The Foreground five: September’s most-read stories
September’s top five Foreground stories move between tropical gardens and urban parks, and from renewing Newcastle to renewable roads. But top of the list is a conversation between Jock Gilbert and Charles Massy, discussing Massy’s vision for a resilient landscape.
1. Water, water everywhere: A conversation with Charles Massy
As drought bites in Australia and politicians obfuscate the underlying issues, farmer and author Charles Massy reveals his vision for a resilient agriculture that not only acknowledges climate change, but works to prevent it. Read more
2. Breathing new life into Newcastle’s faltering renewal
Despite investment in transport, education and housing at Newcastle’s docks, businesses are still struggling and the public realm is broken. Five new pop-up projects provide a different approach to breathing new life into the old docks. Read more
3. Old dogs and new tricks: making roads work harder
While smart cars grab the headlines, the ground upon which such vehicles will drive is quietly changing. Environmental policy, street design and material technology are converging to usher in the age of the smart road. Read more
4. Work in progress: the tropical garden that can’t be rushed
Landscape architect Shaun Walsh reveals the joys (and hard work) behind a garden that he started planting twenty years ago. And he’s only just getting started. Read more
5. Extraordinary rendition: the destabilizing landscapes of Martin Rein-Cano
Berlin-based landscape architects TOPOTEK 1 embrace the foreign and welcome the impure. Not that this is either radical or new. According to its founding director, Martin Rein-Cano, such destabilising practices are a legacy of the garden tradition. Read more
