The Sustainable Communities Plan is on the web

Sydney City Council asked me to make a plan to make the whole suburb of Chippendale sustainable. It’s not just a plan for this suburb; it can be used to make any suburb sustainable – it’s free and you’re welcome to put it to work where you are. Now the Plan can be read on mobiles, kindles and is very easy to search, use and tweet.  Get it here: theplan.sustainablehouse.com… Enjoy. You can see some of the folks who support the Plan. Please sign the... Read More

Great new vid about how to make Chippo Plan real for us all

Mikey Leung tells stories on video.  He’s just made a beaut vid about our plan to make Chippo sustainable and the people who love it so much they’ve spent hours and hours putting it on a new web page for anyone to use to make the place where they live and work sustainable, too: youtu.be/SHkMh8wwlXY…   Thank you, Mikey – you’re terrific and so’s your vid. Join with us to make the Plan happen and watch the vid and go to the link there .... Read More

Sale at our best gardening bookshop

Imagine a bookshop you can walk to where the staff know all the writers and have most of the books you have heard of and much more you never have – all about gardening, plants and Earth’s growing world.   I reckon it’s Australia’s best specialist gardening bookshop and it’s just off Glebe Pt Road, Glebe.   I’ve received this promo from Gil, the owner, for their annual sale: We open the doors at 10.00am SATURDAY 28... Read More

Gardeners, shed-admirers and garage sellers

The Shed See you gardening from 9 am at the Shed or after on the streets this Friday. Newly painted garden shed The folks at the Pine Street Creative Arts Centre have painted our garden shed.  Wow, terrific and thanks to them all, and to Robert who made it happen. Not sure whether to enter it in the Archibald (as a portrait of a straight-laced gardener’s outfit), never touch it again as it’s too lovely to, say prayers of grace when entering and leaving its stripey... Read More

ABC TV Landline on food security this Sunday

The ABC TV Landline story on food security, that some of us in Chippendale were involved in, is being re-run on ABC 1 this Sunday at noon.   There was some great feedback on this piece last year, so hopefully the repeat will generate a similar response.   Thanks again to Chippo folk and the others in the programme for helping bring this complicated issue to life.   Enjoy, M  Read More

Frasers’ face of greed

Face of greed - pedestrians jammed in narrow footpath to make way for Frasers' car park Trucks, utes and speeding vehicles do left turn here against thousands of pedestrians Took these photos today of the busy Broadway footpath now jam packed with pedestrians.   At one point the passage is about 1 metre.  The photo of the mum with kid in stroller didn’t come out too well so it’s not here.   Frasers greed is now expressed in the footpaths along its site.... 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 in Australian flag. He was having his photo taken by friends but no-one noticed the posters. I... 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

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

  • Michael Mobbs

    Michael is a former Environmental Lawyer who is uniquely placed to consult in four main areas:

    • Sustainability Coach and Speaker,
    • Sustainable Urban Farm Design greening, watering and cooling the cityscape, roads, parks, suburbs,
    • Major Projects Consultant Commercial and Industrial,
    • Residential Sustainability Consultant.
    For permission to re-print any articles or to book Michael for a speaking engagement go to Contacts. Please ensure all quotes from Michael's blog include a reference to sustainablehouse.com....au.