The city and the wild: Design meets ecosystems
This Wednesday I will present a seminar on the relationships between cities and natural ecosystems, and how they can coexist. Join us in the Cairns Institute if you are in Cairns. Read more…
Nothing comes from nothing
A reminder… Read more…
Month in review: January and February 2018
I returned to work after parental leave just over a month ago. This post is also a return to a self-analysis series of ‘month in reviews’ which has helped me keep motivated. These posts haven’t been published for almost a year now, so it is time for a return and a bit of update now that life seems to be finding its way to a new normal. Read more…
Public Microclimates
I have recently published a book chapter entitled ‘Public Microclimates: Thermal Outdoor Expectations in Post-Earthquake Christchurch (New Zealand)’, in the book ‘The Urban Microclimate as Artifact: Towards an Architectural Theory of Thermal Diversity’ by Sascha Roesler and Madlen Kobi. Read more…
Happy Healthy Cities in Tropical Environments
What does it take to be a happy and healthy city under the beautiful sun of tropical places? Read more…
UTC 3.0 Report: James Cook University – Urban Liveability in Tropical Australia Through Urban Diaries and Community Engagement
The final report of our Urban Thinkers Campus, hosted by James Cook University in Australia with full support from Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP), Planz Town Planning, Milford Planning, Cairns Regional Council and Townsville City Council is now available at the World Urban Campaign website. Read more…
Cities can grow without wrecking reefs and oceans. Here’s how
Karine Dupré, Author provided
Silvia Tavares, James Cook University and Karine Dupré, Griffith University
“What happens if the water temperature rises by a few degrees?” is the 2018 International Year of the Reef leading question. While the ocean is the focus, urbanisation is the main reason for the rising temperatures and water pollution. Yet it receives little attention in this discussion.
In turn, rising temperatures increase downpours and urban floods, adding to the pressures on urban infrastructure. Read more…
CfP – SI on Public health and well-being in public open spaces through climate responsive urban planning and design
I have been co-editing a special issue (SI) for the Journal of Public Space on Planning and Design for Public Health and Well-being through climate responsive design. The intention is to have this SI published in December 2019. Read more…
Thinkers in the Tropical Shade: Empowering Lessons for Livable Places
Last June, Chuck Wolfe, David Sellars and I published an article on Planetizen about the fundamental relationships at the heart of urban public health and livability, particularly in tropical Australia. In this article we discuss the importance of context, the relevance of the UN-Habitat New Urban Agenda, the Urban Thinkers Campuses recently hosted by JCU (Understanding Cairns and Townsville through the urban diary tool), place-based urban planning and design and the lessons learned so far.
‘ENOUGH’- The importance of limit-setting for writing
“(…) limit-setting means learning to . . .
1. Start writing before you may feel you’re ready.
2. Finish writing before you may feel you’re ready.
3. Know when you’ve done enough with your writing project.
Knowing when you’ve done enough or that you can begin without over-preparation is a critical skill in writing efficiently and painlessly. Without this kind of knowing, writing problems loom at the ready. Without limit-setting, professors expose themselves to an especially insidious kind of stress–of never being able to leave campus feeling they’ve done enough.”
