Harnessing data to drive liveability
RMIT University in Melbourne is collaborating with government and industry partners, including Stockland, on an innovative data sharing project which aims to create more sustainable, liveable and healthier communities.
Led by RMIT’s Professor Melanie Davern, the Australian Urban Observatory (AUO) is a digital platform which aggregates detailed insights to drive tangible improvements in the liveability of urban developments.
The Observatory uses geographic information system (GIS) spatial maps to display public health data across criteria such as walkability, public transport, social infrastructure and services, employment, food, housing and public open space.
“Each indicator in the platform has been chosen because it is associated with health outcomes,” Professor Davern said.
Professor Davern said that Australia’s rapidly growing population and changing demographics were creating “critical, economic and environmental challenges” which required a transformation in urban planning.
Launched in 2020 to measure liveability across cities, council areas, suburbs and neighbourhoods in 21 of Australia’s largest cities, the AUO has become an important national resource for policymakers, planners and developers.
Stockland is using the AUO to inform decision making across masterplanned communities as part of the implementation of the company’s overarching Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. The AUO is one of a number of empirical research and data sources used to evidence and address gaps and opportunities which can optimise the social impact of Stockland’s developments and enhance wellbeing outcomes for our customers.
Justine Felton, Group Social Sustainability Manager at Stockland said Stockland wanted to investigate how best to enable an approach to social impact that was evidence-based and impact-orientated.
“This was our whole focus from a social sustainability perspective. We needed to take an ‘outside-in’ perspective, to better understand the unmet need within our communities, and what role Stockland could play to address that need.
“When looking at all the indicators, we recognise the impact that we have on individuals and communities with the social infrastructure that we provide, and how important it is to get that right,” she said.
Evidence from the AUO has been embedded in Stockland’s Social Needs Analysis and Social IQ tools which help Stockland better identify community needs and measure social value.
“Now, more than ever, impartiality and credibility are key in social impact measurement and our partnership with the AUO enables this. This evidence influences the design across our masterplan communities and helps us deliver on our vision of ‘a better place to live’,” said Justine.
Related Articles
