The Melbourne Newsroom

While Australian cities are highly regarded for their livability, they face significant challenges with urban planning and infrastructure in the future.

The School of Historical Studies’ Professor Joy Damousi talks about this weekend’s grand final, the role of the AFL in Melbourne’s history and culture, why Collingwood and its supporters evoke such extreme reaction, the professionalisation of football and the associated expectation for players to behave professionally off and on the ground.  A lifelong Magpies supporter….she tips Collingwood to win this weekend.

The State Government will need to rethink its policy on meeting urban demand as the city reaches five million people, urban management expert Professor Nicholas Low warns.

The Traffic Director from the City of Copenhagen (Denmark), Niels Tørsløv will give a free public lecture tomorrow at the University of Melbourne on sustainable transport options for Melbourne.

The roles existing cities and buildings have to play in a carbon free future are the central debate in a new Masters of Architecture Design Studio exhibition, to officially open tomorrow night.

Dr Jodie McVernon says it was inevitable that swine flu would eventually hit our shores following confirmation this morning of three cases in Melbourne. Yet she assures Melbourne residents that these cases are not an indication of “wider community risk”.

Dr McVernon says surveillance measures put in place by the Department of Human Services upon the outbreak of swine flu aided containment of the virus to three boys from one family.

Ned Kelly’s remains should be returned to his family and he should be given a decent burial says former Pentridge Prison chaplain, Fr Peter Norden, AO.

Increasing Melbourne’s housing density along its major tram lines would help achieve the planning goals of Melbourne 2030 according to Dr Carolyn Whitzman at the University of Melbourne. 

“The plan would add a lot of certainty, because right now decisions are being made council by council about what maximum heights are going to be, while this plan is talking about a maximum height of 8 stories. Studies in Europe and North America show that if you increase density, you also increase services."

Dr Sam Wylie says that IMF predictions of a growth phase in the world economy in 2010 are off the mark, and says Australia should expect a long but shallow recession. 

"The financial crisis is going to take between $40-$60 billion out of Government revenues.  We should expect to see big defecits in Australia, with total government debt around $200 billion at the end of 2012, where at the moment its about $50 billion."