Melbourne

Coronavirus and Urbanism

Learning from Down Under

The governors of Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, and other states where COVID-19 infections are threatening to overwhelm hospitals should consider what their counterpart in Victoria, Australia, did on July 7 to contain the coronavirus.

July 15, 2020 - The Guardian

Pop-Up Park

The Surprising Benefit of Pop-Up Parks to Bio-Diversity

A new study finds that interim recreational use of underutilized sections of crowded cities can benefit more than just humans.

July 8, 2019 - Next City

Melbourne, Australia

Report: Melbourne Needs a '30-Minute City'

To counteract the effects of sprawl, a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers recommends locating job growth in the city of Melbourne, Australia, in locations outside the city's core.

November 24, 2017 - The Australian

Busy Crossing Street

Where Cities Have Helped Walkers

Laura Laker surveys efforts to make cities more walkable, from Melbourne's converted alleys to Guangzhou's 60-mile ecological corridor.

September 14, 2017 - The Guardian

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia Plans Assault on Sprawl With '20-Minute Neighborhoods'

Melbourne's long-range plan for development through 2050 envisions denser neighborhoods, built around the idea of 20-minute neighborhoods.

March 17, 2017 - Melbourne Herald Sun

Friday Funny: A Bus Stop With Funk in Melbourne

"All aboard to funkytown," writes Chloe Booker, transporting readers to a time and a place where the trains had soul and the bells had bottoms.

February 24, 2017 - The Sydney Morning Herald

Swanston Street, Melbourne, Australia

Pedestrianizing Melbourne's Swanston Street: A Weekend to Remember

In the mid-1980s, a tug-of-war over the future of one of Melbourne, Australia's most important streets took place with those wanting full pedestrianization realizing their vision for one brief, shining moment.

September 19, 2016 - Kill Your Darlings

Japan High Speed Rail

A Bold High-Speed Rail Plan from Australia

Not only would a new $150.6 billion proposal build a high-speed rail project to connect Sydney and Melbourne, it would also build eight new cities along the way.

July 30, 2016 - Next City

Yarra Trams Melbourne

Debate: Why Did Trams Die in the 20th Century?

A Toronto professor pushes against Christian Wolmar's assertion that the tram's demise can be connected to anti-worker policy. For one thing, trams never went away in some cities.

July 1, 2016 - The Guardian

Cities Lead the Way in Meeting Paris Climate Goals

To meet the U.N.’s global warming targets, city leadership is critical.

December 22, 2015 - Next City

Tin Pan Alley in London

Small Clubs Make Creative Hubs: the Importance of Live Music Venues

Cities like London are losing their creative edge because the small music venues that foster it are being pushed out.

September 17, 2015 - The Guardian

90 Years of Transit Evolution in Melbourne

"Depending on where you live in Melbourne, it could take longer to get into the city than it did in the 1920s," according to an article The Age. But really not much has changed.

February 20, 2015 - The Age (Australia)

What Would it Take to Build a Tram Network the Size of Melbourne's?

Melbourne, Australia, is fortunate it inherited the largest tram network in the world, because building something like it today—say in a city such as Sydney—would be extraordinarily expensive and difficult.

December 22, 2014 - The Urbanist

Vancouver Car Free Robson

What Can Vancouver Teach Melbourne?

Melbourne has topped numerous global lists for its quality of life, but it certainly has room to improve. Former Vancouver Planning Director Brent Toderian sees lessons from his hometown for the world class city down under.

November 23, 2014 - 3AW

Checking in on the Bicycle Backlash

Alan Davies writes from Down Under about a recent controversy in the Australian media about the “menace” of cycling in the urban core—where some are tired of the bicycle lobby's advancements of its cause.

March 26, 2014 - Crikey - The Urbanist

Is Australia's Housing Bubble About to Burst?

With residential property prices ten times the average salary in Melbourne and Sydney, U.S. forecaster Harry Dent expects the Australian market to mirror the collapse witnessed in the California.

February 18, 2014 - The Age (Australia)

Want to Buy a Bike Share System?

After three years of operation, Melbourne's publicly subsidized bike share system is for sale. Though ridership has increased each year since opening, private investment is seen as crucial for expansion.

December 7, 2013 - The Age

Melbourne Retains World's Highest Quality of Life

The Economist's Intelligence Unit has once again ranked Melbourne as the top city in its annual Global Liveability Ranking. Damascus has dropped to the bottom of the list due to Syria's ongoing civil war.

September 1, 2013 - The Economist

Melbourne Pedestrians

How Jan Gehl Turned Melbourne into a Pedestrian Paradise

Danish architect Jan Gehl and a steadfast group of local collaborators have transformed Melbourne from a lifeless 9-5 city into a preeminently livable place. Mitra Anderson-Oliver looks at the principles that have guided their work.

June 24, 2013 - Assemble

Wood-framed Storefront

Picturing Ten Urban Qualities Important for Every City

Writing in The Atlantic Cities, Chuck Wolfe provides ten illustrated examples of enjoyable environments that reflect an evolving recognition for the qualitative aspects of the urban experience.

January 30, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.