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
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
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
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.
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
Remaking Post-industrial Plans: Urban Industrial Zoning Past and Future. This project aims to examine the changing functions and roles of urban industrial land. Planning for industrial land remains rooted in approaches that are out of step with existing and emerging conditions. Urban policymakers sacrifice dwindling employment lands for property value growth and miss opportunities to incorporate industrial activity in sustainable planning goals. Through digital archival mapping, on-site analysis ....Remaking Post-industrial Plans: Urban Industrial Zoning Past and Future. This project aims to examine the changing functions and roles of urban industrial land. Planning for industrial land remains rooted in approaches that are out of step with existing and emerging conditions. Urban policymakers sacrifice dwindling employment lands for property value growth and miss opportunities to incorporate industrial activity in sustainable planning goals. Through digital archival mapping, on-site analysis, and planner interviews, this project seeks to develop a deeper understanding of how industrial lands and their regulatory settings are linked to changes in urban development over time. This should lead to new knowledge to reinvent industrial zones to meet contemporary needs and adapt to future disruptions.Read moreRead less
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