Auckland and Wellington head the second highest band in a comprehensive AsiaPacific area report on the inclusiveness of 35 cities in the region. Continue →

Weather events are becoming more unpredictable, more intense and more damaging, posing huge challenges in both preparing for and recovering from their growing impact, says Jeremy Kelly, Global Director of Cities Research at JLL From extreme heat across southern Europe to the heaviest rainfall on record in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, to flooding in Brazil and cyclones devastating parts of southern Africa, cities face unprecedented physical risks. Continue →

As we densify our cities to accommodate population growth, we must not lose sight of the environmental benefits that urban green space provides, warns the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton Planning for and providing urban green spaces of any description, public and private, should not be optional,” the Commissioner says in a new report. Continue →

You might remember your time as a child playing outdoors with friends and walking to school. Continue →

Up against 280 cities worldwide, Wellington has recently been recognised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as a global finalist in its One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) Every year, WWF recognises cities demonstrating ambitious climate actions across the world through the OPCC. Continue →

While it may score well on paper, Auckland is behind the curve compared to other cities with better urban planning policies, The Lancet Global Health finds New research, published by The Lancet Global Health in a series on Urban Design, Transport, and Health, aims to inform policy directions and planning for more healthy, sustainable cities worldwide. Continue →

Wellington has gained global recognition and US$1 million in prize money as one of 15 cities worldwide to win the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced the 15 winning cities of the Mayors Challenge, recognised for designing the boldest and most ambitious urban innovations that address current issues including economic recovery and growth, health and wellbeing, climate and environment, and gender and equality. Continue →

Melbourne is the best place in the world to work from home, with Sydney coming in third and Auckland lagging behind at 37th, a study by Nestpick has found The Urban Developer It may have endured four hard lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Melbourne has topped a global survey of the best place to work from home. Continue →

The lockdowns and restrictions introduced to control the spread of Covid-19 have resulted in huge changes to urban life Previously bustling city centres remain empty, shunned in favour of suburban or rural areas where social distancing is easier and connections to the outdoors are abundant. Continue →

According to research by Oxford Economics, only the best cities will prosper and people will flock to places where social deprivation remains low and lifestyles can be maintained, with some cities faring better than others While regional areas have proved popular during the pandemic, capital cities currently represent more of most nations’ gross domestic product, and there are other concerns associated with pandemic retreats. Continue →

Australasian cities are becoming cheaper to live in according to the latest global cost of living report, which ranks the most expensive cities across the globe Dinah Lewis Boucher – The Urban Developer Sydney is now the only Australasian city ranked among the top 100 most expensive locations for expatriates to live, having dropped 24 places to 97th position on ECA International’s index. Continue →

Today’s announcement is very exciting and represents a much needed shift in the way New Zealand plans and funds urban growth, but it is not yet clear whether housing in the new city will be affordable or supports Government aspirations for competitive land supply, says Infrastructure NZ CEO Paul Blair The new Drury development south of Auckland takes some concepts from Infrastructure New Zealand’s October 2017 ‘Innovation City’ report on how to create a satellite city. Continue →

New Zealand needs to up its game on building inclusive cities that reflect our increasingly diverse communities, says the New Zealand Planning Institute More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZP) Values/Voices/Vision conference – including local and central government, industry leaders, iwi, resource managers, urban designers, scientists and environmental advocates. Continue →

A small rural town in Ontario Canada will be transformed into a “city of the future” after winning unanimous approval for its cutting-edge, smart city masterplan, which allows for population growth up to five times its current size Dinah Lewis Boucher – The Urban Developer Known as “The Orbit”, and designed by architect Partisans, the proposal will be delivered by developer Cortel Group, in collaboration with the local Innisfil council. Continue →

Two of Australia’s leading strategic urban plans could be used or expanded to do much more to promote better places to live for all residents, according to a new report In-depth assessments of the Thirty Year Plan for Greater Adelaide 2017 (TYPGA)  found it is not doing enough to address social and health issues due to a bias towards economic progress, while New South Wales Long Term Transport Master Plan 2012 (NSWLTMP) has a narrow focus on improving transport rather than raising social determinants of health. Continue →

By 2050, 68% of the world’s population (90% of Africa’s and Asia’s population) will be urban. Continue →

The PwC Competitive Cities report released today underlines the urgent need for the Government to deliver affordable housing and efficient transport systems in our growing cities, says Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Selwood PwC compared the performance of 11 Australasian growth cities over the last decade and found that households in successfully growing Australian cities have enjoyed significant improvements in discretionary income, relative to New Zealand. Continue →

Oceanix City is a futuristic concept for a floating city which could withstand natural disasters like floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes and house up to 10,000 residents. Continue →

CBRE conducted a study of AsiaPacific’s leading tech cities and found that unlike Silicon Valley, which provides a strong well-rounded environment for tech sector development and growth, individual cities in the AsiaPacific possess distinct strengths and weaknesses The study took place between January – March 2019 and considers more than 20 factors under three major criteria – business conditions, innovation environment, and cost and availability – then assigns each city with a score out of 100 and gives them an overall rank. Continue →