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 […]

Book

The city and the super-organism: A history of naturalism in urban planning

Offers a timely contribution building on recent works that demonstrate the power of ‘biological thinking’

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Uncategorized

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.

Current Projects

People and Environment Program Online Seminar Series

2021 (ongoing)

This is a series of online talks hosted by the People and Environment Program, on the broad theme of people-environment relations.

Dr Iris Levin People

Dr Iris Levin

Senior Lecturer

News

Meet the women helping to improve how we live in cities and with nature

05 March 2020

As our cities evolve, so too should our approach to building and planning our urban habitats. Here, six RMIT urban researchers share how their work is shaping how we live in our cities and with nature.

Past Events

Living in a climate of change: Shaping cities to adapt to uncertain futures

19 February 2020, 5:30PM-7:00PM

Join RMIT lecturers and researchers to discuss how we can shape the future of our cities

News

Seven ways the 1969 Transportation Plan shaped Melbourne

12 December 2019

December 12 2019 marks 50 years since the landmark 1969 Transportation Plan. Here, we take a look back on the plan that brought Melbourne its network of freeways and roads, and how its legacy stacks up in 2019.

Blog

We’re still fighting city freeways after half a century

11 December 2019

Like the modernist plans of its time, the 1969 Melbourne Metropolitan Transportation Plan was bold in ambition. Major motorways have been built across the city as a result of the plan.

Blog

Sustainable housing’s expensive, right? Not when you look at the whole equation

25 August 2016

Sustainable housing can also have important benefits for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, as the report released this week shows.

Blog

The Panopticons are coming! And they’ll know when we think the grass is greener

22 August 2016

Does a walk in the park during your lunch break make you feel relaxed? Does lush greenery or a glint of sunlight on running water catch your eye and allow you to stare and rest your brain?

Blog

Commuters help regions tap into city-driven growth

01 August 2016

Long-distance commuting may help promote the development of regional cities by boosting local populations, skills and income.

Blog

‘The urban’: a concept under stress in an interconnected world

27 June 2016

Are humans now an “urban species”? Do we now live in an “Urban Age”?

Blog

In the world’s biggest city, the past offers lessons for surviving the future

20 June 2016

A major campaign, “Cool Japan”, is underway to promote the nation as a “cultural superpower”. As part of a resurgence of interest in the Edo era (the name for Tokyo between 1603-1868), we want to suggest that “Edo Japan is Cool!”

Blog

Our cities will stop working without a decent national housing policy

15 June 2016

We have to move the housing conversation beyond a game of political football about negative-gearing winners and losers. Australia needs a bipartisan, long-term, housing policy.

Blog

Has the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge benefited Melbourne?

02 June 2016

The selection of Melbourne to participate in the international 100 Resilient Cities program sponsored by the New York-based Rockefeller Foundation generated a mix of hopes, expectations and concerns.

Blog

‘30-minute city’? Not in my backyard! Smart Cities Plan must let people have their say

24 May 2016

The federal government’s Smart Cities Plan is framed around the “30-minute city”. In this city, journeys will take no more than half an hour, regardless of your location.

Blog

Ideas for Australia: City v4.0, a new model of urban growth and governance for Australia

20 April 2016

In providing for the well-being of the next three million urban Australians, we need to take unvarnished stock of our situation.

Blog

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.

Blog

Hot cities: the ‘smart’ response to urban heat threats

16 March 2016

Significant urban policy and planning efforts have been directed at the problem of rising heat in cities.