Street Furniture Australia Features in World Bank Report: The Hidden Wealth of Cities
A new 400-page strategic handbook has been released by World Bank Group to help cities unlock ‘hidden value’ by working with public and private partners and communities to invest in the co-creation of human-centered, sustainable, economically vibrant and socially inclusive public spaces.
Smart and sustainable strategies implemented across public-space asset life cycles yield returns on investment far exceeding monetary costs, the authors say, and enhance city livability, resilience, and competitiveness.
According to the report, while globally about a third of a city’s land area is covered by public spaces, the potential of public-space assets to transform cities and improve urban life is often overlooked.
“The resulting degradation of public spaces into congested, vehicle-dominated, and polluted places often becomes a liability, creating a downward spiral that drains public resources and exacerbates various city problems,” they say.
“In contrast, cities that invest in the creation of connected, inclusive public spaces and places fare much better. They leverage public-space assets to create value for the surrounding area, supporting livelihoods and promoting local businesses; and spur urban revitalisation and innovation, further attracting firms and talent.
“Successful public spaces also add to quality of life by improving walkability, public safety, social inclusion, neighborhood vibrancy, urban health and citizen wellbeing. In many cases public spaces enhance urban resilience and city functioning by integrating with infrastructure, urban systems, cultural heritage and green spaces.”
The report presents strategies that city leaders, policymakers and urban practitioners can undertake to better plan, finance and manage both government-owned and privately-owned public spaces, to achieve livable cities for all.
Street Furniture Australia is proud to have been mentioned in the report as an example of innovation in measuring the public realm with our Smart Social Spaces and ChillOUT research in collaboration with Georges River Council and the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney (p102).
Applications of urban tech to street design and management. Image: World Bank Group.
“In the future disruptive civic tech and GovTech street-level image object detection systems; sensors embedded in everyday objects in the public realm of smart districts; artificial intelligence; and machine learning will drive how cities monitor and manage public spaces,” the authors say.
“A set of urban technology applications for streets provides a glimpse into how streetscapes might change in the future.”
The Hidden Wealth of Cities: Creating, Financing, and Managing Public Spaces by Jon Kher Kaw, Hyunji Lee and Sameh Wahba is freely available as a pdf through the Open Knowledge Repository.
To celebrate the unveiling of the Piatto Chair at our annual product launch party with AILA NSW in Sydney, Jazz at The Mint, clients were invited to enter this quirky contest. The competition called for teams to incorporate Piatto Chairs into an ‘Awkward Family Photo’ portrait, for a chance to win Piatto Chairs of their very own. Congratulations to the creative crew from Yerrabingin, who delivered the strongest awkward family vibes on the night. Highly commended goes to the entrants below, and the full photo gallery from the event is available for viewing. Please contact marketing@streetfurniture.com if you would like to request a high res file to print and frame for your best room.
Clients from Sydney, Adelaide, California and Texas joined Street Furniture Australia and AILA NSW to celebrate the unveiling of new products on March 14, 2024, with margaritas and live music. Jazz at The Mint is an annual product launch held at The Mint, an iconic site in the heart of the Sydney CBD. It is an elegant affair and a unique opportunity to connect with landscape architects and built environment professionals at a global scale. This year’s party featured the new Linea Planter System and upcoming Piatto Chair, a single-seater hybrid between cafe and robust public space furniture – available now for specifications. The gathering was opened by Uncle Allan Murray, representing the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council, with speeches from: Ben Stockwin, AILA CEO, acknowledged the 10 year relationship with …
The Street Furniture Australia factory, in Regents Park, Western Sydney, is both a manufacturing hub and R&D studio for our Australian-designed and made street furniture products. We run fun and informative group events for customers throughout the year, to share how products are designed, tested and built, and the latest products and projects. This tour is open to design specifiers such as landscape architects and architects, and place custodians including Councils, government agencies, developers and other place managers. Director of Tract Julie Lee said: “It was a great opportunity for our team to look behind the scenes and understand the innovation, research and climate positive outcomes Street Furniture Australia is focusing on. Thank you for having us!” Place Design Group Associate, Liam Isaksen, said: “The factory tour is a fun …
New experimental open-air smart hubs, created by Street Furniture Australia at our studio and factory in Western Sydney, have been officially launched by Georges River Council Mayor Kevin Greene on Thursday February 20, 2020. “ChillOUT Hubs aim to offer some relief in our densifying cities by providing opportunities to meet, work or rest, and spend more time outdoors,” says Street Furniture Australia Head of Innovation June Lee Boxsell. “Each hub packs a punch – integrating shade, seats and tables, charging stations, solar power, sensors, lighting, public WiFi, greenery, smart fountains and smart bins – a big feat combining tech, industrial design and placemaking,” she says. Three hubs are already installed in the Georges River Council region in south Sydney as part of a pilot study for the Australian Government’s Smart …
We’re pleased to share that the construction of our three ChillOUT Hubs is nearing completion, part of a pilot study for the Australian Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. ChillOUT Hubs are smart, open-air community spaces. The prototype installations offer people a free, comfortable place to meet, work and play. They also enable asset managers to monitor utilities, visitation and the microclimate. For more information see our article What Is ChillOUT? The official launch will take place in February 2020. The collaborative team of Georges River Council, UNSW and Street Furniture Australia will also host a series of events including a Council Knowledge Exchange, industry hackathon and tours to site. Please register your interest with Tiffany Hoy at editor@streetfurniture.com Here is an update from each site. A Streetscape – Belgrave …
Georges River Council’s partnership with UNSW and Street Furniture Australia has received a Highly Commended Award for Cross Sectoral Collaboration at the 2019 Smart City Awards by the Committee for Sydney. The awards celebrate projects and partnerships that address the fundamental challenges faced by cities, governments, industry and communities in Greater Sydney. The three partners were recognised for their collaboration on creating smart social spaces that improve the amenity and user experience of public open spaces, as well as helping to mitigate urban heat island effects at the micro level. The trio is one of the few teams to win both Round 1 and Round 2 grants from the Australian Government’s $50m Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. The Round 1 project, Smart Social Spaces, investigated how smart furniture can be …
