Australian backyard, an iconic feature of the Australian suburb is changing fast. A large backyard is no more, it has largely disappeared from new Australian suburbs substituted by much smaller outdoor spaces. Whatever the size of lot, the dwelling now covers most of its area. The current urban planning does little to prevent it.

Land developers are transforming the very core of a suburban life by creating large aggregations of houses squeezed into the tiny blocks for the biggest profit. What follows is en masse of roofs, concrete and identical houses, rapidly inhabited by growing urban population. With no or sparse amount of green spaces and microscopic number of trees, the suburb becomes an icon of missed opportunity. This raises issues about health and wellbeing, especially for children, who, without much green spaces and lack of infrastructure helping to lead a healthy lifestyle, are becoming more and more influenced by the digital world of devices.

 

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