You can’t sit with us: the rise of privately-owned public spaces

The emergence of pseudo-public spaces raises fundamental questions about the value of people’s right to common ground.

Concrete architecture: beauty or beast?

If you can look beyond the harsh exterior of brutalist architecture, you may find there is a little bit of beauty in buildings made of concrete.

Home is where the heart is

The coronavirus has exposed long standing problems with Australia’s aged care homes, but a little support could go a long way to help us stay in our homes and age with grace.

The future of drones

Drones have entered the mainstream but while there have been welcome advances in agriculture, aerial photography and product deliveries, it’s hard to ignore their less welcome applications.

Food for thought

The time is ripe for bringing food production back into urban life through our use of public space.

Countering terrorism through architecture?

In the fight against global terrorism, architecture has a surprisingly important role to play.

Why all new buildings look the same

Architecture today suffers not from copycats, but from originality syndrome. When it comes to architecture, imitation could be the sincerest – and most sensible – form of flattery.

Why everyone should learn a musical instrument

Learning and playing music has many benefits for people of every age, but not in the ways you might think.

The rise of defensive architecture

Increasingly hostile designs are emerging to keep members of the public out of public space.

Robot wars

An armed weapons system capable of making decisions sounds like it’s straight out of a Terminator movie. But once lethal autonomous weapons are out in the world, there could be no turning back.

Internet of junk

5G could force greater product obsolescence as non-compatible devices get left behind, but there are ways to stem the e-waste avalanche.

What ruin photography reveals about urban decay and renewal

Whether it’s art or porn, ruin photography tells a deeper story than what’s behind the lens.