Reconceptualising industry sector development within the contemporary Australian city: The case of the information technology sector. This project will aim to uncover the reasons why Australia's Information Technology industry is ranked low among OECD countries by evaluating the impact of global and urban geography of the sector on the sector's performance. It will show how policies to achieve more advanced IT sector development need to consider Australia's distinctive position in the global eco ....Reconceptualising industry sector development within the contemporary Australian city: The case of the information technology sector. This project will aim to uncover the reasons why Australia's Information Technology industry is ranked low among OECD countries by evaluating the impact of global and urban geography of the sector on the sector's performance. It will show how policies to achieve more advanced IT sector development need to consider Australia's distinctive position in the global economy and particular factors in the Sydney and Melbourne IT clusters that both help, and hinder, development in ways not considered in present policy models.Read moreRead less
Barriers and Facilitators of Neighbourhood Networks and Cohesion. Neighbourhoods are critical contexts for health, safety and well-being. In the face of significant urban growth, understanding and enhancing neighbourhood networks and cohesion are high priorities in Australia and internationally. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from 148 Brisbane suburbs combined with census and spatial data, this project will be the first to examine how a neighbourhood's physical and socio-structural context ....Barriers and Facilitators of Neighbourhood Networks and Cohesion. Neighbourhoods are critical contexts for health, safety and well-being. In the face of significant urban growth, understanding and enhancing neighbourhood networks and cohesion are high priorities in Australia and internationally. Drawing on longitudinal survey data from 148 Brisbane suburbs combined with census and spatial data, this project will be the first to examine how a neighbourhood's physical and socio-structural context influences neighbourhood networks and cohesion over time and across the landscape of an entire city. The project aims to advance scientific understanding of neighbourhood networks and cohesion, provide unique insights into its underpinning drivers, and inform urban policy.Read moreRead less
Attraction and retention: the role of mobility in educational pathways and human capital development. This project will examine the factors that attract and retain school leavers and tertiary graduates in cities, towns and rural areas of non-metropolitan Victoria. It will increase understanding of how spatial mobility shapes young people's transition through higher education to adulthood and guide regional development policy to enhance human capital.
Evaluating the effectiveness of fire safety programs in emergency services management. Measuring the effectiveness of fire safety programs is critical to minimising economic costs, optimising resource utilisation and mitigating risk to individuals of injury and death. This project will be the first study to develop a methodological framework that integrates geographical, statistical and temporal analyses for their evaluation.
The Geography of Australia's People in Places: Processes of Change and Policy Responses. A major book will be written on the changing geography of people and places across Australia's settlement system between 1976 to 2006. Globalisation, economic restructuring, the changing nature of work, population growth and decline, migration, changes in households and families, and policy reorientations combine to impact in many different ways on people-in-places, affecting their fortunes and well-being. H ....The Geography of Australia's People in Places: Processes of Change and Policy Responses. A major book will be written on the changing geography of people and places across Australia's settlement system between 1976 to 2006. Globalisation, economic restructuring, the changing nature of work, population growth and decline, migration, changes in households and families, and policy reorientations combine to impact in many different ways on people-in-places, affecting their fortunes and well-being. How to cope with change represents exciting opportunities for some people in some places, while other people and places are vulnerable. The challenges for public policy are enormous, requiring rethinking of approaches by governments at all levels.Read moreRead less
The globalisation of the resources sector(s) in Australian cities. This project aims to understand how and why resources-related service firms cluster in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Maintaining Australia’s competitive position in global affairs depends on delivering innovative services in established national areas such as mining, energy and agriculture. This project will approach Australian cities’ economies from a ‘global’ perspective using social network analysis, to understand ho ....The globalisation of the resources sector(s) in Australian cities. This project aims to understand how and why resources-related service firms cluster in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Maintaining Australia’s competitive position in global affairs depends on delivering innovative services in established national areas such as mining, energy and agriculture. This project will approach Australian cities’ economies from a ‘global’ perspective using social network analysis, to understand how local firm clusters are internationally networked through branch office and affiliate corporate linkages. This project seeks to better direct urban and economic policy by positioning these sectors to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.Read moreRead less
Enhanced agency response strategies through modelling geo-temporal characteristics of emergency services calls. Understanding the timing and geographic distribution of emergency calls to agencies such as Fire, Police and Ambulance, is critical to improving emergency response and developing effective preventive strategies. In turn, improved response and prevention strategies can help save lives and minimise economic costs. This project uses advanced geographic and statistical methods to analyse f ....Enhanced agency response strategies through modelling geo-temporal characteristics of emergency services calls. Understanding the timing and geographic distribution of emergency calls to agencies such as Fire, Police and Ambulance, is critical to improving emergency response and developing effective preventive strategies. In turn, improved response and prevention strategies can help save lives and minimise economic costs. This project uses advanced geographic and statistical methods to analyse fire incidents and develop the evidence base necessary to inform effective response and prevention strategies. The project will critically assist emergency fire response, but will also provide a case study that can be adapted for other kinds of emergency response.Read moreRead less
Transforming the outer suburbs through master planned estates: a governmental challenge. Master planned estates are becoming more common on the outer suburbs of capital cities and the developers of these estates are required to plan and manage a whole range of services. This project examines the role that private actors play in 'governing' suburban estates alongside traditional forms of government and the challenges that ensue.
Regional Economic Development and Performance: Roles of Leadership and Institutional Factors in Endogenous Growth. Contemporary regional economic development theory emphasises endogenous factors as key determinants of difference in regional economic performance. Leadership and institutional issues require special attention for analysis and in strategy formulation and implementation of regional development plans. This project develops model frameworks for analysing the impact of those endogenous ....Regional Economic Development and Performance: Roles of Leadership and Institutional Factors in Endogenous Growth. Contemporary regional economic development theory emphasises endogenous factors as key determinants of difference in regional economic performance. Leadership and institutional issues require special attention for analysis and in strategy formulation and implementation of regional development plans. This project develops model frameworks for analysing the impact of those endogenous factors on regional economic performance and develops methodologies for their incorporation into regional development strategy, using illustrative case studies. A major book on this topic will result. The collaboration is between researchers at the University of Queensland and George Mason University.Read moreRead less
An investigation into factors influencing coach retention and coaching career pathways. Organised sport is central to the social fabric and health of Australian communities and enhances national pride. The project will provide significant social and economic benefits for sport organisations which depend on coaches to build and sustain capacity. More coaches will enable more Australians to participate in sport which contributes to personal well being, social cohesion and success of Australian ath ....An investigation into factors influencing coach retention and coaching career pathways. Organised sport is central to the social fabric and health of Australian communities and enhances national pride. The project will provide significant social and economic benefits for sport organisations which depend on coaches to build and sustain capacity. More coaches will enable more Australians to participate in sport which contributes to personal well being, social cohesion and success of Australian athletes. The project will enhance the international reputation of Australian sport research sport and also has implications for volunteer retention in the nonprofit sector. This is critical given the policy emphasis on building social capital, making communities more resilient, and the social coalition approach to meeting community needs.Read moreRead less