Regional Development in Global Context is a research and teaching program of RMIT’s School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning. Design and Social Context Portfolio. Our program focuses on participatory, sustainable and integrated development processes in the geographical context of regions.

Regions are geographical areas large enough to have an impact in competitive globalised economies, yet small enough to share a sense of common identity. As the meeting point between grassroots action and top-down coordination, regions are increasingly considered an important unit for organising development processes.

Our program has a particular interest in the relationship between cities and their broader regions. We promote an integrated approach to regional development which acknowledges rural–urban interdependencies. Located in a rural region with strong ties to the metropolitan centre of Melbourne, our research program addresses the need to share information and expertise across the rural–urban divide and to consider development issues in their larger context.

Regional Development in Global Context conducts applied research and research training in order to facilitate a constructive, creative interchange between academic and non-academic sources of knowledge about regional development. We actively encourage community and practitioner involvement in research processes, through research training, research facilitation, and participatory research partnerships both within Australia and abroad.

Our program is located at RMIT’s Hamilton site in Victoria’s Western District.

The Regional Development in Global Context program has three thematic areas:

Participatory Development

This theme is based upon the principle that ‘good development’ is defined not just by absolute benefits generated, but also by the equitable distribution of benefits. Participatory development encompasses democratic approaches to governance, ‘community engagement’, development for disadvantaged groups, multicultural approaches to development, and rural young people’s issues and perspectives – seeking to influence development policy and practice.

Culture, Environment and Integrated Development

This theme recognises the interrelationships among different aspects of sustainable regional development (economic, environmental, social, and cultural). We focus on the overarching ‘cultural context’ of development decision-making – values, worldviews, language, and institutions – in both urban and rural contexts, to understand how choices are made about natural resource management, local economic development, new industries, social-service provision, and other key development policy areas.

Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Global Context

This theme seeks to understand the role of creativity and ‘edge ideas’ in development processes, particularly in a context of global competitiveness. We consider the institutional structures that promote or restrain creativity and entrepreneurship for individuals, organisations, communities, and regions as a whole.

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