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Category Archives: URBANITY
Cascadia subduction zone
Maybe not going to Portland for a holiday – with this disaster waiting to happen.
culture, arts and city planning
backyards
Vanishing Australian backyards
leave us vulnerable to the stresses of city life
the Dutch Reach
a Telstra NBN story
Another mess made by Malcolm Turnbull
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154819656957544&set=p.10154819656957544&type=3
architecture
“Call us dull, call us sellouts, call us gentrifiers – just don’t call us copycats”
Our lust for originality is wrecking the city, delivering a rash of formally new but ultimately anti-urban hideous skyline baubles reducing city-making to a spectacle of super-size billboard branding gestures while inhibiting the multiplication of good ideas. Click here
post-truth planning
Dr Elizabeth Farrelly is outraged
Dr Elizabeth Farrelly sets the scene for how planning might navigate the post-truth political landscape – click here.
Will your house burn?
As I watched the horrifying footage of the London Grenfell Tower fire, I remarked that this is what could have happened in Docklands, Melbourne, in 2014.
architecture
Good article by Miguel Córdova Ramírez on the teaching of architecture.
Architecture
Architecture and all that spin
If there is one occupation that I could not imagine doing, it is being an ACT Government planner who spends most of the day looking through development applications (DA) for commercial developments.
Parliamentary Triangle, Canberra
A tour of the good and not-so-good
Have you taken a stroll around the Parliamentary Triangle recently?
Urban Bites
GANG GANG arrives in Downer
Always good to celebrate when a suburban centre rises again.
post truth & politics & energy
A good article summing up the state of politics, where truth is an option to be discarded.
Architecture
The Problem Isn’t Architecture, It’s Urban Design
Interesting read – but I think they let the architects off too easily. Click here.
Places for Children
click on image for article
Changing architecture of Dickson
Talking to locals in the last weeks there were stories of that knock on the door and the offer to buy the house. The reactions were a little different and also similar.
inflammable clading
Nothing wrong here!
oh how we wish we could believe the Minister and the building industry spokespersons – of course here in Canberra we have the laws in place! But – we all know better than that.
developers rule the day – again
Sad story from Manchester. Lesson? – watch out for the spin when developments are announced. click here
The tricks governments play
a story of Architecture, social housing and parklands
Local politicians, like our federal friends, love to take a key social issue and link it to another in order to wedge the residents.
Emmanuel Macron
The world leaders are stepping forward! – click here for the story
MIT and Climate Change
MIT Speaks for Science & Climate Change
A message from the MIT President in which he reacts to the Trump announcement on how Trump is yet again out of touch with the rest of the world. Yah for our scientists!
A tale of two parklands
Very strange things happen in the urban design planning space in Canberra.
Nicole Lawder, a Liberal who has your back
We expect a lot of our politicians. People rightly expect their elected representatives to do just that – be representatives of the people who elected them. That’s not always a success story.
Frank Hurley and Australian Native Plants
INFORMATION CALL-OUT: FRANK HURLEY
Searching for Frank Hurley along our northern beaches
Did you know that Frank Hurley was a very keen gardener and photographer of wild flowers?
In April 2018 The Manly Art Gallery and Museum will be launching a very special exhibition titled: Frank Hurley – Sydney Harbour photographer: From Circular Quay to Collaroy.
Canberra Park Resort
Popping up on the northern edge of Canberra is a new set of buildings – known by its gateway title as Canberra Park.
Dickson on Northbourne
There’s significant redevelopment underway on Northbourne Ave in Canberra.
Tram stop design
There are not too many places that have tram (light rail) stops that are exciting designs. Most are functional and are usually simply places marked where you stand to catch the tram.
Remember they are people
A lot has been written about the ACT Government’s announcement to establish small government housing estates on community-zoned land in Weston Creek suburbs.
Architecture – on local TV
Do we have examples of good residential architecture in Canberra?
Architecture – addressing the climate
Real sustainability arrives in Canberra
A wonderful sign of things to come.
Architecture
a note to the ACT Chief Minister
About the architecture along Northbourne Avenue
Architecture
How to waste public money
The saga of the proposed Garden Bridge over the Thames in London has been well covered in the UK press. It is indeed a saga. It is about a folly.
Caroline Le Couteur MLA
Canberra’s planning system remains super complicated and out of reach of ordinary citizens.
Photographing Singapore’s public housing
Photographing Singapore’s public housing
There’s an article in Straits Times about photographer Koh Kim Chay and his decades of photographing the ubiquitous government flats of Singapore.
Another Dickson auction
Heritage yes – but some stuff should go
Two things to consider: One is that heritage is about to be celebrated here in Canberra with a festival from 18 April till 7 May 2017.
Woden planning
When the government says one things but does the other…
The press release from the Woden Community Council points to the problems with planning in Canberra.
Weston Creek Community Council
Weston Creek Community Council – in the news
click on the image for the piece in the Canberra Times.
Weston Creek Community Council
Weston Creek Community Council – Media Release
A group of Community Leaders met late last night to discuss the outcome from last week’s Weston Creek Community Council Meeting, which had to be postponed due to an overwhelming attendance.
Urban Bites
Bureaucrats doing what bureaucrats do..
The other day we ran a set of small stories on urban issues – one being about student parking and how it has become a nuisance in the streets near the school.
Suburban life– you have to chuckle
Land Development – who should fall on that sword
When a system is broken, how easily it is to point the figure at one person and say “It wasn’t me, it was that person over there.”
Continue reading Land Development – who should fall on that sword
Braddon and that Bowling Club
Braddon is cool – well not quite yet
Braddon should be cool. I said something similar two years ago.
Clive Hamilton on Turnbull
being Turnbulled!
Author Clive Hamilton has been engaged in the climate debate for more than 20 years, with books selling worldwide.
Climate change – it’s happening
Climate change’s signature was writ large on Australia’s crazy summer of 2017
Footpath recycling takes over Dickson
As a person who walks for exercise around the local area, I get to observe the changes through the suburb.
Being Turnbulled
That idiot Scott Morrison laughs!
Very good article about how low Australian politicians have travelled – and their lies about the dangers of climate change. Click here.
ACT politicians and planning?
It was several months ago that the suburbs were being infiltrated regularly by ACT politicians trying to get attention – anyone’s attention.
Jonathan Jones
Jonathan asks the question of Barack Obama
How can Barack Obama smile at a time like this? I think he knows something. Click on the image for the story by The Guardian.
ACT Chief Planner – to be or not to be
Following a couple of pieces in the local press, one would think that the ACT Government’s planning was in turmoil because key people are on the move.
Online Surveys
I have said elsewhere about online surveys – they are useful but caution needs to apply if anyone intends to use them to inform planning. They are not reliable for that purpose.
Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
The ACT will be looking for a real Chief Planner
It was reported today in the Crimes (what we call the Canberra Times) that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
Continue reading Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
Haig Park masterplan
There’s a call by the ACT Government for residents to go online and to offer thoughts on the future of Haig Park.
ACT Planning Chief to step down
ACT now needs a real Chief Planner
News to hand that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
Trump and the Climate
Trump Orchestrates Major Shift on Climate and Environment
click on the image for the story on The Dirt.
Year of the Rooster – Time to revamp Dickson Chinatown
It’s Chinese New Year again (28th January). This time around it is the year of the rooster.
Continue reading Year of the Rooster – Time to revamp Dickson Chinatown
Good architecture arrives in Canberra–we wish
2017 in Canberra began with announcements that so many new buildings are about to change the city’s landscape.
Continue reading Good architecture arrives in Canberra–we wish
Rebecca Solnit
Click on the image for the Guardian article
Climate Change, Trump and language
George Monbiot on Trump and the climate
click on banner for the Guardian article by George Monbiot Continue reading Climate Change, Trump and language
Urban Roadworks- and a quiet chuckle
Here in Dickson there has been a very long series of road works.
Cherry-picking the Griffin’s legacy
At the meeting in August 2016 on the government’s proposals to redevelop the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, the main line taken by the government was that their proposals were based on the Griffin Legacy.
A tree lands in the appeals tribunal
I believe in good government. I believe that many of our public sector employees do a great job. Occasionally, I even witness a politician who has values and fights for them (rarely).
Kosciuszko
Braddon Bowls – let’s try planning
The Canberra City Bowling Club site in Braddon has now been the subject of articles across several blogs.
climarte
Acland Street Public Art Commission
Expressions of Interest are due by 5pm on 3 February 2017
Northbourne oh Northbourne
Local governments rarely get the opportunity to completely makeover and enhance the main entry to the city – and the city centre itself.
Canberra
a light on the hill
A very good piece by Jack Waterford about Canberra. Click on the image
What is this landscape about
Jonathan Jones on cherishing the landscape
Click on the image to see the point being made – it’s a good one!
Air Travel
Travel: Flying is no longer a human experience
We have reached the point that flying anywhere is no longer an human experience we should consider unless you are able to book business class seats.
The climate is Turnbulled and now Trumped
Here’s a worrying view on Trump and the efforts to deal with climate change.
The Australian suburb
Reinventing density: overcoming the suburban setback
Grace Mortlock, University of Technology Sydney and David Neustein, University of Technology Sydney; republish from The Conversation
Architecture
Parliament House lawns again!
They have tried before and I am sure they will keep trying till they get their way.
Kingston Arts Precinict
LDA up to its old tricks again
There’s one thing about the way the ACT Government goes about planning for Canberra–it will always use any tricky method to justify how it assists the developers.
Dickson – a surprise house sale
A curious thing happened last weekend in the Dickson neighbourhood when a house went up for auction. This was a very ordinary house.
Climate, Trump-Abbott-Turnbull
An article about how this country has been there on the climate before Trump with both Abbott and now Turnbull. Click here.
Dickson supermarket–what next?
The Appeal against the recently approved development application (DA) for the Dickson supermarket complex goes to its next phase very soon (see dates below).
George Monbiot
Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
It took about three hours of argument on Friday 28th October for a decision by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) on whether certain government planning documents should be released to those making objections to the Government’s agreement to the revised Development Application (DA) for the Dickson supermarket.
Continue reading Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
What to do–not to do–with a bowling club
This is a tale of an entrepreneur, a tree and a possible (lost?) good planning opportunity.
Being Turnbulled
Has Turnbull TRUMPed Abbott
a sad story about how Turnbull and his Murdoch allies are doing their best to Turnbull (stuff up) the country’s advances with renewables. Click on the image above.
Dickson parklands under threat–again
Mike Hettinger and the so called LDA–Tradies win win
The revelation by the Canberra Times of a land swap between the Land Development Agency and the CFMEU-linked Dickson Tradies Club opens the way for more dodgy deals that will harm the community.
Canberra Community Voters Candidate Mike Hettinger noted, “The land swap itself isn’t necessarily the problem. It’s what it enables the LDA and the Tradies to do in the future that should really concern us.”
Googong or Canberra?
With the debate in Canberra about housing affordability, the ACT Liberals have been using a particular line in their election statements to criticise the current government’s Land Development Agency (LDA) and its handling of land prices.
City for Pedestrians
The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
There were moments during the ‘meet the candidates’ forum in Lyneham a fortnight ago when it seemed that something was not right with the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
Continue reading The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
ACT Government transparency and accountability 2
A few comments following our previous post on how the Chief Minister is going into the ACT Elections (15 Oct) with the past catching up to him.
Continue reading ACT Government transparency and accountability 2
ACT Government transparency and accountability
An Auditor-General’s report has been released on some questions on the operations of the ACT Government’s Land Development Agency (LDA).
Continue reading ACT Government transparency and accountability
ACT Heritage Forum – rating the candidates
National Trust of Australia (ACT) hosted a public Heritage Election Forum at St John’s church hall in Reid last Thursday night 22 September.
Carmageddon Beckons
Trams for Canberra
Oh- what a silly debate – Trams for Canberra
The ACT Election is happening right now. Every forum or debate eventually gets hijacked by the Liberals in the campaign to oppose the tram. Continue reading Trams for Canberra
New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans
Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans – click on image for story
Mawson shops on hold – why?
Earlier this year we drove south to the Mawson shops (Southlands) to shop at one of the specialist supermarkets as well as to take in a Middle Eastern brunch.
The Griffin Legacy?
From the Guardian: Canberra’s vision of the ideal city gets mired in ‘mediocrity’ by Paul Daley
Architecture
award for the worst architecture
Now here’s an idea. Should we recognise the worst architecture?
Government Architect – what’s that?
Canberra is usually referred to as being a designed and/or planned city. Continue reading Government Architect – what’s that?
Shared Spaces
2016 ACT Election dilemmas
There has been a recurring conversation of late around how to vote. It was very evident during the Federal elections and has continued here in Canberra as we head towards the 15th October elections for the next ACT Government.
Blame the Griffins – Really?
When about 250 citizens venture out on a cold night to hear about plans for the foreshores of West Basin one would expect that they would be taken seriously.
Dickson DA goes to ACAT appeal
Following the disappointing actions by the ACT Government to approve what remains a very questionable development application for a major mixed use development on the flagship shopping centre site in Dickson, appeals are being jointly lodged by the landlord of the Woolworths supermarket plus key local community associations.
The City to Lake scam
There’s been a load of positive mainstream press about the wonders of the ACT Government’s major project for the centre of Canberra, The City to Lake Project.
Climate Change – a wake up call
click on the image for the story