Urban planning

Bronte beach and suburb

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.

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.

Perth city streets seen from the air

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.

Crowd of people crammed in a street

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?

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.