Issue 212

A city setting lit up at night with people dining by the water

Increasingly, throughout the world, cities are being thought of not just as haphazard groupings of population, but as machines for creating prosperity and productivity.

Person at cafe surrounded by plants

Put simply, an Urban Living Lab is a carefully selected urban development designed to test innovations that promote human wellbeing and urban sustainability.

A condemned building with bobcat in foreground

Researchers have looked beyond the conventional measures of energy consumption to find the latest innovations for energy efficiency in our cities.

An aerial view of city streets and buildings with areas coloured in red

The high quality digital photography available in the modern world allows unparalleled opportunities to monitor and analyse urban environmental changes. Scientists are using supercomputers in this way to inform planning for more liveable cities.

Water rushing through a storm drain

More people in our cities means a need for more fresh water. Scientists in Australia are turning their attention to the water supply challenge and coming up with some innovative solutions.

People entering a river at night with lights along banks

With massive and growing populations in India and China, water security will be crucial into the future. Australian water management knowledge is now being applied in Asia to help manage the growing problems of pollution and increased water use.

A blue bottle on sand

Blue bottles have been washing up on beaches lately, but what exactly are they? And are you really supposed to pee on their stings?