The theme of this article is current developments in community governance (see, for example, Rolfe, 2016), but it comes with a warning: this is an area where definitions are extremely difficult and it is easy to become distracted by semantics, rather than focused on the substance. Discussion is further complicated by the variety of practice...

In local communities, the civically engaged – the people who vote, volunteer and connect with those around them – play a key role in community life. Thus, how and to what degree they stay informed about their communities carries added weight. A new study by Pew Research Center in association with the John S. and...

This article considers the changing expectations of communities towards local government, and looks at the inherent opportunities local governments possess to appreciate the unique needs of their own regions, and if able to access the right support from other levels of government, to deliver solutions that effectively address the needs of those communities. The ideas...

The Youth Engaged Policy (YEP) project found that positive views of the role young people should play in policy making are not always evidence in practice. While there are some stand-out mechanisms for consultation and collaboration there is no comprehensive understanding or approach to youth engagement. From the perspective of policy practitioners and young people...

Community playgroups have significant social and economic benefits not just for children but also for their parents, particularly mothers, finds this report. Relationships Matter: The Social and Economic Benefits of Community Playgroups, funded by Playgroup Australia and undertaken by RMIT University’s Centre for Urban Research (CUR), identifies the benefits playgroups afford parents across the social...