Urban Research Program
Established in 2003 as a strategic research and community engagement initiative of Griffith University, we are now the largest dedicated urban research grouping in Australia.
The strategic foci of the URP are research and advocacy in an urban and regional context. We seek to improve understanding of, and develop innovative responses to Australia's urban challenges and opportunities by conducting and disseminating research, advocating new policy directions, and by providing training assistance. Our research produces new knowledge for policy, regulatory and community frameworks that seek to manage change and engender sustainable urban development.
In our research we are confronted by two fundamental questions:
What is the nature of Australian urbanisation in its contemporary and historical context?
How can research inform - that is, strengthen and improve - policy and regulatory frameworks that seek to manage change, and to engender sustainable urban development?
The URP is actively engaged in the wider research community of Griffith University and beyond, forming a network of research expertise that spans social, human and physical sciences.
News
URP indigenous landscape values and regional planning project wins state planning awards
The Urban Research Program's research into the identification and incorporation of indigenous landscape values into regional planning processes has received the highest award at the recent PIA (Queensland Division) planning awards.
URP projects receive $1.3M in ARC national funding
The Urban Research Program has been awarded more than $1.3 million for five research grants from the ARC Linkage and Discovery Projects scheme and government and industry partners. This forms part of Griffith's $9.7M funding for 28 ARC funded projects.
Events
Dr Caryl Bosman examines the histories of placemaking in a hyper-neoliberal tourist city. Seminar to be held on Friday 12th February at the Gold Coast campus. URP seminar flyer - Bosman (PDF 93k)
3rd Housing theory symposium, 18-19 February 2010
Hosted by the URP, this symposium brings together housing researchers with an interest in housing theory. The overarching theme for the symposium is Changing landscapes: Housing, history and climate change. Further details can be found on the symposium website.
Dr Jason Byrne looks at the challenges facing planning in the rapidly urbanising subtropical cities in China. Seminar to be held on Friday 26th February at the Gold Coast campus. URP seminar flyer - Byrne (PDF 93k)