May, 2012

The exhibit above shows the sort of development planning authorities in our capital cities want to encourage. In this case, the developer, Parkrise Australia, proposes to construct 474 apartments and 11 food and drink establishments at 1091 Plenty Rd Bundoora, just 14 km from the centre of Melbourne. It will replace an existing drive-to restaurant, [...]

The idea that cyclists should share road space with drivers might sound like putting the fox in the hen house, but it’s the best option we’ve got for significantly expanding cycling in Australia. A spokesman for the Brussels-based European Cycling Federation, Julian Ferguson, says the magic formula in Europe for boosting cycling is to “slow [...]

A reader sent me this plan (1st exhibit) of how the proposed new 71 storey Queensbridge Tower (cream) will sit in relation to the existing 62 floor Freshwater Place building (grey). While the plan shows they’ll only be 8 metres apart at the closest point, it’s important to note the developer has increased this to [...]

Many observers are concerned urban sprawl is sterilising prime vegetable-growing land in the peri-urban areas around our major cities. For example, The Age’s editorialist, alarmed by reports the Bailleau Government is about “to extend suburban Melbourne to vegetable growing areas”, is seriously worried about food security. The paper says agricultural land in two outer suburbs in [...]

I’ve always felt there’s something dubious about the “food deserts” hypothesis that’s so captured Michelle Obama’s imagination. Now a story in the New York Times suggests my instinct might be close to the mark. Food deserts are places that have good access to fast food outlets selling high-fat, high-sugar junk food, but poor access to [...]

According to La Trobe University economist, Professor Harry Clarke, there’s a “bone-headed argument making the rounds” that reducing the number of liquor stores in a neighbourhood will reduce domestic violence. The bone-headed argument comes from Michael Livingston, a research fellow at the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in Melbourne. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Livingston studied [...]

More and more city-dwellers choose to live in apartments so they can live in more accessible locations. In the order of three and a half million Australians now live in multi unit housing. Living at density with shared ownership of common property provides many benefits, but it also presents big challenges. The strata title system [...]

More than half of cyclists ignore red lights according to British motorising organisation, The Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM). The Institute conducted a survey which found 57% of respondents answered yes to the question: “As a cyclist, do you ever jump red lights?” It’s a highly sensational number but it’s also highly dubious. There’s every [...]

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that private cars are massively subsidised. Indeed, cars are an object lesson in the consequences of under-pricing. Because we don’t take account of the social costs of driving when we get behind the wheel, we drive too often, too far and in vehicles that are too large. Our cities sprawl, [...]

The Washington Post and DC.Streetsblog both report on a new study which estimates the potential savings in carbon emissions from car-sharing are relatively modest (see exhibit). The study was prepared by Rand Corporation for the US Department of Energy. Car-sharing differs from car rental in a number of respects. With sharing, rentals are short term, fees [...]