They say those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it. When it comes to social and affordable housing, it seems the Albanese government – with its Housing Australia Future Fund – is content to disregard the lessons of the past. Traditionally, public housing has been provided by the states and built with federal taxes. When poverty increases – after wars and crises – most countries increase public housing, but not in Australia..

In a rarely reported story this week, the town of Austral was destroyed entirely by a climate related event. More than 100,000 residents were made homeless. Curiously, no government has acted to help them in any way, and even curiouser, there has not been a hue and cry in the media about this dereliction of responsibility. Actually, the town of Austral is Australia, and the townspeople are the homeless…

When a minority could maximise social housing. Those disappointed by the unedifying sight of Federal Labor bringing forward a pitiful housing policy can take some heart from the result in the NSW elections. As predicted in this column last week, Labor will form a minority government, with the Greens (who have a decent housing policy) holding the balance of power…

Housing is most often seen as a product, not a process. As hard as it is to design good houses, the process to get affordable housing built is way more difficult. For 70 years the easy option has been to keep building further out, at the fringes of the city. But we’ve reached the outer limits: the look-alike McMansions are too far from Melbourne’s city centre, new suburbs lack infrastructure…

on bankrupt builders, politicians, chemists, housing, palm springs -

Among the many bad ideas from project managers, one of the worst was novating the architect to a builder once approval was received. The intention was to have the architect and builder collaborate in preparing construction drawings for a better build. The resulting ‘design / construct’ approach proved a disaster for quality control…

on booksellers, vinoly, AUKUS, acronyms, bookends -

William Stout, legendary bookseller for over 40 years in San Francisco, has sold his eponymous bookstore, and his personal library, to the Eames Institute, who sat down with him to discuss his life, legacy, and what he considers his rarest…

Australia loves suburbia. We are the most suburbanised OECD nation: more than 40 per cent of the population in two extended cities, 70 per cent in 10. But as I’ve written before, we’re ruining that suburban dream by building houses twice as big on blocks half the size, devoid of gardens and trees, further from city centres and amenities, and with fewer residents in each home. So what might we do about it?

on currency, architects, housing, nimbys, bookends -

Some good news from the Reserve Bank of Australia - that’s not a thing you hear a lot. King Charles will not replace Queen Elizabeth II on the fiver; instead, indigenous motifs will be incorporated. Back to the future from ‘66 when the introductory $1 note had the Queen on one side, indigenous graphics on the other…

I grew up in suburban Melbourne and Sydney in the 1960s. I was lucky. You could walk or cycle to schools and shops; lots of places to explore; modest bungalows on large blocks with backyards for play, and sport with local children; birthday parties under Hills Hoist tents; the beach was close by bus or tram. It’s a world away from contemporary suburbia: far from the city centre and water, without public transport…