Squeeze is on as Australia's populations boom

Almost 10 million migrants over the next 50 years will swell Australia's population to more than 40 million by 2060 and more than 50 million by 2100, under dramatically higher new projections by the Bureau of Statistics.

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The 10 Smartest Asia/Pacific Cities

All smart cities, including those on this list, are on the journey towards being smarter, but none of them have arrived. Asia Pacific is a region with unique challenges and opportunities in the smart cities arena. China’s cities are growing at an unprecedented pace stressing their infrastructure and creating significant congestion and air contamination challenges. This has lead the national government to support the creation of dozens of new purpose-built smart cities, 100 of which will have over 1 million people in a decade or so.

Japan is home to many innovative technology and automotive companies looking to implement their solutions in Japan and abroad. Yet they have the opposite problem from China in that they have a declining population. What can Japanese cities do to attract creative, entrepreneurial citizens from around the world to infuse innovation and growth into their economies?

Farther south, Australia and New Zealand offer a very high quality of life as measured by most criteria. Yet these cities in general provide poor access to quality, efficient, and green public transit and are often more sprawled than many North American cities. Australian and New Zealand cities will need to grow up more than out, and invest more in multi-modal transit options for their citizens as they continue on the smart cities journey.

Turn Your Car Into a Ferrari

Want to roll like a baller but with the means of a scrub? Benedetto Bufalino has got you covered, then, with this not-at-all-absurd shell that transforms your Volvo into an asphalt-scorching Ferrari.

Star Wars, Star Trek, Starpath!

The spectral blue glow emitted from this British bike path looks like it should be pulsing off of magic crystals inside some miles-deep cavern. But if it saves a rider from road rash or fractured bones, then more power to the folks who made it: Let's get even more parts of the cycle infrastructure lit up like Marie Curie's lab table.

The so-called "Starpath" is a type of solar-enhanced liquid and aggregate made by Pro-Teq Surfacing, a company headquartered southwest of London near the awesomely titled town of Staines-upon-Thames. It's in the prototype phase, with a test path running 460 feet in a Cambridge park called Christ's Pieces. (The British and their delightful names!) The material works by absorbing UV rays during the day and later releasing them as topaz light. In a weird feature, it can somehow adjust its brightness levels similar to the screen of an iPhone; the path gets dimmer on pitch-black nights "almost like it has a mind of its own," says Pro-Teq's owner, Hamish Scott.

For those art urbanophiles out there

Possessing some semblance of city pride is important, just ask anyone from Sydney or Melbourne who's the better city. Melbournians will say "look at our laneways, graffiti and small bars", Sydneysiders will say "well we copied you with our laneways and trendy bars but try beat us with great weather and beaches, plus we had the Olympics and Kathy Freeman!

Once a city has embraced you, spit you out and taken you back in, a special, unbreakable bond is formed, much like zombies and brains, except better. Respect that bond and your walls by hanging up a graphically designed map or skyline. Unfortunately only the some of the world cities have these visually satisfying prints but I'm working on some local adaptations. Hit me up if you're interested.

How Online Mapmakers Are Helping the Red Cross Save Lives in the Philippines

Volunteers across the world are building the digital infrastructure for the organisation's Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts.

Why We Need to Design Streets for Pedestrians, Not Cars

After World War II, a mass-exodus from the city to the suburbs occurred in America. There was an opportunity to spread out. Own a home with a green lawn. And drive your own car. These pursuits became associated with the American Dream. The sprawl that resulted left many Americans siloed. Distanced from each other. No longer connected to the wider community.  

 

If we follow the logic that we are products of our environment, it stands to reason that social isolation fosters a need to further isolate. Our comfort zone leans towards staying at home watching TV rather than sitting on a cafe patio. We crave social interaction so we play World of Warcraft or other multi-player games. Deep at our core we know that we're social creatures who need to be socialized with a broad range of people to be happy. But our environment has made it difficult to run into new people. 

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