Acknowledgement of Country

We, at the Centre for Urban Research and Sustainability & Urban Planning, acknowledge the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation and whose unceded lands we conduct our research, teaching, and service. We respectfully acknowledge Ancestors and Elders past, present, and emerging who have always been caring for Country. We pay our respects to Country, the lifeworld that sustains us all.

Our research, education, and service are already in a relationship with Country and the people of Country, here and in all the places we undertake our business. As mostly non-Indigenous people, we acknowledge our obligation in this relationship: to uphold the ngarn-ga (understanding) of Bundjil and practice respect for community and culture. Though there is much we still need to learn, especially about ourselves, we affirm our dhumbali (commitment) to that work. We hold as central to our business, dhumbali to a shared future with Indigenous peoples everywhere and especially Kulin Country and peoples.


About the Centre

In a time of rapid population growth, a changing climate, and volatile global economic conditions, the need to improve how our cities work has never been more urgent.

The majority of people on this planet already live and work in cities and by 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will be urban dwellers.

Cities are the foundations of our economic, social and environmental wellbeing. This demands better understanding and insight into policy, planning and decision-making in areas such as urban environments, resource and energy use, infrastructure and mobility, liveability and, resilience and adaptation.

The Centre for Urban Research is a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary urban research. Through its research, the Centre is directly responding to the globally important need to shape cities that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

CUR provides an intellectual home base for a broad range of urban researchers at RMIT University and continues to successfully build strong global connections with universities, industry, not-for-profits, media and government.

The Centre for Urban Research formed in 2012 by urban researchers from across RMIT University’s School of Global, Urban and Social Studies to collaborate as part of a national hub for applied and policy-relevant urban research.

CUR  provides leadership at RMIT University in the study of critical urban issues, and is also successful in building connections with industry, not-for-profits and government.

The Centre builds on the tradition of RMIT’s Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) and Centre for Design.

AHURI at RMIT was established in 1999 and has become known for its applied research on housing and urban planning policy, in particular the role of housing in the economic, social and environmental sustainability of cities and regions.

CUR is located at RMIT University’s City campus and has strong links with urban researchers and centres across Australia and internationally.

Our Research

With a reputation for innovative, rigorous and influential thinking, the Centre builds on the current reputation of RMIT University as an international leader in urban research.

CUR is strongly committed to interdisciplinary research, with staff expertise in urban planning, public policy geography, economics, environmental sciences, spatial analysis, history, and sociology.

Many of our projects and collaborative endeavours with government, industry, not-for-profits, and other universities, are used to help shape public debate and policy surrounding pressing urban issues such as climate change, housing and social justice. We use our strengths to drive impact in research and innovation.

The Centre continues to develop strong academic partnerships nationally and internationally, and invest in research areas to advance new strengths aligned with our goals and interests.