The lockdowns and restrictions introduced to control the spread of Covid-19 have resulted in huge changes to urban life Previously bustling city centres remain empty, shunned in favour of suburban or rural areas where social distancing is easier and connections to the outdoors are abundant. Continue →

According to research by Oxford Economics, only the best cities will prosper and people will flock to places where social deprivation remains low and lifestyles can be maintained, with some cities faring better than others While regional areas have proved popular during the pandemic, capital cities currently represent more of most nations’ gross domestic product, and there are other concerns associated with pandemic retreats. Continue →

Australasian cities are becoming cheaper to live in according to the latest global cost of living report, which ranks the most expensive cities across the globe Dinah Lewis Boucher – The Urban Developer Sydney is now the only Australasian city ranked among the top 100 most expensive locations for expatriates to live, having dropped 24 places to 97th position on ECA International’s index. Continue →

Today’s announcement is very exciting and represents a much needed shift in the way New Zealand plans and funds urban growth, but it is not yet clear whether housing in the new city will be affordable or supports Government aspirations for competitive land supply, says Infrastructure NZ CEO Paul Blair The new Drury development south of Auckland takes some concepts from Infrastructure New Zealand’s October 2017 ‘Innovation City’ report on how to create a satellite city. Continue →

New Zealand needs to up its game on building inclusive cities that reflect our increasingly diverse communities, says the New Zealand Planning Institute More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZP) Values/Voices/Vision conference – including local and central government, industry leaders, iwi, resource managers, urban designers, scientists and environmental advocates. Continue →

A small rural town in Ontario Canada will be transformed into a “city of the future” after winning unanimous approval for its cutting-edge, smart city masterplan, which allows for population growth up to five times its current size Dinah Lewis Boucher – The Urban Developer Known as “The Orbit”, and designed by architect Partisans, the proposal will be delivered by developer Cortel Group, in collaboration with the local Innisfil council. Continue →

Two of Australia’s leading strategic urban plans could be used or expanded to do much more to promote better places to live for all residents, according to a new report In-depth assessments of the Thirty Year Plan for Greater Adelaide 2017 (TYPGA)  found it is not doing enough to address social and health issues due to a bias towards economic progress, while New South Wales Long Term Transport Master Plan 2012 (NSWLTMP) has a narrow focus on improving transport rather than raising social determinants of health. Continue →

By 2050, 68% of the world’s population (90% of Africa’s and Asia’s population) will be urban. Continue →

The PwC Competitive Cities report released today underlines the urgent need for the Government to deliver affordable housing and efficient transport systems in our growing cities, says Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Selwood PwC compared the performance of 11 Australasian growth cities over the last decade and found that households in successfully growing Australian cities have enjoyed significant improvements in discretionary income, relative to New Zealand. Continue →

Oceanix City is a futuristic concept for a floating city which could withstand natural disasters like floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes and house up to 10,000 residents. Continue →

CBRE conducted a study of AsiaPacific’s leading tech cities and found that unlike Silicon Valley, which provides a strong well-rounded environment for tech sector development and growth, individual cities in the AsiaPacific possess distinct strengths and weaknesses The study took place between January – March 2019 and considers more than 20 factors under three major criteria – business conditions, innovation environment, and cost and availability – then assigns each city with a score out of 100 and gives them an overall rank. Continue →

Developer Celestino’s plans are on track to develop Australia’s first smart city, Sydney Science Park in Western Sydney By Dina Lewis Boucher first published by The Urban Developer Celestino and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) met with transport and infrastructure experts along with technology providers on Friday to discuss how autonomous vehicle use can be built into greenfield smart cities. Continue →

Obesity, undernutrition, and climate change represent three of the gravest threats to human health, the environment and our planet, highlights the latest Lancet Report The distinguished medical journal identifies the three pandemics affecting human health as “the global syndemic”. Continue →

Obsolete equipment from throughout Christchurch is getting a new lease on life as it finds its way to a special children’s playground in New Brighton’s Rawhiti Doman The sensory playground is designed to give all children, especially those with special needs, the opportunity to explore their senses through interaction with nature and their environment. Continue →

The new Housing and Urban Development Authority (HUDA) will help the government cut through red-tape to deliver urban regeneration in our largest cities, an infrastructure expert believes But to deliver affordable housing the government must now turn its attention to greenfield development and wider policy reform, says Stephen Selwood, Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand. Continue →

The pilot scheme to bring forward infrastructure for housing is a significant milestone and establishes a new direction for growing New Zealand’s cities, Infrastructure New Zealand says The government has announced that third party debt will be used to finance the roads and water infrastructure needed to unlock land for development in Milldale, north of Auckland. Continue →

A new report that highlights key lessons for the Victorian government when it comes to affordable housing could apply equally to New Zealand Tap Turners and Game Changers: Lessons for Melbourne, Victoria and Australia from affordable housing systems in Vancouver, Portland and Toronto is the result of Carolyn Whitzman of Melbourne University’s Melbourne School of Design Transforming Housing section visit the three Canadian cities to assess their approaches to affordable housing. Continue →

New Zealand’s urban growth system is broken and must be revised to incentivise cities to grow, an infrastructure expert maintains   City leaders must be given the flexibility and tools they need to succeed, says Stephen Selwood, CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand. Continue →