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Vale Paul Mees
Public transport thinker, researcher, educator and advocate Paul Mees died yesterday from cancer, aged 52. He made a major contribution to international understanding of transport.
Are millennials the key reason for the fall-off in driving?
The number of miles travelled by car has been falling for some years in developed countries. A new study by US PIRG says a key reason is millennials have lost interest in driving, but some critics disagree
a new supermarket is coming soon to Brunswick St
The Coles / Woolworths duopoly is bad for consumers and producers throughout Australia. In Fitzroy, we have recently been subjected to this duopoly with minimal competition. I had great hopes for the IGA on Brunswick St when it opened...Show More Summary
fashion is leaving Brunswick St
First Rich, then Lush, and now Venus and Mars: three prominent fashion shops have closed or are soon to do so. In a recent article about Gertrude St the Leader notes, according to a realtor, that rents are ‘not rising faster in Gertude...Show More Summary
Fitzroy history – from timber mill to child care
Before the construction of the Atherton Gardens public housing estate, the south west corner of Napier and Condell streets looked like this. It’s now the location of a child care centre. Courtesy the Fitzroy local history collectionShow More Summary
‘The Mountain’ by Drusilla Modjeska
2012, 426 p. There are spoilers in this review. Why would an acclaimed non-fiction author ‘go over’ to fiction? Perhaps there’s something about the personal meaning of the material for the author that makes it easier to deal with fictionally. … Continue reading ?
What are the big trends shaping transport?
A look at some important trends that could shape transport in the future, including autonomous cars, dematerialisation, real-time information via sensors and crowd-sourcing, and more
Book giveway! ‘Battlers & Billionaires’ by Andrew Leigh
In his forthcoming book, Battlers & Billionaires, Andrew Leigh asks: Is Australia fair enough? To answer the question, Black Inc. has given The Urbanist two copies to give away to readers
goodbye Odessa, hello Strange Neighbour
After Gorker gallery closed the space became Odessa, but that too ended. Now the space is Strange Neighbour gallery, and their first exhibition opens on 21 June at 6pm. Strange Neighbour in June 2013 I’m curious whether Strange Neighbour...Show More Summary
kids at Cubbies
An excellent video, partly narrated by kids, about life on the Atherton Gardens public housing estate and the importance of the Cubbies playground. … Leave A Commentposted in Fitzroy by brian
Toy time!
Well, well- the toy catalogues are here. It must be mid-winter. I’ve noticed that the toy catalogues always appear in the middle of the year, harking back no doubt to an earlier time when we actually saved for things. I … Continue reading ?
Fitzroy history – the Napier hotel
Here’s a then and now view of another old pub – the Napier. It’s a shame the photo is not in colour. It must have looked quite different when the brick walls were unpainted. Courtesy of SLV / ID: H2012.9/296b / photographer: Maggie Diaz / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1960 … Leave A Commentposted in Fitzroy by brian
An Adventure of links for urbanists
Comparative subway construction costs, ABC Radio listeners have problems with cyclists, rock and roll economics, bicycle parking robotics in Tokyo, the complications of urban agriculture, musicians don't get science, stop thinking in terms of mpg...
Are Dutch motorists strictly liable if they collide with a cyclist?
There’s a common view that a key reason cycling is so popular in the Netherlands is because motorists are strictly liable for damages/injuries in the event they collide with a cyclist. But is it true?
struggling businesses on Johnston St
On 30 May the Old Bar announced on Facebook that ‘ The last six months have been extremely difficult for a lot of businesses including us and the reality of The Old Bar as you know it closing is looming. If things remain the way they...Show More Summary
Fitzroy history – the Evelyn hotel
This 1969 photo of the Evelyn hotel on Brunswick St shows the hotel with its facade intact, before the removal of the render and the significant remodelling of the walls on the ground floor, and the more shabby than chic appearance the walls have today.… Leave A Commentposted in Brunswick St by brian
Buildings: how high is too high?
Maximum building height rules aren't always sacrosanct - developers often get an increase if they provide other amenities. Planners and politicians need to understand these trade-offs better
