The clearest change following the introduction of 24-hour public transport was that people were observed to be getting more intoxicated.
bbernard/Shutterstock
A program aimed at getting people home safely has cost A$300 million but has had little impact, aside from increased intoxication in CBD venues. Rates of assaults and road crashes are much the same.
Government ministers responded to the construction industry crisis by announcing a national approach to implementing recommendations of a report they commissioned in 2017 and received 17 months ago.
Bianca De Marchi/AAP
The construction industry crisis didn’t happen overnight. Authorities have been on notice for years to fix the problems that now have the industry itself calling for better regulation.
Public libraries can use their status as community hubs to engage the public in scenario planning for the future.
Mosman Library/Flickr
We commonly think of libraries as repositories of knowledge accumulated over centuries. But the public library also connects people in ways that can enable communities to plan for their future.
Many commuters already travel from regional cities to work in capital cities like Melbourne so what impacts will fast rail have?
Alpha/Flickr
While governments focus on how to ease congestion and make affordable housing more accessible for workers in our biggest cities, fast rail could be a mixed blessing for regional cities.
Dalian is an emerging city and tourist destination in China, but its urban spaces could be improved in many ways.
Paul J Martin/Shutterstock
Australia has well established urban design guidelines, whereas many Chinese cities don’t have any – and it shows. But Australia can also learn from China.
Building construction and demolition create enormous amounts of waste and much of it goes into landfill.
Sytilin Pavel/Shutterstock
China has put the onus back on Australia to take responsibility for our waste, and Germany has shown us the way with extended producer responsibility for construction and demolition waste.
Taxis have traditionally competed for kerbside space in our cities, but they now have many new competitors.
Neil Sipe
Australia requires a minimum six-star energy rating for new housing. New homes average just 6.2 stars, so builders are doing the bare minimum to comply, even as the costs of this approach are rising.
The more comfortable women feel about breastfeeding in public, the better for both babies and society.
Maxim Krivonos/Shutterstock
Promoting the benefits of breastfeeding isn’t enough when uncomfortable and uninviting public places deter mothers. Places that help them feel comfortable breastfeeding have several key features.
People between the ages of 25 and 34 are the largest group of woman who find themselves homeless.
Oleg Golovnev/Shutterstock
The largest group of homeless women is between the ages of 25 and 34, and family violence is most often the cause. Their stories testify to the dangers and stresses of not having a place to call home.
The Mascot Towers building in Sydney’s inner south is cordoned off after residents were evacuated following the discovery of cracks in the building.
Bianca De Marchi/AAP
Regulations that are meant to protect residents from building failures and fires have been found wanting. All governments must take responsibility for fixing the defective regime they created.
Residents play Pimp my Suburb, an exercise in engaging the community in achieving higher density while preserving what they love about their neighbourhood.
Anthony Duckworth-Smith
Faced with local planning changes like infill development people often fear they could lose the neighbourhood they love. But serious games are proving effective in giving locals a say in their future.
ParentsNext requires places like libraries and public pools to monitor parents’ attendance at activities. This undermines their role as spaces of inclusion and support.
Nawarddeken Academy’s self-built school is an example of reinvesting funds from payment for ecosystem services to meet critical community needs in innovative ways.
Image: Bjorn Everts/Nawarddeken Academy
Good urban design and walkability boost local economic activity by increasing public activity, but cities need to pay more attention to the effects of microclimates on streets and public spaces.
BeefLedger and QUT work with Mount Gambier High School students on food provenance, IoT and data science.
A project to protect producers from food fraud by verifying and promoting the provenance of the region’s beef exports to China turned out to be a source of creative work in the region as well.
People living in private rental housing were much more likely than social housing residents to say they felt lonely.
Dundanim/Shutterstock
Increasing numbers of older Australians don’t own their homes. Whether they are private renters or live in social housing can make a big difference to their risk of loneliness and anxiety.
VLocity trains run at speeds of up to 160km/h on four Victorian regional lines.
Scott Martin
More than half a century after the first high-speed trains began running overseas, Australia is still waiting for the long-promised service. Right now, faster rail is a better short-term prospect.
The public outrage at the killing of Courtney Herron, including a vigil in the park where her body was found, demands more than a knee-jerk response from government.
Daniel Pockett/AAP
The brutal killing of a young homeless woman has led to calls for more crisis accommodation. This is a short-term fix. We have to move beyond crisis management to sustained housing for people at risk.
Many places overseas require developers to build a certain proportion of affordable housing, but Victoria has opted for a voluntary negotiated approach.
Lichtwolke/Shutterstock
People on the minimum wage can afford only 2% of private rentals and only 1% if on the pension. Affordable housing requirements are often mandatory overseas, but Victoria is relying on negotiation.