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Three landscape architects share their thoughts on the Voice History is calling as Australians head to the polls for a referendum on October 14, 2023, to vote on enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) said it encourages all members to “engage deeply with the available information, contemplate its implications, and arrive at an informed stance that aligns with your values and beliefs. “As landscape architects, we often find ourselves at the intersection of nature, culture, politics and history, aiming to craft spaces that resonate with the stories and experiences of those who inhabit them. This unique position imparts a special responsibility upon us to be both informed and sensitive to the cultural dimensions of our work.” AILA has compiled referendum …

Photo: KW Landscape Architects in San Antonio, Texas USA. 2 countries. 9 cities. 300 landscape architects. Street Furniture Australia’s Tiffany Hoy visited studios in Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne, in Australia, and with partner Spruce & Gander met firms in Houston, Dallas / Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin in Texas, USA, in June-July 2023. Our thanks to the hosting firms for your warm welcome, and for sharing your creativity in our Rapid Ideation Game, which involved arranging Linea furniture for a playground in only 10 minutes. We look forward to being part of your real-world persona experiences for Imagineers, Achievers, Thinkers, Sports Stars and Social Graduands. Some design firms stood out in notable ways: Most Out-of-the-Box Concept Goes to Oculus in Melbourne, for their existentialist meditation, ‘The Void.’ Most …

ABC Radio: Advocating for gender sensitive urban design What makes a safer city, especially for our most vulnerable? OCULUS Associate Director Claire Martin recently joined Nicole Kalms from XYX Lab to discuss Gender Sensitive Urban Design (GSUD) on ABC Radio in The Conversation Hour. Oculus writes, “we focus on designing places that are sustainable, equitable, inclusive, accessible and safe for everyone, in particular women, girls, gender diverse people and other vulnerable people. “When we understand the lived experience of the people we’re designing for, we can bring a more empathetic approach to design.” ABC Radio host Rachel Hunt talked about safety not only being about design but also how we interact with each other. Claire Martin said, “It is about the community being involved with the process, the engagement, surveys …

OCULUS supports Voice to Parliament campaign: Landscape architecture and urban design firm OCULUS have shared their support for the Yes23 campaign, which recently launched to encourage Australians to respond ‘yes’ in a referendum that seeks to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the constitution. Dean Parkin, Director From the Heart says the campaign offers “a chance to explain how a ‘yes’ vote at this year’s referendum will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a say in the laws and policies that directly impact their lives, and to deliver practical change.” Oculus says their team have been exploring this significant conversation, with in-depth discussions about the Voice, the upcoming referendum and Uluru statement. They write: “OCULUS is committed to continuing this important conversation and we encourage you …

Cities for “small men” – gender and urban planning: In The City for “Small men” – mode, median or just plain mean? Claire Martin, landscape architect and Associate Director of OCULUS’ Melbourne studio, outlines gender sensitive thinking concepts and methodologies for urban planning. In the world of medicine, until relatively recently the World Bank reports that “medication doses [were] typically adjusted for patient size with women considered ‘small men’” – Martin writes that “despite women, girls, and sexual and gender diverse people making up over 50% of the world’s population, it seems Western planning, like medicine, has had a similarly blinkered view of men as the locus for the universal model.” “While gender inequality impacts people of all ages and backgrounds looking at the person specifically, not typically, is paramount …

StreetChat in 2017 saw smart technology and smart cities come to the fore, with Streets 2.0 and Future Street engaging the attention of public realm professionals and the public alike. However, this list of the five most-read stories throughout the year also features projects that encourage communities to spend time together in public space. It has technical feats on a large scale, the wisdom of Jan Gehl, and our top story reflects a mainstream discussion still buzzing today. Any guesses? Count down our top five: 5: Harold Park by Mirvac This giant Arc Seat collaboration between Aspect Studios, Mirvac, Co-Ordinated Landscapes and Street Furniture Australia grabbed attention in the January issue. With space for up to 15 neighbours from the $1.1 bn Sydney urban renewal development, the seat rests on a …