Papers/abstracts should relate to ONE of the following streams:

Further details as to the type of issues (which are by no means exhaustive) that might be explored within each stream are outlined in the links above.

CONTEXT

Until the emergence of the US-based sub-prime housing crisis in 2007 and the 'credit crunch' of 2008, Australia had enjoyed more than a decade of continual economic growth, with most of Australia's major metropolitan areas expanding outwards to and beyond the urban fringe and upwards in inner city areas, in order to satisfy the search of the great Australian dream or more dynamic and convenient lifestyles and living spaces.

Many Australians have, until recently, enjoyed the benefits of economic growth and easy access to credit. Ultimately, however, questions hang over the sustainability of our ever increasing consumerist and materialistic way of life. Whilst this growth has brought many benefits, these have not been universally experienced across and within Australian capital cities. Surging property prices fuelled by a complex mix of factors have given rise to a housing affordability crisis within the public and private housing sectors. Relatedly, the middle and outer ring suburbs are increasingly characterised as 'dumping grounds' populated by residualised and socially excluded communities that lack adequate access to social services and infrastructure. Urban expansion towards the fringe and along the coastline have also had environmental consequences, as well as raising policy questions about the provision and consumption of hard and soft infrastructure within new outer suburban areas.

Ultimately, the dynamic changes that have taken place during the long boom and the changes taking place now and into the future as the current global economic downturn solidifies raises a plethora of academic and policy questions and challenges as to the direction, extent, location and nature of urban sustainability within Australia/New Zealand. It is clear that sustainability is high on the national policy agenda of Kevin Rudd’s Labor Government. There are also emerging signs that 'urban policy' is creeping its way back up the national policy agenda with the establishment of Infrastructure Australia chaired by Sir Rod Eddington (an invited keynote speaker for SOAC 2009), which has identified urban sustainability as a key goal of the Major Cities Unit.

It is within this context of global economic and national (and state) political change that we invite papers (peer and non-peer reviewed) and research posters from academic researchers (established and early career) and policymakers/researchers that explore what has happened, what the future might hold and what can and must be done by policymakers, the free market and society in general to enhance vitality, reduce vulnerability and improve sustainability across and within metropolitan Australia and New Zealand.

The Conference has several broad aims/objectives: