The Urban Observer, July 2024
RMIT Centre for Urban Research
Connecting people and ideas for sustainable futures
From the Director's Desk
Welcome to the latest edition of the Urban Observer, the public research bulletin of the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT.?
Our research community has been very productive in the past month bringing you new research insights into?major urban policy challenges. In this edition, you will read about our work, led by Sarah Bekessy , to ensure that the transition necessary to renewables is done with a nature-positive approach. Priya Kunjan has been leading work on the housing crisis and particularly the significant mental and physical health and wellbeing impacts that rental insecurity brings. Andrew Butt has been leading work on the pressures from urban development on the peri-urban region and what we must consider in managing the tension between development and conservation of high-value agricultural land. A highlight this past month was continuing to support the Planning Institute of Australia ’s national awards for excellence. CUR sponsors an award and I was pleased to greet the winner of the Community Wellbeing and Diversity at the recent PIA National Congress: RAC, Town of Port Hedland, Shire of Trayning and Town Team Movement. We also were thrilled that one of our planning graduates, Nick McFarlane , won a commendation for his honors thesis project on urban consolidation. Nick is continuing his research through a PhD with us at CUR. ?
I recently visited with partners and collaborators in Europe to talk about our research on the conditions of housing crisis in Australia and learning about different policy approaches in the UK and Spain in particular. We held a very successful public event hosted by RMIT Europe Precarious Dwelling: Encounters with the Housing Crisis which brought together practitioners, community and researchers to hear about housing justice work?in three very different contexts: Melbourne, Nuuk and Barcelona.?An eminent panel of scholars presented at the panel including CUR researchers Dr David Kelly and myself, alongside Dr Prashanti Mayfield at UiT Norway, Dr Kate Shaw from University of Melbourne and Dr Carlos Delclos from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.?Carola Vega from RMIT Europe facilitated an excellent discussion. More information about the session can be found here . ?
Now that our new leadership team for CUR is in place, we are set for the next stage of our work to strategically refresh the Centre and continue to strengthen our research impact on the important urban challenges that face us. Keep an eye out for a our refreshed website, new projects being developed and new ways to partner with us. And of course, save the date to join us at our major public event in 2024 on World Cities Day.?
As ever, do get in touch if you have an idea or want to work more closely with us.?
Libby Porter , Director, Centre for Urban Research
Celebrating Excellence in Urban Planning with?PIA Congress!
Our planners play a crucial role in making Australia one of the most liveable countries in the world. Their drive, dedication, best practices, and innovative approaches deserve to be recognised and celebrated.
The National Award for Planning Excellence is the highest accolade in our profession, bringing together the best projects, teams, and individuals. These planners constantly overcome challenges, drive positive change, and shape our communities for the better. Our Centre was proud to sponsor this prestigious National Awards for Planning Excellence 2024 award night by the Planning Institute of Australia, honouring those who make a tangible difference in our urban environments.
Nick McFarlane gets commendation at PIA National Awards for Planning Excellence!
Commended for his project 'Parcel Amalgamations for Urban Consolidation: The Role of Statutory Planning Mechanisms', the judges praised Nick's project as an excellent research piece on a highly topical issue. His methodical approach to data analysis and research, including the use of GIS inputs and real estate data, provided an excellent sample size and geographic analysis. Additionally, his qualitative analysis through professional discussions added further depth and rigour to his findings.
In The News
Australian Urban Observatory's new project with The Ian Potter Foundation!
We’re thrilled to announce a groundbreaking project funded by The Ian Potter Foundation , aiming to revolutionize cycling in Australian cities! This initiative will develop new safe cycling indicators using AI and machine learning, measure and monitor cycling infrastructure across cities, and use data visualization to communicate results through the Australian Urban Observatory @ RMIT University platform. Read about their project 'Developing new safe cycling indicators for inclusion' here .
Strategic Impact Funding 2024 Results
The?Strategic Impact Funding?round has recently concluded. This was a highly competitive round with more than 50 applications submitted across the university. We are pleased to congratulate the following Lead CIs and teams for the funding they have received for the following project topics:?
Meet our New Leadership!
Geographies of Home, Land and Place
Associate Professor Benjamin Cooke leads the Geographies of Home, Land and Place theme. Ben is a human geographer with research expertise in the social and political dimensions of nature conservation, land management and environmental governance. He teaches in RMITs leading?Sustainability and Urban Planning course.
领英推荐
Supporting Ben in a joint Deputy role are?Dr David Kelly ?and?Dr Iris Levin .
David is a cultural geographer with research expertise on how the state and policy ecologies produce environments that affect the capacity of humans and non-humans to dwell well. David is a Vice Chancellors Research Fellow.
Iris Levin is an architect and urban planner with research expertise about the interface between migration and the built environment, particularly in relation to social housing. She is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and Urban Planning.
Regenerative Environments and Climate Action
Regenerative Environments and Climate Action?is led by?Dr Rebecca Olive . Rebecca is a Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow with research expertise on nature-based sport and leisure practices, particularly swimming, in terms of climate resilience and how these activities shape relationships of care for ecologies and climate resilience.?
Supporting Rebecca in a joint Deputy role are?Dr Sarah Robertson ?and?Dr Nita Lauren .?
Sarah is a Research Fellow with a background in human geography. Her research expertise is in?low/zero carbon housing, human-environment relations, and ideas and uneven experiences of place and placemaking in cities.?
Nita is a social psychologist who undertakes applied research that promotes conservation behaviours and benefits biodiversity. She is a?Research Fellow working on an ARC Linkage project with Zoos Victoria and Genovese.
Planning and Transport for Healthy Cities
Associate Professor Sarah Foster leads?Planning and Transport for Healthy Cities. Sarah is an ARC Future Fellow with applied research expertise designed to influence policy and practice to create healthier built environments.?
Supporting Sarah in the Deputy role is?Dr Afshin Jafari ?and?Dr?Chris De Gruyter .
Afshin is a Research Fellow with research expertise using computational methods to promote active and sustainable transport.
Chris is a Senior Research Fellow and Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow with research interests spanning across public transport, land use planning, travel demand management, and parking policy.
Publications
Jones, T., Dowling, C., Porter, L., Kickett-Tucker, C., Cox, S. (2023) ‘Realising decolonising spaces: relational accountability in research events’ , AlterNative, 19(1):51-60
Porter, L., Kelly, D., & Kunjan, P. (2024). Possessory stratigraphy: land title, dispossession and housing crisis. International Journal of Housing Policy, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/194912 ...
Irving, R., Olive, R., Phillips, M. G., & Carah, N. (2024). ‘It’s pretty sad if I’m just betting by myself…’: navigating shame and stigma in everyday sports betting . Leisure Studies, 1-15.
Porter, L. and Kelly, D. (2023) 'Dwelling justice: locating settler relations in research and activism on stolen land, International Journal of Housing Policy' . 23:4, 817-835, DOI: 10.1080/19491247.2022.2132461
Dale R. Wright, Sarah A. Bekessy, Pia E. Lentini, Georgia E. Garrard, Ascelin Gordon, Amanda D. Rodewald, Ruth E. Bennett & Matthew J. Selinske (2024) Sustainable coffee: A review of the diverse initiatives and governance dimensions of global coffee supply chains . Ambio 53, 984–1001
Middha, B., Horne, R. (2024) Countering exclusionary infrastructure in apartment waste management: Towards a relational place-based governance in Victoria . npj Urban Sustain 4, 9. DOI: 10.1038/s42949-024-00149-w
Goodman, Robin & Kroen, Annette (2024) Neighbourhood Essentials – the Importance of Local Shops and Services in New Suburbs . In: Gibson, Guy & Elliott, Ross (eds) The Next Australian City – The Suburban Evolution. Conor Court publishing ISBN: 9781923224056
De Gruyter, C., Truong, L.T., de Jong, G. & Foster, S. (2024) Determinants of zero-car and car-owning apartment households . Transportation. DOI:10.1007/s11116-024-10467-8
Foster S, Kleeman A & Maitland C. (2024) Research note: View from the top: Apartment residents’ views of nature and mental wellbeing during lockdown . Landscape and Urban Planning, 247, 105072
Aminpour, F., Levin, I., Clarke, A., Hartley, C., Barnes, E. and Pawson, H. (2023) Getting off the waiting list? Managing housing assistance provision in an era of intensifying social housing shortage , AHURI Final Report No. 422, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited, Melbourne,?doi: 10.18408/ahuri7131201
Foster S, Hooper P, Kleeman A, Turrell G. (2024) Are all apartments equal? An investigation of contemporary apartment design quality by neighbourhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage . Urban Policy and Research, 42(2), pp. 124–138
Croeser, T., Clement, S., Fernandez, M. et al. Action research for transformative change . Sustain Sci 19, 665–670 (2024). DOI:10.1007/s11625-023-01458-2
Hugh R. Stanford, Joe Hurley, Georgia E. Garrard, Holly Kirk, Exploring the secret gardens of the city: An assessment of human-nature interactions on informal green space using citizen science data, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening,2024, 128414, ISSN 1618-8667, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128414
Bolleter J, Hooper P, Kleeman A, Edwards N & Foster S. (2024) A typological study of the provision and use of communal outdoor space in Australian apartment developments. Landscape and Urban Planning . 246, 105040
Reid R, Foster S, Mavoa S & Rachele J. (2024) Associations between changes in crime and changes in walking for transport with effect measure modification by gender: a fixed-effects analysis of the multilevel longitudinal HABITAT study (2007-2016). Health and Place 85, 103163.