Chris Johnson responds to Philip Bull’s contributed article: ‘Posh Sydney says no to density’.

Greta Thunberg’s now iconic headline “I want you to panic” is not just a direct response to the already tired and overintellectualised climate discourse but also a great communication strategy for brands wanting to support global climate action.

What if changing the way we buy property is a solution to Australia’s housing affordability woes? Here’s a disruptive model that might be able to just that – allowing people to rent their way to home ownership.

So many meetings, outings and events in this past week. So much activity. Dust shaken off, wobbly knees firming up a bit. It’s back to work, a hint of the…

Change is constant but so is our resistance to it. Therefore, a relentless state of tension is what really defines human behaviour. This is verified by homoeostasis, in which living organisms will self-regulate to remain constant. It explains why it is so hard to form new habits and even harder to break away from them. 

For many decades the automobile was widely seen as the undisputed solution to the transportation challenges of a modern society, and infrastructure to drive and park cars displaced public, walkable spaces and public transport in many cities. Today’s cities are mostly designed and built around cars and motorway systems. 

How many tragic deaths will it take before we take meaningful action and formulate a clear national housing strategy to end homelessness?

While northern Queensland bites its nails worrying about what possible jobs could replace coal, in Victoria, the Andrews government is pushing full steam ahead with a massive solar program that’s igniting a whole lot of spinoff business.

It’s not good news. The carbon lobby is real, it’s powerful and it’s determined to keep coal as the centrepiece of fuel for Australia. 

If the climate election turned out to be the hip pocket election then Queensland led the charge. But the issues this reveals are not confined to Queensland. The regions are in trouble everywhere.

Greener, liveable and healthier cities isn’t a panacea for societal ails, but it very well might be the closest thing we’ve got.

Imagine living in egalitarian village-scale communities that are circular, regenerative, distributed and systems-based. It’s a big vision. Starting with our broken agriculture system, followed by a new economic model, and now finally, what we can learn from Indigenous connections to land.

The contribution of engineers to resilience has traditionally been limited to their technical expertise. To achieve better outcomes the broader community needs to listen more closely to engineers and the profession also need to communicate in a more approachable language.

The “climate election” has delivered a harsh lesson for those of us who believe that we are indeed facing a climate emergency. After recent alarming scientific predictions and destructive weather events, one would think the Greens would be in the box seat for gains. 

News from the front desk issue 436: Election, Saturday. By Thursday the gap in the polls had narrowed dramatically. It was getting close to neck and neck. The bookies had…