This report presents new data on how public and private green spaces in Auckland, Hamilton and Greater Wellington have evolved over the decades. It finds New Zealand's cities are currently well-endowed with green space, though some suburbs are greener than others.

As a case study, this paper discusses the Sydney housing market, the location of much of Australia’s most expensive housing. It argues that appropriately designed housing targets would involve a large increase in apartment construction in the affluent inner and eastern suburbs, where the housing...

This report presents finding from the first stage of the multi year, Planning Inclusive Communities Research Project. 97 participants, aged 9 to 92 years of age, shared their thoughts, experiences, and ideas of what makes communities inclusive, their current experiences of living in their communities...

This paper takes stock of scientific findings to date regarding the distributional effects of policies discouraging car use in urban areas. These policies include cordon tolls, distance-based charges, fuel taxes, parking measures and public transport subsidies.

This briefing paper explains the research behind the What Works Centre for Wellbeing's recent refresh of a review examining the changes made to community places and spaces that are designed to boost social relations and individual and community wellbeing.

The research outlined in this report was conducted by Leeds Beckett University and the University of Liverpool during 2022, in response to a brief from What Works Centre for Wellbeing. The report explores the extent to which we can better identify what works in changing...

The aim of this discussion paper is to clarify and communicate the current debate and scholarship on planning deregulation, particularly rezoning, as the policy solution to housing affordability.

This report analyses real world examples of what is possible in the growing outer suburbs, and highlights benefits from these interventions. The analysis includes a variety of case study projects in outer suburbs, across three categories: economic development, community infrastructure and transport infrastructure.

This discussion paper recommends bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise in establishing safe urban places. It also calls for urban public places to be designed in a way that restores mana and mauri Maori.

Environmental amenities provide a range of direct and indirect benefits in cities, and amenity provision often figures within policy portfolios to advance sustainability in urban areas. This report synthesises empirical research on the impact of environmental amenities on housing prices, examines implications on housing affordability...

This report outlines and examines the background context, design process and implementation of Clarendon Street Arcade. It offers lessons for researchers and artists undertaking similar playful interventions into public space.

This report attempts to better understand why cities are failing to meet their targets and what can be learned from the planning practices that are working well. By evaluating the most comprehensive decarbonisation plans across 50 of America's largest cities, the report judges how well...

In this paper, the authors discuss the principles for healthy urban development and its connections with health, wellbeing and equity. They also describe how good urban design can protect and promote health, and improve health, equity and disability outcomes.

This report brings together three separate research projects to examine the capacity of Australia’s smaller cities to assist in managing population growth, including international and national migration. It also provides advice on which policy instruments and programs are most likely to redirect population movements to...

This research investigates patterns and dynamics of population, migration and economic change in Australian regional urban centres 2011–2016 through the changing economic profile and performance of Australia’s regional urban centres. It also assesses how demographic and migration patterns are shaping and responding to economic change.

This report examines the unique mix of infrastructure inequality in Melbourne. It identifies the primary geography of infrastructure inequality in Melbourne, notably in its outer suburbs and the Interface Council areas.

This report on the Inquiry into the protections within the Victorian Planning Framework is the result of extensive research and consultation by the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee at the Parliament of Victoria. This interim report is based on a review of the issues...

This report investigates the rate of lot sales in nine major master-planned housing developments. The research reveals a 'staged release' approach that responds to price growth, but appears crafted to avoid supply-led price declines.

This is a research report about cities that deserve more recognition and more attention, especially in a world that is rightly considering the changing roles or characteristics of urban centres in a COVID-19 affected environment.

In 2021, researchers from RMIT University developed a 'playful parklet' - a small, portable public space for free public use that can be temporarily installed on kerb-side car parking spaces. This report evaluates the success of the project.

Several capital cities in Australia, albeit to differing degrees and scope, have been embedding local living policies in their metropolitan strategies. This paper's comparative overview of such policies from Australia and overseas, identified salient differences and commonalities.

This study examines access to and quality of public open space and young children’s mental health across eight Australian capital cities using a unique population linked dataset, the Australian Early Development Census—Built Environment.

This paper examines evidence of the outcomes of a NSW planning policy that provides a state-wide density bonus for infill, multi-unit housing projects that dedicate at least 20% of gross floor area for affordable rental housing.