Essential workers have been keeping Australia’s cities moving during the COVID-19 pandemic – and the structure of our cities has put many in harm's way. Urban policy needs to adapt quickly to address the underlying inequalities across Australia’s spatial geographies.

Calls by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation for greater transparency and accountability in the use of development contributions to fund urban infrastructure are well justified. But arguments for a return to traditional funding models based on taxes and recurrent user charges should be treated with caution. They could simply transfer wealth to development site owners with no gain in housing affordability, said Dr Marcus Spiller.

Proposed planning measures to protect winter sunshine in Melbourne's public spaces could generate a benefit of between $50 million and $100 million per year.

Retail centres contribute to residents' economic and social wellbeing, but declining suburban retail centres and high streets need government support to stay viable into the future.