News

Everything is connected and climate change can unravel the lot

25 February 2022

Interconnected systems are what keep cities functioning. But climate change can undo one part, and unravel the whole system.

News

ARC Discovery project takes a new approach to understanding precarious living situations

30 January 2022

An Australian Research Council Discovery grant has been awarded to Professor Libby Porter and Dr David Kelly.

Blog

Hearts, cells and mud: how biology helps humans re-imagine our cities in vexed times

27 January 2022

Marco Amati Biological metaphors for the city abound in daily use. You may live close to an “arterial” road or in the “heart” of a metropolis. You may work in one of the city’s “nerve centres” or exercise in a park described as the city’s “lungs”. The ready use of such metaphors indicates an underlying […]

News

THAT-Melbourne wins PIA Victoria Award for Excellence in Planning Research

15 December 2021

Two projects out of the Centre for Urban Research were recognised at last week’s 2021 PIA Victoria Awards for Planning Excellence.

Blog

Urban Futures Photo Competition winners announced

07 December 2021

This year, our Urban Futures Photography Competition, sponsored by Villawood Properties, asked entrants to reflect on spaces where nature and cities collide, and how nature benefits the urban environment.

News

Five big ideas: how Australia can tackle climate change while restoring nature, culture and communities

24 November 2021

Rachel Morgain, The University of Melbourne; Brendan Wintle, The University of Melbourne; Judy Bush, The University of Melbourne; Michael-Shawn Fletcher, The University of Melbourne, and Thami Croeser, RMIT University Originally published on The Conversation – 25 November 2021 Australia’s plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050 relies heavily on unproven technologies to sequester carbon from the […]

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Adapting to aqueous urban futures

12 November 2021

This panel discussion is part of the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale 2021 Italian Virtual Pavilion Series, chaired by Lauren Rickards.

Blog

New Zealand rushes in on upzoning where Australia fears to tread

12 November 2021

Australian planners and economists are currently debating the role of planning policies and regulations in dwelling production as part of the federal parliamentary inquiry into housing supply. Meanwhile the New Zealand government has announced it intends to dramatically roll back residential zoning across the country’s major cities in response to high house prices. This simplistic policy poses risks for strategic metropolitan planning and Australia should pay attention.

Blog

We have to talk about energy poverty

29 October 2021

Right now there is very little discussion about this equity issue in our clean energy climate transition.

Blog

RMIT students win international Students Reinventing Cities competition

30 September 2021

A team of students from RMIT’s Urban Design Project course have been named among the winners of the C40 Cities’ international Students Reinventing Cities – Melbourne competition.

Blog

Ordinary people, extraordinary change: addressing the climate emergency through ‘quiet activism’

25 August 2021

Across the world, people worried about the impacts of climate change are seeking creative and meaningful ways to transform their urban environments. One such approach is known as “quiet activism”.

News

Urban Futures 2021 Photo Competition

16 August 2021

Show us your photo of urban spaces near you where cities and nature collide and how it has benefitted your neighbourhood for a chance to win up to $500.

News

Governments need to be bigger drivers of transport innovation: research

29 July 2021

Despite a host of disruptive new technologies entering Australia’s transport ecosystem, our planning, urban design, infrastructure and transport frameworks remain mired in a twentieth-century policy-making mindset.

News

How do we make ethical cities?

23 July 2021

As cities around world transition to a low carbon future, how do we ensure our places and communities remain fair for all?​ Experts in Australia, Europe and the UK share their insights on how cities can approach a decarbonised future in an ethically informed way.

Blog

It takes more than words and ambition: here’s why your city isn’t a lush, green oasis yet

07 July 2021

The idea of transforming cities from concrete jungles to urban forests is a popular one, and there have been some truly inspiring, exemplar projects in recent years. But has your city actually turned into a lush oasis yet? No, neither has ours.

Blog

Three weeks without electricity? That’s the reality facing thousands of Victorians, and it will happen again

21 June 2021

Last week’s storm system wreaked havoc across Victoria. Some 220,000 households and businesses lost power, and residents in the hills on Melbourne’s fringe were warned yesterday it might not be restored for three weeks.

News

Seven ways to bring nature into new urban spaces

03 June 2021

With many local governments keen to include nature in new developments, RMIT ecologists working on Australia’s biggest urban renewal project share what they’ve learned about delivering true biodiversity.

News

State budget bounce-back: experts on where funding should go

13 May 2021

After undergoing the harshest lockdowns in the country, how should Victoria spend its budget to bounce back? RMIT academics share their expert view on where best to splash the cash for the state’s COVID-19 recovery.

News

Road to recovery: experts on where Federal Budget funding should go

05 May 2021

Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19 has been better than predicted, so what can we expect from this year’s Federal Budget? RMIT academics share their expert view on where the cash can be splashed for the greatest benefit.

News

Moving towards a circular economy for more sustainable housing

22 April 2021

RMIT urban researchers will lead a pioneering project examining how Australia’s housing sector can transition to a circular economy for more sustainable homes.

News

Walk or drive? New tool shows the health effects of your travel choices

21 April 2021

RMIT researchers and the Victorian Department of Transport launch a new digital tool to measure the health impacts of replacing car trips with walking and cycling trips for Melburnians.

News

Rethinking cities with ageing in mind

16 April 2021

From urban wellbeing and public health to urban planning and housing, RMIT researchers are helping to build age-friendly cities across Europe and Australia.

News

Nature as medicine: can a dose of the outdoors cure loneliness?

29 March 2021

Can a dose of nature a day keep the doctor away? A new RMIT project is exploring the benefits of prescribing nature in Australia, Europe and Latin America to reduce loneliness and improve mental health.

Blog

Is temporary the new permanent? COVID street experiments open our eyes to creating better cities

20 March 2021

If the past year has made us more comfortable and confident with experimenting, all the better to help our cities meet the challenges ahead.