Top marks for new ‘meandering’ pedestrian bridge in Perth

Classy design award of the week has to go to Arup Associates for its new "meandering" pedestrian and cycling bridge which has been completed over the inlet of the Swan River in Perth, Australia.

The 110-metre-long cable-stayed bridge has a wavy eucalyptus-wood deck shaped like an elongated S, framed by a pair of leaning steel arches.

The new bridge is part of a revitalisation of Elizabeth Quay, a 2.7 hectare inlet in the city’s central business district, that features a promenade, housing, shops, offices and restaurants.

Now that the recession is allegedly over here, maybe we too can begin to dream of great design for our urban public spaces again.

And instead of sprawling ever outwards with single unit accommodation, why not take a leaf from these really creative examples of urban regenerations on reclaimed ground, or look upwards to higher density schemes.