What you really need to know about Melbourne being named the world’s second most liveable city – again

05 September 2019

Melbourne has retained second place in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s global liveability index but what, if anything, does it all mean? Our experts explain.

Six ways to keep Melbourne moving at 8 million

11 February 2019

More people living in Melbourne means more trips across our transport network. RMIT experts share their views on how to plan for this pressure and keep our city moving.

How can we make Victoria more liveable?

08 November 2018

Melbourne’s growing population is as topical as ever. Here, our experts provide their insights on the critical challenges that affect the liveability of Victorians.

Nine things to make Melbourne even better

30 October 2018

Here our experts share everything you need to know about how policymakers can make Melbourne more liveable, improve our liveability, reduce commuter crushes and increase housing affordability.

Melbourne or Sydney? This is how our two biggest cities compare for liveability

09 September 2018

The question of which city is the most liveable is an annual hot topic. Competition is fierce, especially between Melbourne and Sydney.

How liveable is Melbourne really? New report settles the score

A new report measuring Melbourne’s liveability progress calls for a redistribution of employment across the city to reduce commute times, ease traffic congestion and encourage more physical activity.

Researchers inviting participants for transport project

22 August 2018

A team of researchers at RMIT University are seeking interview participants for the project “Early delivery of equitable and healthy transport options in new suburbs: Critical reform and tools”.

The world’s ‘most liveable city’ title isn’t a measure of the things most of us actually care about

15 August 2018

These rankings are based on The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index, which “assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions”.

Filling the space between trams and place

10 August 2018

How is movement and place represented across Melbourne’s tram network?

Remaking imperial power in the city: The case of the Barak building

18 May 2018

On 3 March 2015, the enormous drapes that had been covering a new building in central Melbourne were thrown off to reveal an extraordinary sight: a colossal image of a face staring down the city’s civic spine.

Dry zones and other temperance hangovers

Anti-alcohol measures like dry zones are not just a part of history: their legacy continues to feed into our approach to urban planning today.

RMIT experts available for comment on State Budget

01 May 2018

Experts from RMIT are available to talk to media from 6am this morning about a range of topics and issues relating to the 2018-19 State Budget.

Melbourne Airport is going to be as busy as Heathrow, so why the argument about one train line?

24 April 2018

In Melbourne, the politics of this debate has so far prevented a railway from being built, because it is not possible for one line to meet all of the landside access needs of the airport.

Melbourne needs second metro to get demand on track, experts warn

19 April 2018

Urban researchers are calling for a second Melbourne Metro Rail, warning the current project won’t meet the expected capacity demand unless the city plans for more rail line infrastructure.

Expert comment on Melbourne Airport train link

12 April 2018

RMIT University infrastructure and urban planning expert Professor Jago Dodson says a new rail link for Melbourne’s airport is welcome news, but needs to be part of a broader transport plan if it is to have major benefit.

New cities? It’s an idea worth thinking about for Australia

14 March 2018

Is there a case for revisiting the idea of new cities for Australia in the light of recent population projections and resurgent debate about the implications of a big Australia?

The elephant in the planning scheme: how cities still work around the dominance of parking space

29 January 2018

Car parking is expected but often unnoticed, taking up surprisingly large proportions of city space. A parking bay occupies at least 13 square metres – some codes specify up to 30 square metres including access ways.

Transurban’s West Gate tollway is a road into uncharted territory

21 December 2017

Like the controversial East West Link, this project has no electoral mandate, and was rushed through the formal planning processes. It’s also part of a trend seen in other Australian states for projects to be announced before alternative planning options are considered.

New report raises serious concerns about West Gate Tunnel

07 December 2017

The West Gate Tunnel Project could worsen Melbourne’s traffic congestion, increase car dependency and should be rolled back, according to a new report from six leading planning academics.

How Melbourne’s west was greened

17 October 2017

Urban greening projects in Melbourne’s west are contributing to making the region cooler, more pleasant and healthier to live in and travel through. The key to this success is the Greening the West initiative.

The price for abundant free car parking is greater than we think

18 August 2017

Car parking - we all use it and expect it everywhere, but the hidden cost it has on our cities is huge.

Arts spending brings in the bucks for the Creative City

For the first time, a new study led by RMIT University and the City of Melbourne has quantified the economic and social impact of investment in the arts.

This is how regional rail can help ease our big cities’ commuter crush

07 August 2017

In Sydney and Melbourne, the squeeze is on. Population is booming; house prices are still rising; roads and trains are congested. Australian governments generally have ignored the benefits of relating metropolitan and regional planning.

The Victorian Planning System: Practice, Problems and Prospects

20 March 2017

Dr Stephen Rowley discusses his new book 'The Victorian Planning System' – the perfect introduction to the Victorian planning systems for new planners and the wider public who need to deal with the planning system.