Councils often ignore residents on social media. How can digital platforms ensure they have a say in planning?

16 June 2020

Local governments across Australia are mandated to consult their residents on urban development issues. They are increasingly using digital platforms to do this.

Earth Day 50th anniversary turns up heat on climate crisis

22 April 2020

With global carbon emissions set to fall in the short-term due to coronavirus lockdowns, our experts look to long-term action needed to tackle climate change on Earth Day 2020.

Thousands of city trees have been lost to development, when we need them more than ever

26 February 2020

Trees often feature prominently when talking about solutions, but our research shows trees are being lost to big developments – about 2,000 within a decade in inner Melbourne.

Want to get people walking? Make train stations about more than transport

29 April 2019

Train station precincts with more shops and apartment blocks are key to getting residents walking, a new report has found, with stations in Melbourne’s north and south-east ripe for redevelopment.

Livin’ on the edge: How to plan a new suburb on Melbourne’s fringe

18 February 2019

With the Victorian Government releasing 50,000 housing lots for 12 new suburbs on Melbourne’s urban fringe, how can we ensure new areas like these are liveable and thrive?

New report helps guide urban investment in growing outer suburbs

21 March 2018

A new report examining transformational urban projects across Australia aims to provide councils experiencing rapid population growth a guide on how to restructure economic and community functions.

EcoCheck: Victoria’s flower-strewn western plains could be swamped by development

17 May 2016

When Europeans first saw Victoria’s native grasslands in the 1830s, they were struck by the vast beauty of the landscape, as well as its productive potential.

Building in connectivity integral to health of people on urban fringe

09 May 2016

Connectivity to public transport with job prospects close by is integral to improving the health and wellbeing of residents in developing fringe growth areas, according to new research.

Build in good services from day one for healthier communities: lessons from Selandra Rise

Building new residential communities is no mean feat. Building healthy new communities is an even greater challenge.

Does higher-density city development leave urban forests out on a limb?

14 April 2016

Greater recognition of the benefits of urban forests is focusing efforts from all levels of government to defend and improve them.

Leading RMIT academic examines the challenges of Italy’s urban life

24 March 2016

An RMIT researcher has recently spent three months in Italy studying one of the country's most neglected neighbourhoods and the challenges it presents for its people.