The guide outlines “best practices, programs, strategies and policies” for creating safe, enjoyable and inspiring street spaces for children and their carers. It looks at streets that are “safe and healthy, comfortable and convenient, inspirational and educational – streets that better serve everyone.”
Global Designing Cities Initiative permanent chair, Janette Sadik-Khan, writes, “This guide integrates the best of what works in different countries and cultural contexts to create universal principles for streets based on their most vulnerable users.”
She says, “If you design a street that works for kids, you design a street that works for everyone. Designing, or redesigning urban streets through the lens of children shows why it is necessary to raise the bar for safety, accessibility and enjoyment.”
The authors explore children’s needs in urban streets, current challenges and how different ideas can create friendly streets to play, rest, and create.
“An environment rich with stimulation such as colors, patterns, and textures is a foundation for a child’s cognitive skills.”
The City of Newcastle, a harbour city in New South Wales, Australia, is announcing plans to develop a pollinator-friendly urban landscape that reconnects biodiversity corridors.
Newcastle Councillor Dr Elizabeth Adamczyk, also a lecturer in planning at Macquarie University with a PhD in human geography, shared her vision on ABC News.
“We are the first city in Australia to commit as a local government to being a pollinator-friendly city,” she said.
Adamczyk says Newcastle aims to support and enhance its biodiversity by bridging gaps in fragmented biodiversity networks through its Environment Strategy. She has tabled a proposal – unanimously supported by Council – to ensure the rapidly growing city is built with pollinating species in mind.
The proposal supports creating safe, friendly spaces for pollinators with native foliage corridors throughout the city, including on roadways, median strips, walls, balconies, rooftops, in gardens and parks, and along transport corridors.
Street Furniture Australia and US partner Spruce & Gander in March hosted landscape architects from California and Texas on a visit to Sydney to experience a factory tour, site visits and a new product launch. The American landscape architects represented MJS Landscape Architecture, RHAA Landscape Architecture + Planning, TBG Partners, Avid Trails and Ten Eyck Landscape Architects. Over a week-long trip the guests were treated to famous sights of Sydney including the iconic Bondi Beach, a harbour cruise and dining at top restaurants in urban Surry Hills and the new Barangaroo precinct. Travelling to Regents Park in Western Sydney, they toured the Street Furniture Australia factory to see first-hand how products are designed, made and shipped all over the world. This included meeting the production team, industrial designers and engineers. …
Melissa Gerke, our Communications and Education Specialist, is bringing a fun, interactive and informative presentation about our carbon neutral journey and latest products to customers in cities around Australia and in the US. In 30 minutes (plus Q&A) we will explore materials and finishes, touch and feel samples, and bond with your colleagues over delicious treats. There will also be a mystery prize for a lucky winner (optional). 2024 cities and dates include: Select from three catering options (optional): To book, contact Melissa Gerke mgerke@streetfurniture.com
Successful products are often followed by copycats. Over the past year we have become aware of an increase in reproductions of the Linea range attempting to create a similar aesthetic at a lower price. This can compromise the overall durability and environmental credentials of projects being delivered, affect ongoing maintenance requirements, and in some instances pose a risk of injury to the public. The design of Linea is deceptively simple while delivering exceptional attention to detail. Details matter not only for beauty, but also for providing durability, and safety, that will last decades. Linea strictly uses the highest quality and sustainable materials, has passed rigorous strength tests, and is designed for longevity, with easily replaceable parts. The product range is the result of hundreds of hours of research and development …
