target="_blank">active transport</a> and a more sustainable urban form (Recommendation 11).
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Global Mobility Index by the World Economic Forum and MIT Senseable City Lab, showing how people move in 100 cities around the world. Congestion levels calculated using real-time traffic-monitoring data, commuting time and the estimated percentage of trips that could be shared if citizens were willing to wait five minutes to share a trip.
Leading up to the report’s launch, many of the inquiry’s submissions and expert witness accounts stressed the need to arrest urban sprawl and heed well-established research advice. All levels of government often ignore this advice to appease voters, but more roads and more lanes make matters worse.
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/transport-lies-opinion-piece-graham-currie-ftse/" target="_blank">Transport research</a> provides clear evidence that increasing road capacity is a shortsighted band-aid that increases car travel. It also promotes driving dependency and ultimately makes congestion worse.
Many of the report’s transport-related aspirations point in the right direction. Yet many of them are not new and come with their own set of challenges.
Proposals to solve Australia’s mobility crisis appear to be dominated by technocentric optimism – a strong belief that new technology and disruptive innovation will somehow make it all better. Contenders for the transport panacea include car-sharing and ride-sharing platforms, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-trackless-trams-are-ready-to-replace-light-rail-103690" target="_blank">trackless trams</a> and more efficient traffic flow systems enabled by smart city investments in IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, big data analytics and urban science. Let’s debunk some of this.
More disruption?
The notion of disruptive innovation is often believed to bring about change for the better. One of the most commonly mentioned examples is Uber and similar commercial ride-sharing platforms. They certainly disrupted the established taxi industry. But cabs are no longer their main competitor.
Uber launched the “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/will-melburnians-dive-into-real-ride-sharing-with-uberpool-20180607-p4zk08" target="_blank">Pool</a>” feature, which optimises routes so more than one rider can share the same car. As a result, the cost per ride now <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jan/13/uber-lyft-cars-public-transport-cities-commuting" target="_blank">competes with public transport</a> rather than just cabs. And this risks making inner-city traffic <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2018/07/25/a-new-study-says-services-like-uberpool-are-making-traffic-worse/" target="_blank">worse</a>.
More driverless cars?
Another often-cited disruptive innovation involves autonomous vehicles and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-winners-and-losers-in-the-race-for-driverless-cars-63874" target="_blank">driverless cars</a>. While they may come with <a href="https://theconversation.com/driverless-cars-could-create-new-jobs-in-a-welcome-boost-to-australias-motor-industry-89972" target="_blank">economic</a> and <a href="https://www.theiet.org/resources/books/transport/lowcarbmob.cfm" target="_blank">environmental</a> benefits, there are as yet <a href="https://theconversation.com/driverless-vehicles-could-bring-out-the-best-or-worst-in-our-cities-by-transforming-land-use-84127" target="_blank">unresolved issues</a>.
For example, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/of-cats-and-cliffs-the-ethical-dilemmas-of-the-driverless-car-49778" target="_blank">ethics in AI can cost people’s lives</a>, road usage funding and taxation are unclear, and the average car occupancy can drop below one. As a result, without regulatory intervention, self-driving cars will <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/technology/driverless-cars-congestion" target="_blank">not reduce congestion</a> but <a href="https://www.ptua.org.au/myths/robotcar/" target="_blank">add traffic</a> to the roads.
More efficiency?
Transport offers vast room for improvement, so it is not surprising that optimisation is a low-hanging fruit. The <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/growth-within-a-circular-economy-vision-for-a-competitive-europe" target="_blank">Ellen MacArthur Foundation</a> identified significant structural waste not only in fuel tank-to-wheel energy flow but also in road utilisation.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242864/original/file-20181030-76413-arqq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242864/original/file-20181030-76413-arqq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<a class="source" href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/growth-within-a-circular-economy-vision-for-a-competitive-europe" target="_blank">Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Growth Within: a circular economy vision for a competitive Europe</a>, Author provided
Researchers at MIT and ETHZ propose a <a href="https://dusp.mit.edu/transportation/news/death-traffic-light" target="_blank">slot-based intersection</a> that would double the usual capacity and herald the “death of the traffic light”.
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MIT Senseable City Lab has developed slot-based intersections that could replace traditional traffic lights, greatly reducing queues and delays. Sensor-laden vehicles pass through intersections by communicating and remaining at a safe distance from each other, rather than grinding to a halt at the lights.
These efficiency gains are welcome. Yet, considering the ever-increasing demand for mobility, these measures on their own will not solve our mobility crisis.
Wanted: leadership!
What is seldom questioned is the need to travel in the first place. The right to mobility and freedom to move locally and globally are undoubted. But it is worth asking what regulatory instruments and economic shifts can produce sustainable mobility.
Some examples that have started making their way into the mobility debate include the impact of <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/96279/" target="_blank">nomadic work</a> practices on transport demand and distributed <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/116358/" target="_blank">co-working spaces</a> to reduce the need for CBD commutes.
Progressive policy interventions, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/traffic-congestion-is-there-a-miracle-cure-hint-its-not-roads-42753" target="_blank">road congestion charges</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/14/german-cities-to-trial-free-public-transport-to-cut-pollution" target="_blank">free public transport</a>, lack the backing of political leadership in Australia.
Longer term, there is an urgent need to seriously consider even bolder policy innovation. We can learn from overseas examples, such as the six-hour work day, the four-day work week and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-should-create-cities-for-slowing-down-75689" target="_blank">slow city</a> movement, which is more about slowing down the “hamster wheel” of life than traffic. We should also evaluate <a href="https://greenagenda.org.au/2018/06/ecological-human-settlement-theory/" target="_blank">new approaches to human settlement</a> as well as what impact <a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-support-universal-health-care-so-why-not-a-universal-basic-income-91572" target="_blank">universal basic income</a> or <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/igp/news/2017/oct/igps-social-prosperity-network-publishes-uks-first-report-universal-basic-services" target="_blank">universal basic services</a> can have on reducing traffic congestion.
There are opportunities to join this debate at the <a href="http://www.urbanmotion.com.au" target="_blank">Urban Motion</a> conference in Brisbane on November 19-20 2018. We also invite participants to support the <a href="http://lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/FutureCities" target="_blank">Future Cities CRC</a> bid recently <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/applicants-shortlisted-deliver-new-industry-focused-research" target="_blank">shortlisted</a> by the Australian government.
<hr>
Marcus Foth, Professor of Urban Informatics, Queensland University of Technology.
This article is based on the presentation “Smart Cities are Slow Cities” at the <a href="http://www.real-world-futures.qut.edu.au/future-living/" target="_blank">QUT Real World Conversation</a> forum on August 2 2018.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105959/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
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/smart-mobility-alone-is-no-substitute-for-strong-policy-leadership-105959" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Most transport resources are being used inefficiently. The Canberra Transport Photo shows the road space required to move 69 people using public transport, bicycles and private motor vehicles. <a href="https://www.cyclingpromotion.org/canberra-transport-photo" target="_blank">Cycling Promotion Fund</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
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Smart mobility alone is no substitute for strong policy leadership: Marcus Foth

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GUEST OBSERVATION
On my way to work, I walk across the intersection of Knuckey and Wood streets. Most days a homeless man on his haunches is mouthing bureaucratic platitudes:
"Let’s workshop this? We need to have meeting about this! Can you give me the heads-up on this? Do we have numbers on this? Has a C/B been done?"
Is he an old bureaucrat? Or is he just a parable of planning – platitudes, words and little action? Wishes, words and workshops are not the currency of urban design; skilled drawings, urban history, science and continuous public dialogue are.
The concern in most Australian cities, and particularly in Darwin, should be with the public form of the city – with building frontage, with the streets, squares and parks, and with what is needed to make them safe, cool and enjoyable. Such street-form-based planning should replace “tidy town” zoning planning and code-based roads that ignore heat, landscape and the public.
July 2018 in Darwin was 2℃ hotter than any previous July and the record heat has continued in recent months. Surveys show that people are leaving Darwin because of the heat.
What has gone wrong?
In the city centre, every second shop is closed and dark. Shops, offices and apartments have a 50% vacancy rate. There is no appreciation of the urban history of the decline: the growth of outer urban shopping malls, the closing of Woolworths in Knuckey Street in 2010; the changing in 2012 of the key Smith Street Mall – removing trees, installing canopies and dark pavement, and thus increasing temperatures.
The decline has not happened overnight but has been accelerated by the completion of a vast LNG project, by new shopping malls and chain stores, and by the impact of internet shopping. The Waterfront (mixed uses with a crocodile-safe “plage”) finished in 2013 is subsidised at a cost of millions every year. It is cut off from the city centre.
Traffic is reducing while more roads are being built. Darwin is over-roaded with roundabouts, pedestrian “seagull” median islands and refuges.
I have calculated that over 35% of the city centre is unshaded blacktop bitumen, which lifts ambient and surface temperatures. There is only 14% green canopy compared to nearly 50% in tree-loving Singapore.
Every day the temperature rises above 30℃. The city centre can be up to 6℃ hotter. The bitumen surfaces reach temperatures of 66℃!
What can be done about this?
Professor Mat Santamouris of UNSW and the Northern Territory government has been studying heat in central Darwin for the past year using drones and 15 weather stations on light poles. Ambient heat, surface heat, humidity and wind have been mapped, eight heat islands (6℃ above ambient) and four heat sinks (cool areas below ambient) have been identified for the northerly (The Wet) and southerly (The Dry) weather regimes.
A predictive computer model has been built to evaluate proposed strategies to reduce heat impacts. Santamouris has recommended across the city centre:
<ul>
<li>fountains and pools (very effective up to 50m away)</li>
<li>white roofs, and green roofs and walls</li>
<li>coating streets, footpaths and surface parking to make “cool pavement” (very effective)</li>
<li>increases in green canopy shade (effective in the right location).</li>
</ul>
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An extensive cooling vine-covered shade structure is being erected in Cavanagh Street. Glenn Campbell, Author provided
The government is using one block of Cavenagh Street as a heat mitigation trial. The 30m-wide street is the hottest street in the city centre. Due to lack of shading, surface temperatures in the afternoon exceed 60℃. The street also acts as a breezeway, “ducting” to the inner blocks hot, dry winds in the dry season and hot, humid winds in the wet season.
Black bitumen surface will be treated with more reflective cool pavement coatings and more trees will be planted. At the southern end a long cooling vine shade structure I have designed (with the structural engineer Max Irvine) is being constructed. Equivalent to 24 trees, it completely spans the roadway with a huge curved stringybark lattice prefabricated by the Gumatj in northeast Arnhem Land.
This large living shade structure has advantages over trees. It can be built in four months, does not interrupt underground services and resists cyclones. The vines will cover the roadway in 18 months. Trees take five years.
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The vine shade structure will be equivalent to 24 trees but will shelter the street in months rather than taking years to grow. Author provided
But Cavenagh Street is only one of 30 blocks in Darwin. If the proposed mitigation strategies were fully implemented across the city centre, ambient temperature could be reduced by 2.7℃. This would not only make the city more comfortable for commerce but save lives and energy.
Principles for a cool Darwin
Like most cities, there is no overall urban management and coordination at the street level. Darwin’s centre is formed by the NT Planning Scheme. But within the scheme, public servants can play by their own rules: Planning, Transport, Roads, the Waterfront Authority, the City of Darwin (the council) and PowerWater. The result: Darwin streets are series of accidents.
I propose these administrations be replaced in the city centre by a Cool Darwin Authority (small with highly qualified people, and with a Larrakia elder), to develop and implement, with genuine public dialogue and discourse (not so-called “consultation”), an urban design plan.
The first principle of this plan should be reducing the ambient temperature by 2.7℃. Heat stops walkability and wandering past shops.
This could be accompanied by a second principle – a “toolbox” for cool street design. This would including limiting bitumen area.
A “toolbox” for shop regeneration would be among other important principles. This would involve limits on chain stores, disincentives for landlord keeping shops empty, incentives for filling them (even with temporary uses) and support for historic businesses. Shop closure is contagious. Where shops are empty and streets deserted yoEmpty shops and deserted areas lead to graffiti, sleeping rough and dilapidation.
Streets are central to urban cooling. There is over 300,000m2 of black unshaded bitumen. Shading and street canopies (that do not trap heat) should be ubiquitous.
The urban order and scale from the 1869 Goyder Plan have been lost, as has the central square that would give an urban focus. Cities with closely spaced intersections seem to thrive more than cities with bigger grids. It seems the more corners the better; people bump into each other more often. There is “propinquity”.
Darwin has worked hard over many years closing its arcades and cross streets (Peel, McLachlan and Lindsay). The centre needs more effective interconnection: the high town (the mall/State Square) and low town (Waterfront) with a grand flight of stairs; the mall/State Square to Old Hospital Site/Myilly Point with a cooling lineal park, via a new (old) central square.
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A view of proposed waterfront stairs providing a shaded link between the high town and the low town. Author provided
Streets are the music of the city. The buildings are the lyrics. Both should come together as a musical or an opera. The music can only begin if there is a network of shade, greenery, easy walking and buildings of all types interacting with the street.
Requiem or renewal? Darwin sees itself as a laid-back larrikin city with crocs and barra. Renewal and a new character can emerge by the implementation of principles. We cannot wish for a new character.
What might emerge? Perhaps a cool-in-both-senses city: a cosmopolitan tropical capital with tree canopy, vine shade structures and fountains. Perhaps a cool international waterfront city – an eight-hour voyage by fast ferry from Indonesia. Perhaps the full urban recognition of the Larrakia, the saltwater people, and their places: beaches, fish traps, middens, yarning circles, meeting places and cultural centres.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102839/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;">
Lawrence Nield, Professor of Practice, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
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/requiem-or-renewal-this-is-how-a-tropical-city-like-darwin-can-regain-its-cool-102839" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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How a tropical city like Darwin can regain its cool

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The poorer you are, the harder it is to participate in and contribute to society. My experience as a practising urban designer and my research in the area have led me to conclude that the way people’s surroundings are designed reflects and amplifies this profound injustice.
Busy and fast roads, for instance, encourage driving while at the same time deterring walking and other forms of street life, isolating people from their neighbours.
Physical activity, interacting with others, setting and meeting challenges, and experiencing nature are all essential to our well-being. But humans aren’t good at prioritising our needs. We often make decisions that deny us these and other essential experiences.
This is particularly the case in poorer communities where shared and public spaces – the settings for many of these essential activities – tend to be poorly maintained, mundane and utilitarian.
Indifference without invitation
In such generic or inappropriately designed places, indifference or avoidance becomes more likely. Faced with the lukewarm appeal of these places, and sometimes active deterrence, people are more likely to be seduced by “easier”, but not needs-fulfilling, ways to spend their time. They may choose to drive rather than walk, or play on screens rather than in the open with others.
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Places like this offer little invitation to walk, play or exercise. Jenny Donovan, Author provided
If these people are to escape the call of the TV and computer, the “heavy lifting” will need to come from personal motivation to fill the gap left by the paucity of invitation from their surroundings.
In such places, if someone does choose to walk, cycle or play or participate in any of the activities that support health and well-being, they are doing so because they are determined to, rather than because their surroundings offer the pulling power to motivate them.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/234382/original/file-20180831-195325-hw994i.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Making the same street friendlier makes meeting needs easier and, for some people, possible. Jenny Donovan, Author provided
Many people do somehow overcome even the most difficult circumstances and thrive. But many others find this prohibitively difficult or are unaware of the need to make different choices. Their surroundings lead them to inadequate physical activity, isolate them from others, limit potential to find like-minded people around which community can coalesce, offer little enjoyment of nature and few opportunities to set and meet self-determined challenges.
We can see the effects of these issues through increased rates of obesity, loneliness and many diseases that diminish people’s quality of life.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/234376/original/file-20180831-195328-11vjsbb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
A conducive environment helps people meet their needs, thrive and fulfil their potential. Jenny Donovan, Author provided
Repeated over a neighbourhood or a city and concentrated in poorer areas, this can create arbitrary barriers that make winners and losers of their inhabitants. Extended over many years, these effects create huge social and health costs and can lock people into disadvantage.
These places deny people the inspiration of the crowd. If you rarely see someone else play on the street, run or cycle, you are less likely to consider it among the choices open to you.
Beyond the suburb
Disadvantaged communities lack the ability to influence the design process, make positive change happen themselves or protect what they value. Research has found people in communities with low socioeconomic status get left out of the decision-making process. When they do receive attention it is not as wholehearted or appropriately applied as it would be for wealthier communities.
We wear our surroundings like a cloak. Poor physical and social conditions often reflect poorly on their inhabitants, contributing to lower expectations of those people. This soft prejudice even means they are less likely to be considered for jobs that don’t match perceptions of what people from that postcode are like.
People with less buying power end up in less supportive environments, priced out of more nurturing places. Poorer people are getting pushed out of former working-class inner-city neighbourhoods that attract people and investment. This leaves less attractive places as the realm of concentrated poverty.
So, what can we do about it?
The obvious answer is to invest in design and the design process. But this is only part of the solution.
We need to reassess what good urban design is. Good design will need to be inexpensive to avoid lumbering communities with debt and ensure it can be spread widely. It needs to be tailored to provide the right invitations to those who most need it. It gives greater weight to designing for the social landscape of the community, and less to the aesthetic values of the designer and client.
Good design enables those who are being designed-for to participate in the design and creation of their surroundings wherever possible. This allows them the experience of developing and realising change, taking responsibility and exercising self-determination.
This takes time. The emotional capital this process demands of the designer and the community are immensely powerful but volatile resources. The designs that arise may not immediately be recognised by many designers as good design.
But if our present approach leaves people isolated and uninspired to do the things they need to do to thrive, we must reassess what good design really is and see it not as a luxury but as a right.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98561/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;">
Jenny Donovan, Urban Designer and Sessional Lecturer, La Trobe University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-urban-environment-doesnt-only-reflect-poverty-it-amplifies-it-98561" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Our urban environment doesn’t only reflect poverty, it amplifies it: Jenny Donovan

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Woods Bagot has designed a new $31 million pier and lift structure which form key elements of the Urbis-led Master Plan for the Rockhampton Riverside Precinct. The project seeks to revitalise the riverside district by maximising the potential of the previously neglected area and transforming it into a hub of community activity.

The riverside pier employs materials that reference the community’s historical past of gold, silver and copper mining in a contemporary way, but just as importantly also represents an economic and cultural rebirth following the damage caused by Cyclone Maria in 2015.

<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/150193_n17_screenhd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The riverside pier and lift structure which form the Rockhampton Riverside Precinct. Image: Florian Groehn"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/150193_n17_screenhd.jpg?itok=YuetYOO8" title="The riverside pier and lift structure which form the Rockhampton Riverside Precinct. Image: Florian Groehn" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The riverside pier and lift structure which form the Rockhampton Riverside Precinct. Image: Florian Groehn</figcaption></figure>According to Woods Bagot, the riverside precinct has become a destination in its own right not just within Rockhampton but also regional Queensland. As part of the Master Plan, the site has become a public urban park comprising a playground, playful water features, amenities, local artwork, terraced landscaping, and places for shade and outdoor seating.

As part of the design response, the architects drew on and incorporated multiple influences from nearby sites, natural landscapes, and local industries which combined to form the overall composition of the two-story public building.

The 300 sqm building features a public landing on the lower ground level, while the main concourse accommodates a modern restaurant serving fresh seafood and seasonal produce. 
Additionally, the design also draws on the local vernacular forming a direct relationship with the quintessential ‘Queenslander’, with its large overhanging roof providing solar shading while allowing for uninterrupted views of the natural landscape.

The building’s linear shape and industrial aesthetic draw heavily from the steel Fitzroy Bridge to the North, while Mount Archer’s mining history inspired the form of the rich, earthy colour scheme.

The natural materials palette of stone, timber, metal, and glass allowed local craftsmen to assemble elements by hand using traditional methods. Profiled weathered metal 'blades' flank the building and allow for views of the surrounding 19-hectare parkland while providing respite from the sun’s heat.

The 'breezeway' as the name suggests allows cool breezes to flow through and ventilate the building naturally, while the building’s vertical lift responds to the location’s subtropical climates and flood-prone coast, acting as they way-finder to the site, alluding to the masts of ships.

Clad in Corten steel, the lift's robust exterior reflects the rich tones of the landscape and the history of copper, gold and silver mining in the area.

Solar panels on the roof generate green electricity which is fed back into the local power grid, while electric vehicle charging and bicycle maintenance stations are available throughout the park.

<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/150193_n11_screenhd.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The design draws on the local vernacular and landscape. Image: Florian Groehn"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/150193_n11_screenhd.jpg?itok=vZoRH4G_" title="The design draws on the local vernacular and landscape. Image: Florian Groehn" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The design draws on the local vernacular and landscape. Image: Florian Groehn</figcaption></figure><h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
Rockhampton Riverside Precinct has become a destination for everyone to visit, occupy and enjoy. The vision of restoring the energy from the gold period has been realised along with the aim to provide the people of Rockhampton with a world-class civic and recreational space.

The finished design delivers over 30,000 m2 of public space, tripling the amount of civic and open space that previously existed.

Putting people at the centre of the design process is always where we start, and this is exactly the outcome we planned for – creating a special place for community gathering and to drive a groundswell of local pride in the city.

- Mark Damant, Woods Bagot Principal
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Urbis worked with Rockhampton Regional Council on the redevelopment of the Riverside Precinct, a world-class waterfront area on the shores of Queensland’s Fitzroy River. 

The design incorporates playground areas, river lookouts, shaded walkways and gathering spaces. A streetscape along iconic Quay Street integrates the city’s edge with the riverbank parklands.

(The) design will revitalise and activate Rockhampton’s iconic riverside precinct by establishing a high quality realm space that will be widely celebrated and used by the community. 

- Urbis
</blockquote>

 
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