News

The mark of the covenant on housing and planning

18 May 2018

The recent Reserve Bank of Australia report The Effect of Zoning on Housing Prices put forward the argument that restrictive zoning is driving Australian house prices up - particularly in Melbourne and Sydney - arguing that that planning policy reform is necessary in order to meet projected population increases.

News

Bright lights, smart city: Connecting our cities to a wireless future

18 May 2018

In recent years, Australian municipal governments have significantly expanded their investment in digital infrastructure and services, adding to their responsibility for physical infrastructure and community services.

News

CUR academic joins editorial board of new international journal

13 May 2018

Senior Research Fellow at the RMIT Centre for Urban Research Dr Cecily Maller has been selected as a lead editor for the new international journal People and Nature.

News

New plant app a force of nature at international internet awards

03 May 2018

A new virtual greening app, based on research from RMIT and the University of Melbourne, has won both the People’s Voice and the Judge's Webby Award – the ‘internet’s highest honour’.

News

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.

News

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.

News

New map charts ethical transitions from fossil fuels for Australia

12 December 2017

A new platform mapping environmental conflicts developed by RMIT urban researchers helps to support just transitions from coal to clean energy without disadvantaging workers and communities.

News

Ground-breaking urban design study earns international award

22 August 2017

Research collaborators from the University of Western Australia and RMIT studying the impact of the design of 73 housing developments on residents’ wellbeing have won a prestigious award.

News

New bus route improves well-being and social connection in Melbourne’s new communities

18 August 2017

Research exploring the impact of a bus route a new housing development on Melbourne’s south-east growth corridor has revealed the positive effects on community well being with the early delivery of bus services in new greenfield developments.

News

Energy pricing policy review finds gaps for heat vulnerable residents

18 August 2017

A review of electricity pricing policy by RMIT academics has found little consideration of the health and financial risks to vulnerable groups during heatwaves or hot weather.

News

Are conservation covenants a secure way to protect nature on private land?

18 August 2017

Recent RMIT research has revealed that conservation covenants in Australia are proving an enduring way to protect nature on private land.

News

How can we make living on the edge better?

18 August 2017

New research by RMIT urban academics calls for greater collaboration between urban planners and social workers to deal with new and emerging forms of poverty and spatial disadvantages affecting Australians.

News

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.

News

Arts spending brings in the bucks for the Creative City

18 August 2017

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.

News

Rethinking the relationship between educational and urban planning

18 August 2017

New research by RMIT academics calls for education and planning authorities to widen current policy discussion over the community use of school facilities and rethink how schools engage with their urban surroundings.

News

August edition of The Urban Observer – a new magazine by CUR

18 August 2017

Welcome to the second issue of the Centre for Urban Research Urban Observer magazine.

News

Smart home control – is the reality as bright as its promise?

14 August 2017

A new RMIT study finds that ‘smart home’ devices may not be as bright as we thought.

News

New study exposes the sacrifices families make to pay energy bills

11 August 2017

A new report by the Victorian Council of Social Service and the RMIT Centre for Urban Research shows the struggles and sacrifices Australians on low-incomes are making to stay connected to power.

News

Cultivation of a food sharing culture in Barcelona

24 July 2017

RMIT and Trinity College Dublin researcher Dr Ferne Edwards has spent the past few months harvesting food, distributing organic goods and joining strangers around communal dinner tables.

News

RMIT inspires Bangkok city planners tackling livability issues

26 June 2017

RMIT has hosted delegates from Bangkok Metropolitan Government, with the University’s urban experts helping guide innovative solutions for livability challenges facing the Thai capital.

News

New study suggests financial wellbeing policy design needs overhaul

06 June 2017

As financial inequality worsens in Australia, a new study suggests that the ways to measure and understand what impacts individuals’ financial wellbeing must adjust to focus beyond their circumstances.

News

No dress rehearsal: why we must act now to save our cities

30 May 2017

Billie Giles-Corti knows what makes cities liveable. And she says we need to work together to design better urban spaces for everyone.

News

RMIT leads the conversation on climate change and the future of cities

25 May 2017

RMIT is teaming up with industry in Europe to plan for the impacts of climate change on cities, such as droughts and flooding, and to take stock of what city leaders around the world are doing.

News

Urban researchers shape Federal Budget plans for affordable housing

23 May 2017

Research to help reduce the financing costs for community housing providers by RMIT and the Australian Housing for Urban Research Institute (AHURI) is shaping national plans to improve housing affordability.