Units swap room for ‘stuff’

Units swap room - swap shelf   Swap room with stuff for the taking A block of units I’m working with to ‘go sustainable’ has a ‘swap room’ where residents put their ‘stuff” for others to take if they want it.   Things not taken after a while are then sent to waste.   Next step is to work out how to stop stuff going to the... Read More

Frasers’ Broadway project to slow city traffic

  New lanes being added and footpath narrowed for new 3,300 car park, Broadway (Apology for pedestrian giving the works the finger in the artwork.) Frasers will slow city traffic with their new project, and we’re looking at more minutes added to the journey for buses and cars going to and from the city.   The 30,000 students at UTS and Sydney Institute  and the... Read More

Urban heat island data for Chippendale

Average Temperatures by Time of Day – Period of Record: April 2010 – July 2011 We’re measuring the urban heat island in two Chippendale streets, Myrtle and Buckland.   In a partnership with Sydney City Council, our community and Professor Peter Newman’s Biophilic Cities project, we’re getting data of the temperature of the streets every five minutes.... Read More

More on Chippo ads

Chippo ads are go Ads that add, not subtract Clive sent me these delightful pics along with a story; here’s his note: “Dear Michael I noticed your website reference to “advertising” and thought you might appreciate this bit of art. It appeared a couple of days prior to Australia Day and speaks volumes. Oddly, I encountered a young man near this who was draped... Read More

A murmuration of starlings

Interested in good communication? Me, too. But who of we humans can match this:  get ready for one beautiful vid:     www.wired.com…       Mmmmm  Read More

Advertising in Chippo

Ad industry welcome in Chippo Chippo’s streets are rich with artists’ work and the better for it; walking here is a delight to the eye, mind and all the senses, tho’ challenging to some sensibilities. And this effort on a wall in Cleveland Street by the advertising industry  shows it trying hard, too. Ads that work, M  Read More

Green Building Council office compost onto our road gardens

Geoff, Green Building Council compost and road verge Today Geoff and I picked up three bags of compost from the Elizabeth Street offices of the Green Building Council.  For info about the Council:   www.gbca.org….au   Two fellows, Toufik Refki and Jeff Oatman were waiting on the footpath with the compost in hessian sacks ready for loading into Geoff’s van.   Loaded... Read More

So much fun burning oil

Went to Warrnambool, Victoria, these last three days.   Warrnambool Council asked me to speak about sustainable living at their Sustainable Living Festival held on Saturday 14 January.   It was a lot of fun, seeing these places and meeting so many interesting folks.  Saw a great community garden at Warrnambool; info here:   warrnamboolcg.wordpress.com…     Friday... Read More

Angel’s Trumpets bloom twice

Brugmansia - Angel's Trumpets flowers, Myrtle Street The trumpet-shaped Angel’s Trumpets plant in Myrtle Street, on the southern side, outside the units on the corner of City Road has bloomed for the second time this year. Beautiful, fragrant blossoms. The technical name is Brugmansia. The first lot were completely cut off by someone; another Urban Galah. Toot! M    Read More

Peace Park returns to being a park

Peace Park being a park after being locked up for nine months . . . Last Friday the fencing came down, the contractors mowed the grass and we got Peace Park back. Thanks to those who returned it to us, M  Read More