Landscape Architecture Australia

Landscape Architecture Australia is an authoritative and contemporary record of landscape architecture, urban design and land-use planning in Australia, presenting independent reviews of public, commercial and residential work, plus commissioned comment on contemporary issues. The official magazine partner of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

Contributors

Landscape Architecture Australia

LOOKING NORTH OF CAPRICORN

CELEBRATING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA • A message from AILA NT Chapter President Marisa Fontes

Street and outdoor furniture products • A collection of furniture products designed to activate public spaces and provide a closer connection to nature.

Frontier state: Changing weather in Australia’s north • Extreme weather events are part and parcel of life in the tropics, but the region’s climate is changing as the world warms, with repercussions for how we design our cities.

Nature under fire in Australia’s tropical savannas • The tropical savannas of northern Australia are highly vulnerable to changes in climate as well as to more direct human impacts. Addressing these challenges will require urgent, coordinated action at all levels.

Living with Country • Steve Mintern speaks to Warumungu man and Wilya Janta Housing Collaboration chief cultural officer Jimmy Frank Jupurrurla about the “Explain Homes” project, a collaborative initiative working to improve housing futures for Aboriginal communities.

Site lines: Tricky Tracks • Rosie Halsmith talks to Tricky Tracks founders Willie Houtman and Beth Campbell about the importance of dialogue, tactility and sensitivity in the process of designing and building trails in the remote Northern Territory.

Stewardship – or something more? • The concept of “stewardship” has long underpinned the way the landscape architecture profession thinks about and presents itself. But given the declining state of the environment, do we need to rethink this approach?

Landscape, shade and identity in Cairns • In Gimuy/Cairns, understanding how the complexities of commerce, First Nations culture, climate change and ecology are shaping public space can help us design for greater adapability and resilience.

Shifting futures: Tourism-driven renewal in the north • With mining operations winding down in Australia’s far north, many towns are looking to reinvent themselves as tourism destinations. Doing so successfully means balancing economics and design.

Remote territory: Tony Cox • Katy Moir talks to Clouston Associates’ Tony Cox about the issues shaping the evolution of Garramilla/Darwin and the opportunities and challenges of practising landscape architecture in the country’s far north.

Elegant plants for boggy conditions • The plants we like the most don’t always thrive where we wish they did. Two new varieties of lomandra, however, have been bred to better tolerate challenging conditions – offering more options for planting design.

Supporting community: Mudmap Studio • Rubibi/Broome-based practice Mudmap Studio works on projects ranging from community-driven public spaces to cultural management plans. Founder Vanessa Margetts reflects on her experiences working in the Kimberley since 2008 and the ongoing journey of finding where she fits.

Growing Karratha: A city for the long-term? • Tens of thousands of people already live and work in Karratha – and many want to stay. But if we are to make settlement in our regional cities more viable for the long-term, we must rethink how they are structured and governed.

Designing for a hotter Cairns • With heat a key issue in Gimuy/Cairns, understanding how vegetation and material selection can increase or lower temperature is crucial in ensuring the city’s livability.

‘A canary in the...