Illustrating the trend to increasing vulnerability, this paper examines two case studies, South Eastern Australia and California USA, examines the potential effectiveness of land use planning as a means of reducing bushfire risk and argues the need for anticipatory planning to prevent an expansion of...

In 1978, California adopted building codes designed to reduce the energy used for heating, cooling, and water heating in buildings. Using a rich dataset of hourly electricity consumption for 158,112 California houses during 2012-13, this paper estimates that single-family homes built from 1980 through 1982...

A community issue exhibition​ uses art and artifacts as a catalyst for community action on a specific local issue. This model is designed to: ● Invite the general public​ to get involved in making their community better in a targeted way ● Empower community organizations​...

This background paper was prepared by the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute for the Eleventh Regional EST Forum in Asia. It discusses sustainable urban design and development for Asian cities, the co-benefits of sustainable urban design, and good practices and case studies from around the...

The design of environmentally-friendly buildings relies on the work of interdisciplinary teams who have to look at problems in a holistic way. Teams need to communicate, collaborate, and make decisions not solely based on first cost considerations. For this purpose, Target Value Design (TVD) related...

Traditionally, project controls translate to 'monitoring results'. In a true lean project, it is redefined as 'making things happen', with a measured and improved planning process to assure reliable workflow and predictable project outcomes (Lean Construction Institute). By monitoring productivity, a Project Team can more...

Analysis shows that workers in the gig economy tend to have lower wages than employees. They also often miss out on a number of other benefits. Further, their classification as independent contractors has implications on their tax status and superannuation. This research note examines how...

The letter was drafted to gain support AB 2681 on seismic safety for potentially vulnerable buildings from U.S. Green building in California. An example of how building standards could influence public policy/by-law/codes.

There is growing interest in the potential for inclusionary planning approaches to help deliver affordable housing supply in Australian cities and regions. Within wider government strategies for affordable housing supply, inclusionary planning approaches can play a role in requiring or incentivising dwelling units, land, or...

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) green building certification has transformed how the building industryand the public consider sustainability in the built environment. The most recent update to LEED, known as LEED v4, is the new standard for high-performance

In the last ten years, transit use in Southern California has fallen significantly. This report investigates that falling transit use.

This paper describes an approach for takt time planning (TTP) that was developed and tested on a pilot project in California. A companion paper by other authors describes their approach for TTP that they applied in a different project type-, commercial-, and geographical context. The...

Over the past two years, Uber has taken center stage in public debates about the future of work, driven by our collective anxiety about technology and growing economic insecurity. The concern is that workers increasingly do not have employers anymore and are facing lower wages...

These case studies from across the US illustrate how strategic decisions about land use and transportation can make communities more resilient from the ground up.

The last two decades have seen a tremendous increase in the stringency of California’s building energy efficiency code, Title 24 Part 6. Along with these changes, the complexity of the code has increased dramatically, as different design options for building envelope, heating, ventilating and air...

Recent reports on the “gig economy” create an impression that a dizzying mix of technological and competitive forces is fundamentally reworking the landscape of employment in the United States. A central aspect of this change is the perceived rise of independent contracting as an alternative...

This paper will review a range of approaches to place-making, identifying and discussing differences in housing provision and arrangement of public facilities and spaces for students in several overseas cities, including in Germany, Italy, Spain and California where practices vary substantially.