Architecture, Building and Planning

Environment

|

Melbourne's future is something we build together

Melbourne is on course to become Australia's biggest city. But size isn’t everything. What would make it Australia’s most healthy, sustainable and equitable city? Here are three ideas

Politics & Society

|

Opinion

Are we sacrificing building safety for speed?

With pressure mounting to build more and build faster, it’s crucial to define – both professionally and legally – who is accountable for construction safety

Sciences & Technology

|

Research

Australia's elusive rakali is hiding and thriving in Melbourne's waterways

The rakali is an Australian marvel of urban adaptation. Our new Map of the Month shows where to find them around Melbourne and where they’re mysteriously missing

Environment

|

Analysis

What AI data centres really mean for Australia's water supply

While viral claims about water use don't hold up, the real story is worth understanding. It comes down to where these centres are built, what water they use and how they report it

Environment

|

Analysis

What if our homes could move?

Flooding, displacement and housing insecurity are no longer distant issues. Houses that move with people are helping communities in Bangladesh adapt to a changing environment

Sciences & Technology

|

Research

AI must be built with Indigenous Knowledges, not against them

The same AI that can help revive endangered languages can also deepen historical injustice. The difference, research shows, comes down to whether Indigenous Knowledges are built in from the start

Environment

|

Book extract

Melbourne's strange and splendid skyline that never was

A giant Peach Melba, a skyscraper-sized crocodile, a steel ‘V’ taller than the Eiffel Tower: these were just some of the design ideas when Melbourne asked the world to reinvent its skyline in 1979

Environment

|

Research

We can grow our way out of this building crisis

Standard materials like concrete and steel allow us to build fast, cheaply and at scale. They also have huge environmental impacts. It’s time for the circular revolution

Environment

|

Research

After 100 years, the song of a lost cricket returns to Venice Lagoon

As part of the Venice Biennale festival, the Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket has been reintroduced to lagoons via floating habitats, creating both an art installation and an ecological experiment

Business & Economics

|

Analysis

The cloud is made of concrete

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a software tool. It has become the world’s most demanding construction client – with some concerning implications