Australian cities and their regions are complex adaptive systems in which the most interesting research and policy issues cut across disciplinary boundaries.

Profound problems face all cities including the security of energy and water supplies, air and water pollution, waste management, the wellbeing of residents, social polarisation and change, the impact of labour market restructuring and crises in their transport systems.

The Network will sponsor and sustain multi- and trans-disciplinary research into these problems, explore the reasons for the form and structure of our cities and regions, develop a communication path between academics, industry and government, develop better evidence based city and regional policies, identify new opportunities for the development of cities and regions consistent with the pursuit of environmental sustainabilit.

Cities and urban regions dominate Australian society and economy. Using the results of better multi-disciplinary research to develop evidence based policy will make the cities and regions more environmentally sustainable and will lead to a healthier population making lower demands on limited natural resources and resulting in a stronger more competitive national economy. Better understanding of who generates them and where and how environmental stresses are generated will lead to a more informed community that will be better prepared to moderate its own consumption and sponsor and support policies designed to facilitate the transition to greater environmental sustainability.

Word document or PDF document