Beyond the edge: Creating sustainable cities beyond the CBD

There is no doubt that cities are significant contributors to our carbon footprint. Global efforts to enhance their sustainability and liveability tend to focus on Central Business Districts (CBDs), often overlooking the sprawling suburbs and industrial areas that surround them.

Against this backdrop, Australia's urban sprawl presents a unique challenge, as solutions designed for inner-city living don't reflect suburban lifestyles. Suburbs offer attractive benefits such as peace, quiet, space, and safety, and to transform these areas, we must understand what motivates people to live there – and employ bespoke solutions relevant to the suburbs’ unique residential context. This includes promoting proximity over density, which entails questioning the development of high-rise buildings and – instead – breaking down dead-end streets, improving connectivity, and revitalising village centres. 

But that’s only one aspect of a holistic model balancing the needs of individuals and the regions as a whole to reinvigorate suburbs by fostering communities and providing well-connected housing. Read our latest white paper to discover how a shift in perspective and environmental considerations can transform our suburbs and create more liveable cities.

Read our latest white paper to find out how we can create liveable and sustainable cities beyond the CBDs.