Brendan Barrett

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Typhoon Faxai left many people without power and other services for several days when it hit the greater Tokyo region in September. NASA/Worldview

Typhoons and other disasters force Japan to rethink its city vs rural living plans for the future

Andrew DeWit, Rikkyo University and Brendan Barrett, Osaka University

Talk of moving people out of Japan’s cities into rural areas is changing after the recent cyclone hit near Tokyo. Smarter, more connected cities may be a safer way to go.
In Nagoro, in Tokushima Prefecture, one resident has made around 300 dolls to replace villagers who are no longer around. Roberto Maxwell/flickr

When a country’s towns and villages face extinction

Brendan Barrett, RMIT University

Across Japan, towns and villages are vanishing as the population ages and young people move to the cities. How the country manages this holds lessons for other developed nations facing a similar fate.
City mayors have taken on a prominent role in committing to action on climate change through forums such as the C40. Henry Romero/Reuters

This is why we cannot rely on cities alone to tackle climate change

Brendan Barrett, RMIT University and Andrew DeWit, Rikkyo University

It’s a good thing that cities aspire to lead the way in acting on climate change in the absence of stronger national action. But a closer look reveals the limitations of current city-based efforts.
Joan Clos (right) shows visiting dignitaries around the UN complex in Nairobi, Kenya, which as host of UN-Habitat headquarters was pushing one of two competing proposals for implementation responsibilities. Noor Khamis/Reuters

Phew! New Urban Agenda clears last hurdle before Habitat III

Brendan Barrett, RMIT University

Two years of marathon negotiations have finally yielded agreement in last-minute meetings in New York on the New Urban Agenda to be adopted at the Habitat III summit in Quito in October.
Urban planning was once an Olympic event, although the first gold medal – awarded to Germany’s Alfred Hensel for the Nuremberg stadium – turned out to be an unfortunate choice.

‘No More Hunger’ Games: if only we cared about the real‑world Liveability Olympics

Brendan Barrett, RMIT University

Imagine cities competed to eliminate hunger, poverty, unemployment, crime and greenhouse emissions, and to offer housing and transport for all. Don’t scoff – urban planning was once an Olympic event.
For one in three people who live in cities in the global south that means living in a slum. AAP/Diego Azubel

The ethical city: an idea whose time has come

Brendan Barrett, RMIT University

At the Habitat III summit in October, governments will agree an agenda to guide sustainable global urban development over the next 20 years. The rise of the ethical city is a key element of this.

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