This project has developed a set of liveability indicators for alcohol, food, public open space, transport, walkability, affordable housing and access to employment which are now being calculated and mapped for Australian major cities.
Background:
In 2013, the Prevention Centre funded the National Liveability Study to develop and validate a set of national, urban, policy-relevant, liveability indicators associated with chronic disease and health outcomes. This was successfully achieved in 2015 with the delivery of a set of indicators (measures) covering five liveability domains: alcohol, food, public open space, transport and walkability and five different cities.
The final report recommended extending the coverage of the indicators to include all Australian capital cities and linking these to national health survey data. This will enable dissemination of the indicators and their use in planning urban environments to achieve healthier, more liveable communities. This next stage is now underway.
In consultation with external stakeholders, the project team is developing a national database that will contain indicators for the liveability domains of walkability, transport, public open space, food environment, alcohol environment, housing affordability, and employment. The project team is also developing tools, including an online portal, for users to:
- Access the indicators across each of the liveability domain
- Visualise the indicators within a specific area such as where people live
- Compare liveability indicators across major capital cities for different areas
From mid-2017 the project team will be consulting with external stakeholders for feedback and, in October, will make the indicators available through an online portal. The portal will provide stakeholders with the ability to upload addresses and download liveability indicators for each address. User feedback on the portal will help the project team plan the future direction of this key tool for analysing and visualising indicators spatially, and the tool will then be made available for wider use.
The team is also linking the liveability indicators to national population health data. This will allow new insights into the relationship between liveability measures and health outcomes, to be studied across Australian cities. The national health data will be drawn from the national surveys, AusDiab, and Ten to Men They will also link the data to the 45 And Up study in NSW.
What are the expected outcomes?
- Robust and accessible indicators to help policy makers, planners and researchers compare Australian capital cities and look for inequities within cities and disseminated by the Australian Urban Observatory.
- Through modelling and simulation, further evidence about why health outcomes might vary in different locations
- Tools to enable the current indicators to be used, including a national database and online portal
Image credit: Sarah Lay
Key People
Lead researcher
Project Collaborators
- Associate Professor Thomas Astell-Burt, University of Wollongong Associate Professor Hannah Badland, RMIT University Dr Paula Hooper, University of Western Australia Dr Jerome Rachele, Australian Catholic University Dr Suzanne Mavoa, University of Melbourne Mr Vincent Learnihan, University of Canberra Dr Xiaoqi Feng, University of Wollongong
Project Team
- Dr Lucy Gunn, RMIT University Dr Alan Both, RMIT University Formerly : Dr Jonathan Arundel, RMIT Dr Claire Boulangé, RMIT
Project Advisors
- Professor Adrian Bauman, University of Sydney Dr Bryan Boruff, University of Western Australia Professor Rachel Davey, University of Canberra Dr Serryn Eagleson, University of Melbourne Professor Chris Pettit, University of New South Wales Professor Sally Redman, Sax Institute Professor Gavin Turrell, Australian Catholic University
System Investigators
- Kate Lynch, Cities Program Prime Minister and Cabinet Mr Matthew Richter, ACT Department of Health Associate Professor Sarah Thackway, NSW Ministry of Health Ms Louise Sylvan, University of Sydney Mr Mike Day, RobertsDay
NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Healthy Liveable Communities national advisors
Project Administrator
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Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.
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