Urban planning
Australians reach for the stars when it comes to energy efficient homes
Handy access to information is the key to encouraging Australians to go green in construction. But we still have a long way to go in making all homes as energy efficient as possible.
Soils study key to tracing PFAS leaching
They’re one of the strongest bonds in chemistry and are not only unique in the way they can be used to fight fire, but unique in the way they leach through soils into the environment. A new paper suggests understanding first how PFAS chemicals behave in soils requires a large-scale soils study and, perhaps, a global research effort if we’re to work towards a solution.
Breathing the quality air down under
As cities go, Australia's have some of the best air quality in the world. But even the relatively clean air of Australia can contain enough pollutants to impact on our health.
The 20th century saw a 23-fold increase in natural resources used for building
There will be huge environmental impact if we keep using raw materials as we did in the 20th Century. There is a way to build more sustainably.
Urban living under the microscope
Our newest laboratory will help develop and test innovative ways to plan and build Australia’s future cities.
Issues in coastal climate adaptation
Communities, governments and businesses in Australia need to work together on innovative strategies that will help adapt their coastal environments so they will be more resilient as extreme weather events driven by climate become more frequent.
Systematically addressing disaster resilience in Australia could save billions
The cost of replacing essential infrastructure damaged by disasters will reach an estimated $17 billion in the next 35 years. It is essential we systematically build disaster resilience in Australia.
The planner’s new best friend: we can now track land-use changes on a scale of centimetres
Constant, complex changes in cities and mine sites are hard to monitor. Drawing on digital aerial photography, it's now possible to track land-use and vegetation changes in areas as small as 10-20cm.
Preparing people for urban growth
The only thing certain is change. But in the face of urban growth and associated chronic stresses, how do we strengthen our resilience, preserve community wellbeing and foster acceptance of change?