A letter to my unborn child about climate change Sam Drummond Just days before my first child was born, I escaped apocalyptic scenes in Sydney to return home, with the country’s biggest city blanketed in thick red smoke from out-of-control bushfires. 1
Buildings are not lifeless objects, it’s time to treat them as such Hugo Chan, Cracknell & Lonergan Architects In our obsession with newness, we can easily forget that the narrative of sustainability is not merely about technical longevity, but also about cultural sustainability, an expression of our city’s identity and thus a continuation of our collective memory of place.
Tim Williams on the new look UK and its potential in urban regeneration under Boris Tim Williams | 21 January 2020 About a year ago I wrote in a leading planning and place-making journal in the UK a critique of the urban regeneration sector in the UK, of which I had…
On the Australia Fires and what comes next The Fifth Estate – our view | 16 January 2020 Dear Scott Morrison, we told you well before Christmas you had the chance to be a superhero. To jump onto the world stage and claim leadership on a scale that no small-to-mid size country has seen before.
Climate change complacency threatens the long-term sustainability of our cities and regions David Williams, Planning Institute of Australia | 16 January 2020 When Cobargo on the NSW South Coast is rebuilt after being smashed by bushfires on December 31, townspeople will want it to be as charming and attractive a place as it was previously – and they will want it to be better protected from future fires.
Smoke haze and how to minimise the impact Willow Aliento | 16 January 2020 OXYGEN FILES: Usually in January, there are kids everywhere in my little Riverina town. Kids on scooters and bikes and skateboards. Kids at the local pool. Kids out with dogs and basketballs or playing a bit of hit-and-giggle at the town tennis court.
Drought towns need sustainable solutions and political collaboration Poppy Johnston | 16 January 2020 At least two Australians towns, Stanthorpe in Queensland and Braidwood in NSW, have run dry and are now trucking in water at great expense. UNSW professor Stuart Khan says there’s many options to help drought-stricken towns before resorting to carted water, with some solutions more affordable and sustainable than others.
WaterGroup: Could 2020 be the year smart water solutions come into their own? Partnered content with WaterGroup | 16 January 2020 The intensity and length of the drought in New South Wales and Queensland, coupled with a revolution in technology, could make 2020 the year people start to pick that low-hanging fruit.
During its hottest summer, Penrith calls on the experts to help it cool down Sponsored: City of Penrith | 14 January 2020 As Penrith residents seek relief from the heat wherever they can find it, the city’s council is holding a masterclass to investigate how to cool its urban spaces.
Australia’s survival depends on shifting climate policy Gabriel Metcalf, Committee for Sydney | 13 January 2020 It has been a summer like no other. We have seen loss of life and unprecedented destruction across NSW and much of the rest of the country. Australia has been the hottest place on the planet and Sydney’s air quality has at times ranked as the worst in the world. Climate change is unfolding before our eyes.
Our office will open 13 January 2020 – meanwhile, dig deep and help those affected by fire 9 January 2020 Following is a list of sites where you can donate to the bushfires appeal, listed on the ABC website Donate to charities that support bushfire affected communities Red Cross Disaster…
On our new year of 2020 vision The Fifth Estate - our view | 20 December 2019 UPDATED 21 Dec 19: News from the front desk, issue 462: If 2020 signifies perfect vision then it could be a brilliant irony that in the most populated capital of…
How the NSW gov is mobilising a water effort for 90 drought-stricken towns in NSW Tina Perinotto | 19 December 2019 If anyone is going to stop 90 regional towns and communities in NSW from being relocated because they’ve run out of water, it will be James McTavish.
Letting your lawn die off? Think again if you want to stay cool Poppy Johnston | 19 December 2019 It might sound counterintuitive but in South Australia, government officials are no longer telling people to let their lawns die over summer.
The angry god, urban trust and policy integrity Mike Brown | 19 December 2019 Bushfires are an angry God’s message to Australia for its support of same-sex marriage, according to Israel Folau. Presumably, the more ferocious conflagration near Sydney means its sin is greater. Felled by smoke and regret, its watery-eyed penitents must now kneel and beg forgiveness.
Here’s to the new regret-free decade, and the heroes of the last one Willow Aliento | 19 December 2019 OXYGEN FILES: Hands up if you’re keen to put the 2010s in a box and shelve them and hope like hell the 2020s will kick off scaled up, meaningful and cohesive action to save our global habitat?
COP25: too little ambition on emissions, too little focus on adaptation Dr Mary Stewart, Energetics | 19 December 2019 The annual COP (Conference of the Parties) is an interesting event, with a melting pot of people from around the world and from all walks of life.
