People are spending more on services rather than goods, and so more people are working in services, generating high-value jobs in the centres of our big cities. Policy, especially in housing, is struggling to keep up, as Grattan CEO, John Daley, shows in this presentation to the Melbourne Economic Forum.

Over the past fifteen years, Australian governments have spent $28 billion more on transport infrastructure than they told taxpayers they would. The cost overruns amounted to nearly a quarter of total project budgets. Western Australia’s Forrest Highway between Perth and Bunbury cost nearly five times, and New South Wales’ Hunter Expressway cost over four times...

The transition to renewables cuts across the entire urban energy landscape, from buildings, to transport, to industry and power. It means integrating energy supply and demand between different sectors, through smart technologies, rigorous planning and holistic decision-making. This report analyses the role cities can play in the transformation of the energy system. While the potential...

This document presents the outcomes of an architectural design studio that set out to explore the potential of elevated rail as a method for level-crossing removal in several Melbourne rail corridors. The studio used design-research to explore options for elevated rail along the Upfield line. We analysed existing conditions along the corridor, along with local...

This document presents the outcomes of an architectural design studio that set out to explore the potential of elevated rail as a method for level-crossing removal in Melbourne rail corridors. The studio used a design-research approach to explore options for elevated rail along the Frankston line. The students began by analysing existing conditions along the...