Melbourne
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cities Lead the Way in Meeting Paris Climate Goals
To meet the U.N.’s global warming targets, city leadership is critical.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
