Involving local communities in defining town character in Victorian coastal towns. Many Australian coastal towns are experiencing rapid growth from tourism. In such places it is common to hear residents complain that the ?character? of their town is being lost due to inappropriate development. Local planning authorities are now attempting to respond to these concerns by undertaking studies to define what it is people feel is being lost. This project will involve local communities in defining tow ....Involving local communities in defining town character in Victorian coastal towns. Many Australian coastal towns are experiencing rapid growth from tourism. In such places it is common to hear residents complain that the ?character? of their town is being lost due to inappropriate development. Local planning authorities are now attempting to respond to these concerns by undertaking studies to define what it is people feel is being lost. This project will involve local communities in defining town and neighbourhood character in affected rural coastal areas of Victoria. Questions concerning residents' conceptualisation of town character and relationships between psychological and biophysical attributes associated with the notion of town character will be explored.Read moreRead less
CATCH: Children, Active Travel, Connectedness and Health. This project will explore built and social environmental influences on children's independent mobility, active travel and health. The research will provide necessary evidentiary support to justify government and development industry policy supportive of healthy and child-friendly environments.
Community and Governance; Urban Activism in Melbourne in the 1960s and beyond. As the economy of Melbourne's central and inner areas has been transformed over the last three decades, conflicts over urban redevelopment have impacted significantly on governance, urban policies and inner city communities. By studying the new generation of activists attracted to Melbourne's working class suburbs in the 1960s, this project will push beyond gentrification interpretations of urban change to examine th ....Community and Governance; Urban Activism in Melbourne in the 1960s and beyond. As the economy of Melbourne's central and inner areas has been transformed over the last three decades, conflicts over urban redevelopment have impacted significantly on governance, urban policies and inner city communities. By studying the new generation of activists attracted to Melbourne's working class suburbs in the 1960s, this project will push beyond gentrification interpretations of urban change to examine the motivations of activists and the process of forging partipatory structures of governance and community partnerships. The project will assess the significance of this period of transition for managing urban development in the new millennium.Read moreRead less
The role of investor landlords in restructuring Australia's major cities. With their property acquisition activity reaching record levels, investor landlords are now key players in Australia's housing market. This has sparked vigorous public debate on the contribution of this activity to a 'housing price bubble' and the crowding out of first home buyers. Given new research indicating private rental provision growing fastest in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, another effect may be to exace ....The role of investor landlords in restructuring Australia's major cities. With their property acquisition activity reaching record levels, investor landlords are now key players in Australia's housing market. This has sparked vigorous public debate on the contribution of this activity to a 'housing price bubble' and the crowding out of first home buyers. Given new research indicating private rental provision growing fastest in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, another effect may be to exacerbate the socio-spatial polarisation of our major cities. This project will therefore investigate the drivers and consequences of growing private rental investment in Australia's major cities, especially in disadvantaged areas. Project findings are expected to inform national housing, planning and urban policy.Read moreRead less
Configuring low carbon cities: an exploration of the role of spatial parameters in monocentric and polycentric examples in China. This project will firstly strengthen Australia's position in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction practices and research. Secondly, the project will provide timely information relevant to debates about GHG emission control with an economy that grows fast and has the potential to emit a volume equivalent to the global total. Thirdly, the collaborative nature of the effort (l ....Configuring low carbon cities: an exploration of the role of spatial parameters in monocentric and polycentric examples in China. This project will firstly strengthen Australia's position in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction practices and research. Secondly, the project will provide timely information relevant to debates about GHG emission control with an economy that grows fast and has the potential to emit a volume equivalent to the global total. Thirdly, the collaborative nature of the effort (linking up with scholars in China) will not only strengthen relations between the two countries but also contribute to the internationalisation program of Australian universities. Fourthly, the project will also assist to train future generations of China-literate Australian scholars.Read moreRead less
Green shoots? Exploring the genesis and development of a Green Economy in Australia. Creating a green economy is fundamental to the sustainability of Australia in the twenty-first-century. This project will explore the genesis of this new economy, and for the first time, develop a classification of green industries, measure their significance and map the geography of the nation's green economy by sector and region.
The social determinants of childhood injury. Child hood injury is a preventable problem of major importance. This project will provide a comprehensive, research-based policy solution that will minimise death and disability among children zero to three years of age.
New paradigms for urban public transport planning in Australia: assessing the capacity of institutions and infrastructure. Current urban transport policies cannot be sustained in the face of climate change, peak oil and economic instability: dramatic increases in public transport use will require new standards of service delivery. This project will use international experience to shape new approaches to planning public transport in our largest cities.
Australia's Rural Heartlands: Declining Economic Fortune or Dynamic Regional Adjustment? Agriculture in the rural heartlands provides high quality food and fibre for domestic consumption and export making significant contributions to national earnings. The heartlands are the custodians of our natural resources and cultural heritage and farmers play a vital economic and social role in the sustainability of these regions. While there is considerable variability between these places this research ....Australia's Rural Heartlands: Declining Economic Fortune or Dynamic Regional Adjustment? Agriculture in the rural heartlands provides high quality food and fibre for domestic consumption and export making significant contributions to national earnings. The heartlands are the custodians of our natural resources and cultural heritage and farmers play a vital economic and social role in the sustainability of these regions. While there is considerable variability between these places this research will provide a detailed understanding as to why it is that rural places differ in their development. A major benefit will be to present Australian governments, the agricultural industry and rural communities with a more accurate picture of how the rural heartlands now function, and to articulate the public policy implications.Read moreRead less
Seeing the good from the trees: remotely sensing the urban forest. Urban forests provide a range of ecosystem services including temperature regulation and rainfall capture, but measuring these benefits is currently prohibitively costly and inaccurate. This project aims to develop a new model of urban forest ecosystem services that uses remotely sensed three dimensional data to map canopy cover. A model using this data, which is being collected by an increasing number of governments, represents ....Seeing the good from the trees: remotely sensing the urban forest. Urban forests provide a range of ecosystem services including temperature regulation and rainfall capture, but measuring these benefits is currently prohibitively costly and inaccurate. This project aims to develop a new model of urban forest ecosystem services that uses remotely sensed three dimensional data to map canopy cover. A model using this data, which is being collected by an increasing number of governments, represents a novel advance on the established methodology that requires expensive and time-consuming fieldwork. The advancements expected to be made in this project will mean that environmental planners will be able to better plan the urban forest so that cities are more liveable and resilient in the face of climate change.Read moreRead less