About

What We Do

As a cross-faculty initiative at the University of Melbourne, we tackle complex urban challenges – including inequality, climate change, biodiversity loss and technological disruption – through trans-disciplinary, globally engaged research that transcends traditional academic silos.

We cultivate bold, ambitious research by connecting our scholars with city leaders, communities and international networks. Whether curiosity-driven or addressing immediate urban needs, our work advances knowledge while contributing to critical policy debates.

Our place-based partnerships across metropolitan and regional centres in Australia and abroad generate practical solutions that benefit communities, respect Indigenous knowledge, and inform decision-making.

From Parkville to the United Nations, we transform research into meaningful recommendations, innovations and strategies that help cities and their citizens thrive.

Why Cities?

Cities are places of learning, innovation, creativity and fun, home to diverse cultures and critical habitats for humans and other creatures. They are also complex environments with unique challenges and opportunities.

With most of the world's population living in urban areas, and global issues like climate change, inequality, public health and technological disruption manifesting most intensely in urban contexts, cities are the most impactful places where we can achieve scalable, just, evidence-based change.

Cities are foundational to our future. To realise their potential, they require a sustained, cross-disciplinary, specialist focus.