As our cities and urban populations continue to grow, Griffith University’s Cities Research Institute is bringing considerable expertise to a challenging issue.
Previously the Urban Research Program, the Cities Research Institute launched in May 2017 and is capitalising on knowledge and experience from several disciplines.
With around 70 academic members, 35-plus adjunct members and more than 120 PhD scholars, the research team is focused on four key themes:
- intelligent infrastructure
- quality places and changing communities
- smart cities and coastal resilience
- urban water
Institute Director, Professor Paul Burton, says that by tapping into the expertise of transport and land use planners, civil engineers, system modellers, environmental scientists, economic and social researchers, coastal engineers, geographers and architects, ensuing research projects are designed to bring real benefits to cities.
Projects so far have explored issues connected to the Gold Coast light rail system, CityCat ferry systems, green infrastructure for cities, safe and secure housing, disaster resilience, and climate change.
“We know that as our cities grow, they face increasingly complex problems that require more sophisticated and collaborative research if those problems are to be solved,” says Professor Burton.
“A lot of our work is focused on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and South-East Queensland in general, but we have collaborations with other countries, community groups, governments, industry and universities all around the world.”
