We're excited to be a founding member of the freshly launched Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies!

The Alliance is formed around a shared vision of interdisciplinary and human-centred urban research.

Learn more: news.smu.edu.sg/news/2025/07...

Tomorrow night from 4-5pm AEST, join us online for this month's Retrofit Forum on Retrofitting for Accessibility and Inclusion - with Jean Hewitt (UCL), Kirsten Day and Andrew Martel (University of Melbourne)!

To register: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/retrofit-f...

A promotional image for the Australia-China Local Government Exchange, featuring a black and white photograph of an office building. Text on the image includes a link to further details and an application form for the program: www.unimelb.edu.au/cities/2025masterclass

Applications are now open for the Australia-China Local Government Exchange, a specialist track of the City Diplomacy Masterclass!

Applications close Friday 27 June.

For details and to apply: www.unimelb.edu.au/cities/2025m...

In the crisp night air, these workers toil in a 'hidden' workforce While most of Australia is sleeping, more than 1 million workers are supporting the $174 billion night-time economy.

Our research project on night shift work is featured in this article: we need urban design that takes into account the needs of night workers #cities www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03...

Flyer for the UN ESCAP 81st Commission Side Event session on Oceanic Pathways to Sustainable Cities and Towns, showing panellists, who include: Andie Foy Tong, Head, ESCAP Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Virginia Dawson, Director of Policy, Pacific Island Forum Secretariat Hon. Maciu Katamotu Nalumisa, Minister for Housing and Local Government, Fiji Government Hon. Rexson Ramofafia, Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination, Solomon Islands Government Governor Hon. Powes Parkop, NCD Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Sri Popuri, Chief, UN-Habitat Multi Country Programme Office - South and South East Asia

I'm in Bangkok this week at the 🇺🇳 @unescap.bsky.social 81st Commission, which for the first time is focused on #SustainableUrbanization 🏙️

Tomorrow we have an amazing high-level panel, reflecting on the #BluePacific's unique pathways to sustainable cities & towns.

Join Us: 🎟️ go.unimelb.edu.au/p8ep

Doctoral academy flyer, featuring a sunrise over the Port of Honiara, Solomon Islands

Every year we run a 6 month doctoral academy for PhD candidates based in Melbourne (at any university!).

Horizons 2025 – run jointly with RMIT's Centre for Urban Research – is calling for EOIs ... closing March 28th:

Apply below:
q.surveys.unimelb.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_...

Details : Research Fellow, Urban Resilience : The University of Melbourne Careers at The University of Melbourne

Our colleagues at the @centre4cities.bsky.social and the Informal Urbanism Research Hub are looking for a Research Fellow to contribute to the Bottom-Up Urban Resilience project. jobs.staff.unimelb.edu.au/ci/en/job/91...
#AcademicSky #AcademicJobs

Last night the Night Shift project at the @centre4cities.bsky.social led a night walk around the Melbourne CBD, talking about night shift workers in a city designed for daytime - part of the Being Human Festival 2024 #cities #night #work

... and last but not least @rogerjburrows.bsky.social - Centre Honorary Professorial Fellow - is a PI on DP250100387: Young People, Fintech Use and Future Financial Security, led by colleagues at Newcastle Uni. (5/5)

Congrats to all! 🥳 A big 2025 ahead..

A/Prof Bianca Fileborn - @snappyalligator.bsky.social - with colleagues from #UniMelb's Faculties of Arts; Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences; the Melbourne Law School & Newcastle Uni were awarded DP250101545: Sexual violence against older women: Enhancing recognition and response
(4/5)

Then, our former Director of Research Capability Prof David Bissell in #UniMelb Geography has not one but *two* successful projects:

- DP250100058: Mobilities of displacement in Australia's private rental housing crisis

- DP250100067: Equitable reskilling for the future of work (3/5)

First up, a Prof Sarah Bell & A/Prof Crystal Legacy - DP250103127 on Bottom-Up #UrbanResilience 🏙️ Community Networks in Infrastructure Governance. This project aims to answer the question: How do community networks influence governance for infrastructure resilience? (2/5)

Some brilliant ARC #DP25 results for the Centre crew here at #UniMelb📯

A quick thread (1/5)

We rated the urban forests of 8 global cities – only Singapore passed the 30% canopy test Have you heard of the 3+30+300 rule for urban forestry? See how Melbourne and Sydney compare to New York, Denver, Seattle, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam and Singapore on trees, canopy and park proximity.

New paper from my colleagues Thami Croeser, Sarah Bekessy (not on here yet) and Wolfgang Weisser @terrecolgroup.bsky.social
testing how different cities perform against the 3-30-300 #urbangreening rule.
🌏🧪
theconversation.com/we-rated-the...

Map of the Month Overview YouTube video by Melbourne Centre For Cities

Fair to say a number of us at the Centre for Cities *quite* like #maps 🗺️ ... so for those of you here for #geosky & #gischat, here's a snapshot of our Map of the Month project, led by Research Fellow @ika-t.bsky.social 🎥👇

A blue square tile contains information about the Superb City Wrens "wren-watch", the SCWs logo and a male superb fairy-wren perched on a twig. The text reads: "Join the Melbourne-wide November Wren-watch! Spend 15 minutes looking for Superb Fairy-wrens & other small urban birds between 24th-30th November. Record your sightings using the iNaturalist app. Come to the free lunchtime webinar on Weds 27th Nov!"

Melbourne-based folks!
The #SuperbCityWrens team are partnering with 14 LGAs and community groups across Greater Melbourne to conduct the first-ever city-wide 'Wren-Watch'!🐦
superbcitywrens.com/2024/11/07/m...
The #urbanBird bioblitz is from 24th – 30th November, check link for info!
🧪🌏🪶 #wildOz

A massive ground mural by Kitt Bennett in Melbourne, Australia, depicting a skeletal figure with pink hair lying on its back, seemingly engrossed in a smartphone held in one bony hand. The skeleton wears a large sneaker with a smiley face design on one foot, while its other foot rests on a cartoonish skull. The artwork spans an abandoned lot, surrounded by graffiti-covered walls and parked cars. The sheer scale of the mural creates a striking aerial perspective, blending elements of dark humor with urban decay in this captivating street art piece.

By Kitt Benett in Melbourne, Australia.
-
The Top 5 Must-See Street Art Hotspots Around the World: streetartutopia.com/2024/11/17/t...

... and a few more here:
go.bsky.app/JSr8Ete

👋 we have a few! Great idea starting this up btw..

a polar bear cub is laying in the dirt next to a tire . Alt: A white bear with matted fur waking up from hibernation and looking around its enclosure.

Alright #urbanists, it's been a while since we were last here but Bluesky seems to be finally picking up!

Starter pack of #UniMelb Centre for Cities folk & friends incoming shortly ... in the mean time say hello & give us a follow 👋 🌃

The Future of Asian and Pacific Cities 2023: Crisis Resilient Urban Futures ESCAP serves as the United Nations’ regional hub promoting cooperation among countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable development. It is the largest regional intergovernmental platform with 53...

Very excited to be in beautiful Suwon 🇰🇷 for the 8th 🇺🇳 Asia-Pacific Urban Forum!

Tomorrow, the 2023 UN Future of Asian & Pacific Cities Report will be launched with two chapters by our @Centre4Cities.bsky.social team alongside UNESCAP, UN-HABITAT and the ADB.

Can’t wait? Download now!👇

What a wonderful bunch. @centre4cities.bsky.social #horizons #doctoralresearcher academy (this yea open to RMIT VIC University friends too) is always a highlight of the year ⭐️👨🏽‍🎓