Australian cities urged to go vertical and multidimensional:
Australian cities should look to Hong Kong as a model for creating more diverse, vibrant and sustainable urban environments, according to a place branding expert.
Tom Oliver Payne, Place Strategy Director at Hoyne, a place branding and property marketing agency, visited Hong Kong in 2023 and was impressed by the city’s vertical landscape. “Hong Kong is a city that defies gravity and logic. It is a city that celebrates verticality and multidimensionality. It is a city that uses every inch of available space to create different layers of activity, such as rooftop gardens, sky bridges, elevated walkways, underground malls and public transport networks,” he said.
He contrasted this with Sydney, Australia, where he lives and works, and where he sees a lack of vertical integration and diversity. He criticised the dominance of single-use towers that separate residential, commercial and retail functions, and the reliance on cars and roads that create congestion and pollution. He also noted the challenges that Sydney faces due to its rapid population growth, limited land supply and environmental pressures.
He proposed that Sydney and other Australian cities should learn from Hong Kong and adopt a more vertical and multidimensional approach to urban planning and design. He suggested that this would create more opportunities for social interaction, cultural expression, economic activity and environmental innovation. He envisioned a city where people can live, work, shop, play and connect in multiple dimensions, without having to travel long distances or compromise on quality of life.
He concluded by saying that verticality and multidimensionality are not just architectural concepts, but also cultural values that reflect a sense of curiosity, creativity and community.
The Barcelona City Council (BCC) and Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) are collaborating to produce a ‘digital twin tool’ to assist in urban planning, writes Adam Hill of ITS International.
Hill says the web platform will analyse Barcelona’s public facilities and the city’s adherence to the 15-minute city model.
Hill says, “The digital twin project seeks to understand how cities could work better by analysing data, evaluating resources, understanding the accessibility of services, and working with models that simplify the complexity, generating scenarios and visualising multiple variables (or combinations of variables) to help decision making.”
Its initial phase is now complete and shows active travel options, such as a short walk to the metro with stops before and after future L8 and L9 lines. The council and BSB say they will continue to develop this tool with more interrelated data.
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Sydney landscape architects and friends gathered at The Mint in the CBD on May 10, 2023 to celebrate the launch of new products and a design book with Street Furniture Australia and AILA NSW. A highlight of the evening was introducing ‘… creating a sense of place,’ a book by founding directors Darrel Conybeare and Bill Morrison, which tells the story of two young architects successfully launching their public furniture design and manufacturing business. The book will be available from July 2023 on Book Depository, Amazon and select bookstores. The Linea VT collection and Linea Curved Seat were also unveiled, providing dynamic options for curved aluminium and timber seating. The event was filled with live jazz music, delicious food and drinks, and lively conversations among our guests. We would like …
How diverse places build trust and support democracy: Ryan Muldoon, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Buffalo, writes for Medium’s Reimagining the Civic Commons on diversity and how public spaces can support connection and acceptance of our differences. In his white paper, ‘Diversity Isn’t What Divides Us, Division is What Divides Us,’ Muldoon says segregation of groups isn’t good for acceptance of diversity: “When people are not exposed to others that are different from themselves, it becomes easier for them to rely on stereotypes, which are then reinforced by politicians or the media. People are only able to see evidence that supports the stereotype.” Muldoon says public spaces are critical infrastructure in reaching our goals of accepting diversity. When people come together and connect in public spaces, what …
OCULUS supports Voice to Parliament campaign: Landscape architecture and urban design firm OCULUS have shared their support for the Yes23 campaign, which recently launched to encourage Australians to respond ‘yes’ in a referendum that seeks to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the constitution. Dean Parkin, Director From the Heart says the campaign offers “a chance to explain how a ‘yes’ vote at this year’s referendum will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a say in the laws and policies that directly impact their lives, and to deliver practical change.” Oculus says their team have been exploring this significant conversation, with in-depth discussions about the Voice, the upcoming referendum and Uluru statement. They write: “OCULUS is committed to continuing this important conversation and we encourage you …
Living a Healthy Life by Harvard University: Experts at Harvard University have released a collection of articles focusing on healthy living. The collection identifies and examines seven core precepts: ‘what we eat’, ‘how we move’, ‘what we feel’,‘how we rest’, ‘what we moderate’, ‘how we live longer’ and ‘how we find joy’. In one article they recommend to “spend time outdoors, it’ll improve your health.” This may be an obvious statement though we can easily forget this wisdom in our increasingly time-poor lives. Professor of nutrition and epidemiology Heather Eliassen says that some of the benefits include “improvements in sleep, blood pressure, cognitive function and physical activity, as well as reduced risks of chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.” Whether it’s a picnic in the …
