Nicholas Williams

November 4, 2020

Urban golf courses are biodiversity oases. Opening them up puts that at risk

Nicholas Williams, The University of Melbourne; Amy Hahs, The University of Melbourne; Caragh Threlfall, University of Sydney, and Stephen Livesley, The University of Melbourne

COVID-19 restrictions led to calls to open up golf courses to the public. But these are such precious refuges for native flora and fauna that access will have to be carefully managed.

Melbourne Sky Park, between the CBD grid and Docklands precinct. Oculus, used with permission

June 4, 2020

Greening our grey cities: here’s how green roofs and walls can flourish in Australia

Nicholas Williams, The University of Melbourne; Cathy Oke, The University of Melbourne, and Leisa Sargent, UNSW

The release of a roadmap for green roofs, walls and facades in Australia can help our cities catch up with the world leaders in urban greening.

An impression of biodiversity sensitive urban design (BSUD) developed by the authors in collaboration with Mauro Baracco, Jonathan Ware and Catherine Horwill of RMIT’s School of Architecture and Design.

October 24, 2018

Here’s how to design cities where people and nature can both flourish

Georgia Garrard, RMIT University; Nicholas Williams, The University of Melbourne, and Sarah Bekessy, RMIT University

Australian cities are home to many threatened species but are also where biodiversity is being destroyed by development. But what if planning and design processes built nature into the urban fabric?

Now that we have your attention… Image sourced from Shutterstock.com

May 27, 2015

Forget siestas, ‘green micro‑breaks’ could boost work productivity

Kate Lee, The University of Melbourne; Katherine Johnson, The University of Melbourne; Kathryn Williams, The University of Melbourne; Leisa Sargent, The University of Melbourne, and Nicholas Williams, The University of Melbourne

Everyone know it’s good to escape to the great outdoors, but new research shows just 40 seconds with some greenery can boost our ability to concentrate.

Green and gone: Perth’s Burswood Park Golf Course is about to make way for a football and casino complex. Moondyne/Wikimedia Commons

February 9, 2014

Our cities need more trees and water, not less, to stay liveable

Nicholas Williams, The University of Melbourne; Andrew Coutts, Monash University, and Stephen Livesley, The University of Melbourne

Australia’s major cities routinely rank among the world’s most liveable. But for all our clean streets, good healthcare and educational opportunities, one of the things we have to contend with is our sweltering…

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