Australia’s new cities: past present and future

To conceptualise Australia’s urban future, we must not only look beyond metropolitan boundaries, but also to successful—and failed—past projects and visions for population relocation, placement, and growth.

Australia’s new cities: past present and future

This project aims to investigate the conceptualisation, creation and promotion of new cities in Australia since the mid-20th century. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of urban planning and architectural history, leading to new understandings of community engagement with planning and architecture and dialogue on decentralisation, housing affordability and metropolitan primacy. Expected outcomes of this project include contribution to the national conversation regarding political vision for large-scale infrastructure through a book, short film and media engagement on the topic. This project should provide significant benefits to community dialogue on issues of heritage, housing and environment.

Project details

Major sponsor

Australian Research Council

Research partners

University of Melbourne
University of New South Wales
University of Western Australia
Monash University

Project team

A/Prof David Nichols
Prof Robert Freestone
Prof Paul Walker
Dr Elizabeth Taylor
Dr Julian Bolleter
Dr Nicola Pullan (Research Assistant)
Victoria Kolankiewicz (Research Assistant)

Key contact

A/Prof David Nichols