Festival of Urbanism 2026

Evidence reveals missing link

Sydney apartments built today may become unliveable by 2050

Tighter regulation urged as listings hit record high

Study urges watchdog probe into children's game spending.

National strategy backed by First Nations and government leaders offers clear reform pathway

New national research from the University of Sydney shows Australian children are travelling further, more often and with less independence than a generation ago, locking families into car-dependent routines that now shape daily life.

New research raises privacy and fairness concerns 

A new report from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney reveals Australia’s short-term rental market is concentrated in coastal towns, with research revealing listings in some areas – like Byron Bay – now make up nearly 18 percent of housing stock.

Researchers develop immersive, GPS enabled app that weaves Elders' yarns and soundscapes into real-world locations to help visitors connect with Country

New report highlights long-term trend and calls for policy action.

The 2025 Australasian Housing Researchers Conference explores bold policy solutions and future housing challenges.

Still fresh in their careers, Lendlease Bradfield Urbanisation Scholarship recipients Caleb Niethe and James Kapaniris remain committed to blue-sky thinking about the Harbour City.

The Festival of ‘Public’ Urbanism brings together global thought leaders to confront the challenges threatening the future of urban life. Through debates and discussions, experts will address the critical roles of public infrastructure, housing, governance, and urban planning in tackling climate change, deepening inequality, and market-driven transformations. With a focus on innovative solutions, the festival will spotlight forward-thinking approaches to urban design in the face of an increasingly complex landscape.

Enhancing liveability factors, including housing, health, education and infrastructure, is key to growing regional centres and retaining their population, according to new research led by the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning. The research investigated population change across Australia along with push and pull factors within three local government hotspots representing different opportunities for lifestyle and employability – Port Macquarie Hastings, Ballarat and Broken Hill.

Led by Professor Nicole Gurran from the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, and former Labor senator Doug Cameron, the People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis has released its final report, revealing the crushing consequences of homelessness, housing stress and insecurity in Australia, and recommending a suite of urgent reforms.

Light pollution is a growing global threat to ecosystems and the environment, affecting natural cycles and causing species populations to decline. But recent University of Sydney work is helping to safeguard the future of darkness at a Sydney reserve – a first in the Southern Hemisphere.

Claire Zimmerman has been appointed the second Penelope Visiting Professor in Architectural History at the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. The professorship aims to bring outstanding scholars of international stature to Sydney to conduct research and curate a public program to foster discussion and debate on the history of architecture.

Vivid Sydney is a globally recognised celebration of light, music and ideas, with each annual program delivering a bigger and brighter range of diverse content that continues to delight audiences. Yet the success of such a massive festival comes with challenges, writes Associate Professor Emrah Baki Ulas from the the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning at University of Sydney.

Australia’s first People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis reveals the human toll of housing stress, with 58 percent of respondents struggling. Led by Professor Nicole Gurran from the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, and former Labor senator Doug Cameron, the commission hears from affected citizens today. Solutions are urgently needed to ease housing stress.

Research from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning finds widening economic inequality either side of the "latte line" - the invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Capital cities in Australia are becoming more segregated along socioeconomic lines.

Acclaimed Japanese architects from studio Atelier Bow-Wow have been announced as the 2024 Garry and Susan Rothwell Chairs in Architectural Design Leadership at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.

New Australian homes are being designed bigger and so require more energy for heating and cooling, wiping out potential gains in energy efficiency, according to new research co-authored by Associate Professor Emma Heffernan from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning.

The University of Sydney's unprecedented investment in its appointment of 40 research fellows across a range of disciplines.

Urbanism researchers at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning have launched a creative project, “Know Your Landlord”, an operational website that aims to empower renters by showing a potential future where they could have more control in the rental process.