The character of urban intensification: Protecting and Creating Place Identity in Activity Centres. This project will contribute to the improved environmental and social sustainability of Australian cities and to an enhanced sense of place and community. It will raise awareness and understanding of social factors associated with urban change and provide theoretical and practical tools to facilitate more effective policy development, urban regulation and urban design. Although based in Melbourne, ....The character of urban intensification: Protecting and Creating Place Identity in Activity Centres. This project will contribute to the improved environmental and social sustainability of Australian cities and to an enhanced sense of place and community. It will raise awareness and understanding of social factors associated with urban change and provide theoretical and practical tools to facilitate more effective policy development, urban regulation and urban design. Although based in Melbourne, the methodology and findings can be applied to other Australian cities and internationally. Read moreRead less
Re-imagining the Australian Suburb: local governance and community building. This project forms part of RMIT's interdepartmental research network titled 'ReImagining the Australian Suburb'. It aims to investigate the potential for significantly improved sustainability outcomes in greenfield development at the urban fringe through enhanced relations between governments, industry, community groups and experts. In focussing on a selection of areas where sustainability policies currently meet formid ....Re-imagining the Australian Suburb: local governance and community building. This project forms part of RMIT's interdepartmental research network titled 'ReImagining the Australian Suburb'. It aims to investigate the potential for significantly improved sustainability outcomes in greenfield development at the urban fringe through enhanced relations between governments, industry, community groups and experts. In focussing on a selection of areas where sustainability policies currently meet formidable challenges - local governance, urban design, provision of transport infrastructure and local employment generation - this project will endeavour to highlight alternatives to conventional suburban development and test their applicability in the real-life context of the City of Whittlesea in suburban Melbourne.Read moreRead less
Re-imagining the Australian suburb - Ecological Sustainability and Urban Development. The purpose of this research project is to examine the contribution that Aurora, a new master- planned community in Melbourne, can make to the ecological sustainability of housing developments on the urban fringe. VicUrban, the Victorian Government land development agency responsible for the Aurora project, initiated the study to facilitate a process of evaluation, reflection and continuous improvement in the ....Re-imagining the Australian suburb - Ecological Sustainability and Urban Development. The purpose of this research project is to examine the contribution that Aurora, a new master- planned community in Melbourne, can make to the ecological sustainability of housing developments on the urban fringe. VicUrban, the Victorian Government land development agency responsible for the Aurora project, initiated the study to facilitate a process of evaluation, reflection and continuous improvement in the way that it implements sustainability in its strategic planning and everyday operations. The expected outcome is a framework for planning and implementing ecological sustainability in urban development, including organizational processes and sustainability indicators.Read moreRead less
Transnational and temporary: place-making, students and community in central Melbourne. Fostering a community in a place is place-making. When many residents are temporary and new arrivals, like tertiary students in central Melbourne, place-making acknowledging current and past residents is complex. This project will develop an innovative place-making strategy in central Melbourne, centred on enhancing the public-private interactions residents have in built spaces and social relations. For tempo ....Transnational and temporary: place-making, students and community in central Melbourne. Fostering a community in a place is place-making. When many residents are temporary and new arrivals, like tertiary students in central Melbourne, place-making acknowledging current and past residents is complex. This project will develop an innovative place-making strategy in central Melbourne, centred on enhancing the public-private interactions residents have in built spaces and social relations. For temporary residents, public-private interactions have greater significance than for long-term residents more settled in their networks of belonging. Outcomes will be: new policy frameworks of institutional partnerships, building morphology and public space design; workshops with stakeholders; and articles in scholarly journals.Read moreRead less
Planning and Building Healthy Communities: A multidisciplinary longitudinal study of the relationship between the built environment and human health. This project examines how urban environments support health. Tracking residents’ behaviours over a long time, the study fills a gap in current knowledge about how urban environments manage and promote good health (a national research priority area). It will identify the design features, social interventions and locational qualities in selected sit ....Planning and Building Healthy Communities: A multidisciplinary longitudinal study of the relationship between the built environment and human health. This project examines how urban environments support health. Tracking residents’ behaviours over a long time, the study fills a gap in current knowledge about how urban environments manage and promote good health (a national research priority area). It will identify the design features, social interventions and locational qualities in selected sites which positively benefit human health. The research will describe the likely health outcomes for future Australians living in areas with similar characteristics. It will also strengthen multidisciplinary approaches and policy development in this area by bringing together a team from urban planning, development and health.Read moreRead less
Lifetime Affordable Housing in Australia: Integrating environmental performance and affordability. Existing dwellings and the locations of suburban housing with respect to employment centres result in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Water and other environmental issues are also important in housing performance, and there is currently a perceived trade-off between these factors and the affordability of housing. For the first time in Australia, this study will focus on overcoming this appare ....Lifetime Affordable Housing in Australia: Integrating environmental performance and affordability. Existing dwellings and the locations of suburban housing with respect to employment centres result in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Water and other environmental issues are also important in housing performance, and there is currently a perceived trade-off between these factors and the affordability of housing. For the first time in Australia, this study will focus on overcoming this apparent policy dilemma. The research will inform future housing policy in strengthening Australia's economic and social fabric, while contributing towards Australia's National Research Priority 1 'Environmentally Sustainable Australia'. Outcomes will provide significant national economic, social, water use and greenhouse gas benefits for Australia.Read moreRead less
Consuming the Urban Environment . A Study of the Factors that Influence Resource Use in Australian Cities. This project is the first study which aims to quantify how much of Australia's accelerating total consumption is designed into our cities and housing and how much is related to a household's discretionary behaviour and the sets of attitudes and values that drive it.The resulting knowledge will provide an evidence-based platform - that is currently lacking - for policy and program developmen ....Consuming the Urban Environment . A Study of the Factors that Influence Resource Use in Australian Cities. This project is the first study which aims to quantify how much of Australia's accelerating total consumption is designed into our cities and housing and how much is related to a household's discretionary behaviour and the sets of attitudes and values that drive it.The resulting knowledge will provide an evidence-based platform - that is currently lacking - for policy and program development by all tiers of government and industry to target areas where resource consumption can be effectively and equitably wound back. Key groups for influence include: individual consumers and households, housing designers (in relation to density, materials, appliances planners of urban communities(eg. public transport,level of land use mix).Read moreRead less