The Foundation of Australia’s Capital Cities is the story of how the places chosen for Australia’s seven colonial capitals came to shape their unique urban character and built environments. Tony Webster traces the effects of each city’s geologically diverse coastal or riverine landform and the local natural materials that were available for construction, highlighting how the geology and original landforms resulted in development patterns that have persisted today.

The way we plan and build cities in Australia needs to change. Australia’s population is growing: between 2017 and 2046 it is projected to increase by 11.8 million, the equivalent of adding a city the size of Canberra each year for thirty years. Most of this growth will occur in the major cities, and already its effects are being felt: inner-city property prices are skyrocketing and the more affordable middle and outer suburbs lack essential services and infrastructure. The result is inequality: while wealthy inner-city dwellers enjoy access to government-subsidised services – public transport, cultural and sporting facilities – new home buyers, pushed further out, pay the lion’s share of the costs. So how can we create affordable housing for everyone and still get them to work in the morning? What does sustainable urban development look like? In this timely critique of our nation’s urban development and planning culture, Peter Seamer argues that vested interests often distort rational thinking on our cities. Looking to the future, he sets out cogent new strategies to resolve congestion, transport and expenditure problems, offering a blueprint for multi-centred Australian cities that are more localised, urban and equitable in nature.

Our bush heritage helped to define our identity, but today Australia is a nation of cities. A higher proportion of Australians live in cities than almost any other country, and most of our national wealth is generated in them. For most of the twentieth century, our cities gave us some of the highest living standards in the world. But they are no longer keeping up with changes in how we live and how our economy works. The distance between where people live and where they work is growing fast. The housing market isn't working, locking many Australians out of where and how they'd like to live. The daily commute is getting longer, putting pressure on social and family life and driving up living costs. Instead of bringing us together, Australia's cities are dividing Australians—between young and old, rich and poor, the outer suburbs and the inner city. Neglecting our cities has real consequences for our lives now, and for our future prosperity. Using stories and case studies to show how individuals, families and businesses experience life in cities today, this book provides an account of why Australia’s cities are broken, and how to fix them.

How do you creatively plan for a population of 62 million by 2100, Australia's current major city planning frameworks only account for an extra 5.5 million people. Whether we want a 'Big Australia' or not, Australia's 21st century is likely to see rapid and continual growth - and if we want liveable, high functioning cities and regional centres we need to think outside the box. Richard Weller and Julian Bolleter (Australian Urban Design Research Centre) offer optimistic and creative solutions for the future with one imperative: what we build this century will make or break our country.

This work examines the changing nature of Australia's major cities from a geographical perspective. It explains how patterns of housing, population, employment, transport and service provision developed and continue to evolve in response to economic, social and technological change. It discusses issues of equity, ecological sustainability and efficiency and considers the choices facing policy makers. This expanded second edition contains a completely new chapter on environmentally sustainable urban development, and new sections on inner city revitalization and the impact of globalization on Australian cities.

This book describes the creation of Australia's cities.

Australian Cities: Continuity and Change (3 edition) expands and updates this successful introduction to Australian cities. It examines the changing nature of Australia's major cities from a geographical perspective, and discusses the current issues in urban policy.