As the 21st century unfolds, an increasing majority of the world’s population will live in cities. Human wellbeing in cities relies on a complex web of interconnected institutions, infrastructure and information. People are drawn to cities as centres of economic activity, opportunity and innovation. But cities are also places where stresses accumulate or sudden shocks...

Selected infrastructure investments completed between 2004-2013 by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) were evaluated. The purpose of the evaluation is to independently inform MFAT of improvements that can be made within current infrastructure investments in the Pacific and lessons learned that can be applied to energy and non-energy Activities. Four...

In the past, housing policy-makers have argued that housing is a social, rather than an economic, investment. However, problems with the housing market may be constraining national growth and imposing costs on the public purse (e.g. homelessness impacts on health budgets). Published research suggests a range of potential links between housing and economic growth. For...

In June 2014 Premier Mike Baird and then Planning Minister Prue Goward announced plans to establish a Greater Sydney Commission, described as a single agency to “streamline the way the NSW Government’s infrastructure and urban planning priorities are delivered”.

Unreported data confirms that Australian state governments are passing up an opportunity to invest in the future. Cheap credit means that there’s never been a better time to change direction, writes Tim Colebatch.