Design / Garden and Public Art / Landscape / Landscape Structures / Street & Outdoor Furniture / Street and Outdoor Furniture / Water Features
The Popularity of the Parklet
While readily embraced by many countries overseas, the parklet has only recently become a popular ‘street-activation’ of choice for city planners across Australia A UNSW Lecturer asks why? As councils across Australia strive to enhance their liveability, parklets are proving popular among city communities. A poll of 300-plus citizens gathered for the inaugural Perth City Summit...
Walkable Urban Neighbourhoods
I have lived in neighbourhoods where you can walk around, to a store, a movie, a restaurant, for 40 years, counting my college days. I grew up in a ranch house with a driveway, but came to adulthood in foot-based parts of cities. Others have also rediscovered the joys and benefits of walkable places. They...
Protecting Populated Places From Terrorism
With increased terrorism concerns, the safety of the Australian people in crowded places such as stadiums, shopping centres, pedestrian malls and major events is becoming an even greater priority for the Australian government. These spaces are highly attractive targets to potential terrorists and as such the government has introduced various strategies and safety measures to...
LED Streetlights – A Sustainable and Cheaper Alternative
Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs are becoming more prevalent in our homes, so it was only a matter of time until the LED discussion extended to street lights. Determined to see this discussion head in a positive direction, a Queensland research team led by QUT scientists conducted a 12-month LED street lighting trial in Brisbane,...
AR Technology in Public Spaces
With the advent of AR technology, people are exploring the virtual world in our parks and public spaces, so Street Furniture Australia has asked the professionals what this technology means for future planning in our cities. International phenomenon Pokémon Go has set the spotlight on Augmented Reality (AR) and its potential to transform our spaces and our lives. If Keiichi...
Playgrounds Set To Increase Green Space
With 202020 Vision enhancing the awareness and the importance of increasing green space, and new research and technology now allowing green life in fall zones, playgrounds are about to become a greener solution. Until recently fall zones in playgrounds were not allowed to utilise live plants and turf. Now new testing has shown that certain...
Sustainability Lighting The Way
More cities are making the switch to smarter lighting solutions for their streets. Solar powered lighting, internet connected LED lighting and remote monitoring/controlling are just some of the latest features that can go into street lighting. But cities are not upgrading because of the novelty factor, these technologies have an important number of benefits that...
It’s Not All Just Child’s Play
Playgrounds provide vital opportunities for children to play. There is considerable research that shows the link between play and brain development, motor and social skills. All learning – emotional, social, cognitive and motor – is engaged by the pleasure of play. Playgrounds that promote different types of play are important for a child’s development. Specific...
Cycle Solar Power
It’s been one year since an innovative solar-paneled bike path was laid in Krommenie, Netherlands, and the results have even surprised the designers. Over the past year the path has generated 70 kilowatt-hours per square meter – enough to power about three houses. The people behind SolaRoad – a pioneering innovation in the field of...
Are We Underutilising Our Rooftops?
As our cities increase in density, new thoughts are emerging regarding how we configure our urban spaces and the best way to capitalise on our best resource for space – our rooftops. With the increasing density of our cities, Australians are starting to rethink how our urban space is configured. With space at such a...
Crowdfunding Revolutionising Public-Space Project Funding
Crowdfunding now represents a ‘huge opportunity’ for architects looking to get public projects off the ground. “A lot of people see the potential of crowdfunding to get the public involved in a project the public will use,” said Sophie Paton, part of the team behind the Thames Deckway project. “It’s a trend that will keep on...
The First Living Building in Texas?
The Betty and Clint Josey Pavilion, one of Texas’ most eco-friendly structures, is nestled in an unassuming native prairie landscape near Decatur. The self-sufficient 502m2 open-air pavilion is 100 percent powered by solar, uses zero air conditioning, harvests rainwater and treats all wastewater on-site. San Antonio-based firm Lake|Flato Architects designed the award-winning pavilion to meet the standards of...
