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This paper traces the Australian capital city of Canberra's representation through official, government-sponsored, Australian documentary films made between 1900 and 1945. Through a small sample of selected films, that are well preserved and held in the national film archives, we discuss their filmic intention, form, technical production and reception. In these forty plus years which end prior to the advent of technicolour, there was a progression in technical sophistication of the genre from silent to sound, and from newsreel-style reportage of pomp and ceremony towards more informal, aspirational pictures that attempt to conjure how everyday lives could be lived in the fledgling city of Canberra. We suggest that these kinds of films, that might be dismissed as mere propaganda, are useful in adding to our understanding of how documentaries became a tool in the representation and communication of a rapidly shifting national identity, that was advanced concurrently through the planning and building of a new capital city and the evolution of documentary films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines images of nationhood in the capital cities of the USA and Australia – Washington, DC (hereafter referred to as Washington) and Canberra, respectively. The images examined have generally originated from the plans of architects, yet they have been endlessly replicated via images in brochures, websites, postcards and other forms of tourism promotion. This paper examines architectural signifiers of these two national capital cities by undertaking an analysis of significant landmarks and monuments in Washington and Canberra (and how these represent the nation and national identity). Textual analysis, in particular, semiotics (examining how signs generate meaning), is a suitable methodology for deconstructing representations of national imagery. A combination of observational research, secondary research and semiotic analysis is undertaken to analyse the ways in which national identity has been communicated to tourists in the similar capital cities of the USA and Australia. This paper focuses on ‘Representation and National Image/Identity’ and ‘The Role of the Built Environment in Image and Representation’ – two of the research themes identified for this ‘Global Change and Tourism in National Capitals’ special edition of Current Issues in Tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Political national capitals provide the location for national institutions, represent national values and are the seat of government. Despite the importance of political national capital cities as tourism destinations, they may be faced with a poor image and perceptions from potential tourists because of their association with government and negative media coverage. This paper presents research undertaken to examine the images, values and perceptions that Australian's hold of Canberra (the national capital) and to explore whether perceptions differed based on previous visitation. The results suggest that a significant number of images and perceptions changed if respondents had visited Canberra previously. Furthermore, a visit can lead to an increased agreement that the national capital represents national values. Three cluster segments were also determined and named the misinformed, the capital lovers and the uninformed based on their characteristics. The paper concludes by suggesting both tourism agencies and national capital agencies should work more closely together in fostering greater visitation to political capitals which will help to build feelings of nationhood as well as correct negative destination perceptions. doi:10.1300/J073v22n03_04 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Canberra, Australia's national capital city, was transformed through the 1960s from a straggling city beautiful on garden city lines, to a modern new city of international standing by the powerful National Capital Development Commission (NCDC), established in 1957. Gordon Stephenson first visited the city in 1954, became a consultant to the NCDC in 1960 and was appointed to the National Capital Planning Committee in 1967. His activities ranged across all scales - residential communities, town centres and the development of a long-term metropolitan planning strategy. Stephenson appears to be an underrated figure in the urban metamorphosis of Canberra through the 1960s. Drawing on a mix of extant primary and secondary sources, this paper sketches the extent of Stephenson's role and influence in Canberra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plans for Ottawa and Canberra were implemented in the 1950s and 1960s after a half century of frustration and delays. This paper compares the post-war plans for the two cities, and considers the political, financial and urban design factors that led to the implementation breakthroughs. The federal governments of Canada and Australia made repeated attempts to plan and develop their capitals over the past century. The planning histories of Ottawa-Hull and Canberra therefore make good case studies for considering the implementation of plans. The research method for the paper is a comparative case analysis, using extensive archival research and pattern-matching. The paper considers ten examples from the two cities. It concludes that effective implementation requires political support, long-term financing, planning skills, administrative expertise and a powerful champion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic was reported to modify people's behaviour in using public spaces and accessing services. This fact has become a critical input related to future city development strategies, space arrangements, and the implementation of smart city. Therefore, this study aims to 1) Identify efforts in several cities during COVID-19 pandemic, specifically concerning the use of public spaces and services, and 2) Compile the outlines of future urban planning strategies after the pandemic. The aspects related to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), space arrangement, and urban environment are discussed. The analysis is based on case studies in four capital cities, namely Jakarta, Paris, Bucharest, and Canberra. Furthermore, field observations and in-depth interviews are used to emphasize changes in the function and use of public spaces and services during and after the pandemic. The result shows that differences and common elements configure the transformations of urban spaces since changes in the use of public spaces are closely connected to efforts to combat the pandemic. Meanwhile, in public services, changes are associated with the increasing use of ICT and Internet of Things (IoT). In the future, cities need to show their visions according to the local conditions supporting better spatial arrangement and management of urban environment due to ICT and IoT prominence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian housing markets experienced widespread and, in some cases, extraordinary growth in prices between 2020 and 2023. Using recently developed methodology that accounts for fundamental economic drivers, we assess the existence and degree of speculative behaviour, as well as the timing of exuberance and downturns in these markets. Our findings indicate that speculative behaviour was indeed present in six of the eight capital cities at some time over the period studied. The sequence of events in this nation‐wide housing bubble began in the Brisbane market and concluded in Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart following the interest rate rise implemented by the Reserve Bank of Australia in May 2022. As of March 2023, the housing markets in Sydney, Canberra and Hobart had broadly regained stability, while Melbourne's return to its normal state is more gradual. In addition, over‐corrections against fundamentals are evident in the housing markets of Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth. For regular updates on the housing markets, readers may visit the authors' website at https://www.housing-fever.com. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban densification agenda for the Australian Capital Territory announced in 2012 as well as the climate-related impacts (such as flood and rising temperature) have made the role of green infrastructure in this city more critical than at any other time. The Living Infrastructure Plan for Canberra was proposed by the local government in 2019 and it is currently being developed. However, there is a lack of understanding of the variety of urban green infrastructure characters, associated urban green space types, and their contributions to the green infrastructure plan. Therefore, this research aims to study the existing types of urban green infrastructure and green spaces in Canberra and investigate their potential sociocultural and ecological contributions that need to be considered in developing green infrastructure plans. To achieve this, we employed a socioecological approach and a mix of methods including a literature review, a review of policy documents, semi-structured interviews with experts, geospatial data, and field observation. Ten main urban green infrastructures were identified in Canberra and associated green spaces and their ecosystem services were discussed. Finally, a framework was delineated to suggest recommendations for the identified urban green infrastructure types with the aim of improving the green infrastructure planning practice by enhancing, preserving, and reinforcing green spaces. The findings provide a foundation for coordinating green infrastructure decision making and suggest a framework for designing high-quality and multifunctional green spaces. The study concludes that further investigation is required to comprehend the diversity of urban green infrastructures and their ecosystem services, co-benefits, synergies, and trade-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emphasizing bureaucracy as a communicative phenomenon involving localized knowledge--or metis--this article examines the place of the national capital city of Australia, Canberra, within the geographies of the Australian Public Service. First, drawing on research into knowledge clusters, the city is viewed as a key place of certain forms of communicative interaction. Second, drawing on the concept of metis, Canberra is discussed as a place potentially out of touch with the rest of Australia in terms of this form of knowledge but also as an essential site of accumulating metis essential to career progression within the national bureaucracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]