Issue 551 to

Learning From Sydney

Can State Power Make a Better Region?

Planning and policy lessons from down under.

Sydney, Australia’s planning system is entirely different from the Bay Area’s, primarily because of the strong role of its state government in planning decisions. What can the Bay Area learn from its approach?

Learning from Australia’s “Millennium Drought”

California has made significant progress in advancing water conservation and efficiency; Australia has done even better.

Australia’s cities and towns survived their terrible drought, demonstrating world-leading innovation and exceptional examples of urban water planning and management driven by crisis. What can California learn from their actions?

Urban Field Notes: The Ocean Pools of Sydney

No one understands more than Sydney that swimming is one of life’s great pleasures.

The warm ocean is by far the most satisfying place to swim. Living in cold-water San Francisco means I usually have to settle for swimming in a pool, but the ocean pools of Australia, which I visited daily on SPUR’s recent city trip, opened my eyes to the fact that swimming in a pool isn’t necessarily settling.

Member Profile: Dan McKinley

A designer immerses himself in the life of the city.

Dan McKinley is the art director at McSweeney’s, an independent publishing house founded by Dave Eggers that publishes all manner of fiction, nonfiction and poetry . We caught up with him near the cozy and book-stuffed McSweeney's HQ in the Mission to chat about small cities, literary cities and his interest in making his kids’ hometown a better place.