Shadow care infrastructures: sustaining life in the post-welfare city. Mounting evidence points to difficulties faced by Australians reliant on government income support in meeting market costs of essential needs. This project investigates whether and how ‘shadow care infrastructures’ – a wide range of formal and informal material and social supports – enable the survival, well-being and flourishing of income support recipients. Focusing on people with disabilities, unemployed and asylum seekers ....Shadow care infrastructures: sustaining life in the post-welfare city. Mounting evidence points to difficulties faced by Australians reliant on government income support in meeting market costs of essential needs. This project investigates whether and how ‘shadow care infrastructures’ – a wide range of formal and informal material and social supports – enable the survival, well-being and flourishing of income support recipients. Focusing on people with disabilities, unemployed and asylum seekers, the study evaluates the benefits and harms such infrastructures produce for those receiving and providing care, and the wider community. It examines risks and opportunities to scale up emerging care infrastructures identified as critical to making ends meet for income support recipients in contemporary cities.Read moreRead less
How the digital remote working revolution is transforming Australian homes. This project aims to investigate how the recent rapid rise in digital remote working for many Australians is transforming homes by evaluating its diverse impacts on work practices, households and wider communities. Through world-first qualitative research, the goal of this project is to generate new knowledge of the social changes taking place using cutting-edge geographical theories of homemaking, mobilities and labour. ....How the digital remote working revolution is transforming Australian homes. This project aims to investigate how the recent rapid rise in digital remote working for many Australians is transforming homes by evaluating its diverse impacts on work practices, households and wider communities. Through world-first qualitative research, the goal of this project is to generate new knowledge of the social changes taking place using cutting-edge geographical theories of homemaking, mobilities and labour. Expected outcomes of this project include enhancing Australia’s capacity in home and mobilities research. The project should provide significant benefits to a range of stakeholders by identifying opportunities for socially-just interventions by local, state and federal governments, industry, and the community.Read moreRead less
The precarious city: the suburban settlement in an age of uncertainty. This project will investigate the disintegration of two interrelated pillars of Australia’s post-war ‘suburban settlement’ – home ownership and income security – and the consequences of this for patterns of urban change. Drawing on the concept of social citizenship, the project will explore the implications of this process through the life trajectories of 25 to 40 year olds. The research will generate new knowledge by extendi ....The precarious city: the suburban settlement in an age of uncertainty. This project will investigate the disintegration of two interrelated pillars of Australia’s post-war ‘suburban settlement’ – home ownership and income security – and the consequences of this for patterns of urban change. Drawing on the concept of social citizenship, the project will explore the implications of this process through the life trajectories of 25 to 40 year olds. The research will generate new knowledge by extending our understanding of how structural changes in employment opportunities are disrupting established patterns of housing demand for this group. The knowledge generated will inform policy makers and wider debates on the longer term implications of the break-down of home ownership on the Australian model of citizenship.Read moreRead less
Household innovation and the transition to the low waste city. Australia is experiencing an urban waste crisis. Long-term solutions require new strategies to reduce waste generation. To be effective, these will need to engage and actively involve households. This project examines the capacity for experimentation and innovation in households necessary to transition to low waste cities. It integrates studies of demographic profiles of household waste generation, household low waste experiments and ....Household innovation and the transition to the low waste city. Australia is experiencing an urban waste crisis. Long-term solutions require new strategies to reduce waste generation. To be effective, these will need to engage and actively involve households. This project examines the capacity for experimentation and innovation in households necessary to transition to low waste cities. It integrates studies of demographic profiles of household waste generation, household low waste experiments and policy rationales and co-design to propose realistic pathways for decreasing waste generation. The research outcomes are critical for understanding and supporting pathways to low waste cities. The knowledge developed will support urban sustainability transitions in Australia and internationally. Read moreRead less
Measuring the benefits of reuse in the circular economy. The project will advance understanding of reuse commodity chains, their societal benefits and contributions to a more sustainable circular economy. Drawing on case study research with charitable and community reuse organisations, factors facilitating or inhibiting reuse will be identified, and rigorous methods developed for assessing the benefits of reuse organisations in terms of quantities of materials processed, employment, skills devel ....Measuring the benefits of reuse in the circular economy. The project will advance understanding of reuse commodity chains, their societal benefits and contributions to a more sustainable circular economy. Drawing on case study research with charitable and community reuse organisations, factors facilitating or inhibiting reuse will be identified, and rigorous methods developed for assessing the benefits of reuse organisations in terms of quantities of materials processed, employment, skills development and contributions to regional economic development. Research outputs will provide a sound evidence base for government policy and decision-making and strengthen conceptual understanding of drivers and enablers of reuse and links with broader economic activities. Read moreRead less