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School proves it’s possible to achieve near zero waste construction
Could waste in the building industry ever be reduced to near-zero, with materials endlessly being reused? By going back to school, contractor Morgan Sindall is amongst many showing the way.
Finger pointed at migration as cities struggle to cope
Population growth restriction – in the form of cutting migration – has made its way from the fringes to the centre of political debate, on Monday night becoming the focus of both 4 Corners and Q&A.
Our cities need a governance revolution
Our capital cities are not just badly governed. They are not governed. We need a governance revolution, argues Tim Williams.
Under siege: Sydney’s medieval infrastructure governance
Reform of both agency and political governance is a prerequisite for the delivery of truly city-building infrastructure.
Obese city: why we must design walkability back into Sydney
We have an obesogenic city on our hands where walking has been abolished from our lives.
City of Sydney steps up again with more affordable housing
The City of Sydney has again subsidised a land sale so more affordable housing can be built.
How governments can ensure more affordable housing
Government can ensure more sub-market homes on its own land, and incentivise the private sector to do so through better policies.
The Fifth Estate’s top 10 stories of 2017
Another year has come and gone, so what were the main themes that have come through in The Fifth Estate’s articles?
Views from the industry for 2018
We asked a few people for their views on what to expect in 2018.
It’s time to stop prioritising cars when designing streets
Have a walk down Parramatta Road – take a helmet – and see what prioritising the car user has done at Strathfield.
Can NSW’s green infrastructure policy stop canopy cover decline?
NSW’s government architect has released a draft policy that aims to put green infrastructure at the heart of city-making.
NSW planning reform: Minor changes celebrated, but the system’s still broken
Last week’s update to NSW planning laws has been called the biggest overhaul of the system in its near 40-year history, but critics say it fails to tackle the big issues, including transport planning, affordable housing and climate change.
Funding Sydney: Where’s the value capture?
The release of the Greater Sydney Commission’s “A metropolis of three cities” at the same time as Transport for NSW’s Future Transport strategy amounts to a great step forward for planning and delivering Sydney’s growth.
Greater Sydney Commission firms up plan for three cities
It was not so much a reveal than a reiteration when Greater Sydney Commission head Lucy Turnbull announced Sydney would become a tale of three “30-minute” cities by 2056 – we heard that last year when the city’s draft district plans were released.
News from the front desk: Issue No 360 – On whether Sydney’s full or if it’s just a bad case of congestion
The development industry was in defence mode this week over a poll published in the Sydney Morning Herald, with two-thirds of residents declaring the city full, and that the 1.74 million extra people we’re expecting over the next 20 years be pushed to the outskirts. It was an unsurprising result given the framing of the question, […]
Tim Williams steps down as Committee for Sydney head
Tim Williams, one of Sydney’s highest profile urbanism commentators, has resigned as chief executive of the Committee for Sydney to become head of cities at Arup.
Density in Sydney: Do as I do not as I say
The Sydney Morning Herald’s article on Sydneysiders “in revolt” over development is interesting, but the numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Respect for planners is crucial for liveable cities
A few weeks ago, The Fifth Estate covered the burgeoning demand for planners in Australia. As our cities and their populations grow at a rapid pace, it follows that more and more urban planning is required to keep those cities functional and liveable. Concurrently, as the world tries to come to grips with how to […]
How plastics are being reinvented for the future
Though widely maligned and criticised, plastics are not only here to stay – they’re also essential for our future, says UK sustainable plastics expert Dr John Williams whose company is about to launch what it claims is a bio degradable plastic.
News from the front desk: Issue No 352 – On liveability, inequality and timeless truths
Melbourne has again won the Economist Intelligence Unit’s most liveable city crown – an unprecedented seven times in a row – but again the chorus has risen: “For whom?”
Mind the gap: Why you’ll die earlier in Sydney’s west
Research based on new Census data has shown that life expectancy goes down dramatically as you travel west in Sydney. At its most extreme the gap between average life expectancy in an Eastern Suburb of your choice and Mount Druitt in Sydney’s west is 20 years.
Arrivals looking beautiful at your local train platform
Infrastructure is no longer just about engineering. A growing number of major transport projects are turning to leading architects to make the humble train station or light rail stop into a thing of beauty.
Melbourne’s trains may soon glide into new biophilic precincts
Melbourne Metro might very well be the first biophilic public transport project in Australia.
Why fire safety is more about people than products
Phones are ringing off the hook at the peak fire protection associations as governments and building owners scramble to mitigate the threat of fire risk in multi-storey buildings.
Market Pulse: Planner shortage amplified as young planners leave in droves
Employers are working hard to retain young planners with Sydney and Melbourne still in the grip of a planner shortage, according to the Planning Institute of Australia.
News from the front desk No 345: On the interesting new Queensland Planning Act and its significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
There’s broad agreement that the new Planning Act in Queensland – coming into effect on Monday – will take the development industry and planners by storm.
News from the front desk: Issue No 344 – On why we must fight back on cynical anti-sustainability sentiment
Cynical media is blaming sustainability for the Grenfell disaster. But that’s well off the mark.
The battle for Western Sydney Parklands: why we need a new approach to transport planning
It’s not just the Royal National Park under threat from the NSW government’s rampant road building agenda.
Major city landmarks will submerge under business as usual conditions
Sydney Airport, Fishermans Bend in Melbourne and Elizabeth Quay in Perth will all be underwater by 2100 if emissions don’t fall, updated modelling from Coastal Risk Australia shows.