cities of green roofs, green wallS and food crops
Australian cities are some of the lowest density and most car-dependent on the planet: let's face it, intensified urban development and improved public transport to meet the imperatives of population growth and a low-carbon future is a major challenge. Despite decades of compact city policy there has been little change to the practice of ever-expanding suburban fringe development and freeway building that entrenches and exacerbates car-dependency. One of the major blockages to transformational change has been a lack of design vision that can capture the public imagination for more sustainable urban futures.
But what will our future cities look like and how can we ensure our world is sustainable? The answer lies in the future of urban planning, town planning, architecture and landscape design. There are a plethora of cities around the globe today, pushing the boundaries of modern design, with a low carbon footprint which function according to the demands of an exponential growing population.
But what will our future cities look like and how can we ensure our world is sustainable? The answer lies in the future of urban planning, town planning, architecture and landscape design. There are a plethora of cities around the globe today, pushing the boundaries of modern design, with a low carbon footprint which function according to the demands of an exponential growing population.
Sustainability is about learning to live within our environmental means while increasing the social cohesion and liveability of our cities. Our car dependent cities, which today fuel asthma, obesity and biodiversity loss, could be transformed into cleaner, more efficient places with great public and active transport and amenity, and happier, healthier residents.
global population will INCREASE by 38% by 2050.
Have we reAch the tipping point of an urban crisis?
In Australia, with urbanisation beginning after the industrial revolution, urban morphology was linked primarily to walking, cycling and transit. Following the second-world war, under modernist planning and Fordist production, Australian cities embraced motorization and suburbia, firmly entrenching a car-dependent urban assemblage (populate or Perish).The challenge now is how to replace the 'resilience' of the current assemblage with one that provides Australian cities with a new resilience in the face of climate change, peak oil and population growth.