Tag: Urban Planning
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Why Australia’s National Housing Accord Won’t Fix Affordability Without Controlling Demand
Intro: A plan built on supply alone Australia’s National Housing Accord aims to boost affordability by increasing the supply of homes. Signed in October 2022 by the federal government, nine super funds, and housing industry bodies, the pact has consistently promised improvement in affordability as the nation ramps up construction. Yet, three years on, affordability…
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Can Australia Fix Housing Affordability with Supply Alone? The National Housing Accord’s Slow Start
Is the National Housing Accord Enough to Fix Affordability? Three years into Australia’s National Housing Accord, the country is still wrestling with rising prices and a stubborn affordability gap. Signed in October 2022 by all levels of government, nine superannuation funds, and housing industry bodies, the accord aimed to unlock the supply side of the…
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Cebu Quake Spurs Call to Fast-Track Philippine Building Act (PBA) as Wake-Up Call
Quake in Cebu Becomes a Catalyst for Building Code Reform The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu and nearby provinces last week has rekindled a long-standing push for the Philippine Building Act (PBA). Mindanao lawmaker Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. used the disaster as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by aging regulations and outdated standards…
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Woningbouwimpuls under scrutiny: Rekenkamer finds subsidy falls short
Overview: Rekenkamer flags a multi‑billion euro challenge The Rekenkamer, the Dutch Court of Audit, has scrutinized the Woningbouwimpuls, the centerpiece of the government’s effort to boost affordable housing. The watchdog concludes that, despite channeling more than €2 billion into housing projects, the program has not meaningfully sped up construction nor substantially reduced the national housing…
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Cork City housing: Publican slams regulations over infill idea
Cork City housing: a bold claim challenges the status quo The debate around housing in Cork has taken an unconventional turn. A well-known Cork publican is drawing attention to a provocative idea: could 7,000 people be housed in the city without erecting a single new building? While the figure is eye-catching, the point behind it…
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Cork housing claim sparks debate: 7,000 could be housed without new buildings
Cork housing claim sparks debate over urban space and safety A new contribution to the Cork housing conversation has sparked debate about how the city could accommodate more people using its existing footprint. A local publican told a regional newspaper that roughly 7,000 residents might be able to live in the city without the need…
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Cork housing debate: City could house 7,000 without new buildings
Publican’s bold claim: 7,000 people without new buildings In a discussion reported by the Irish Examiner, Cork publican Benny McCabe argued that the city could accommodate thousands more residents without constructing new buildings. He said, “we’re left with all these great aspirations to live over stores and down laneways but it never happens due to…
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Labour unveils plan to build 12 new towns across England
Labour’s plan to build 12 new towns across England The government is set to announce on Sunday a bold programme to construct 12 new towns across England as part of a broader effort to tackle the country’s housing crisis. The housing secretary, Steve Reed, will unveil the initiative at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, where…
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Philippines Disaster Risk: Turning Vulnerability into Resilience
Understanding the Risk: Why the Philippines Tops the World Risk Index The World Risk Index 2025 places the Philippines at the top of the global risk list, a stark reminder that vulnerability is shaped not only by hazards but also by geography, population patterns, and governance. With more than 7,000 islands, the country endures an…
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Philippines Is the World’s Most Disaster-Prone Country: Now What?
The reality behind the ranking The World Risk Index 2025 confirms what Filipinos experience year after year: the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone nations in the world. Its archipelagic geography, which spans more than 7,000 islands, combined with exposure to an average of about 20 typhoons annually and rising climate volatility, creates a complex…