Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

RMIT University is a global leader in advancing Sustainable Cities and Communities, ranking 5th in Australia and 20th worldwide for its contributions.

RMIT contributes to creating more inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities through research, education and partnerships that address urban challenges. 

Researchers work with governments, industry and communities to improve housing, transport, urban design, public health and climate resilience. 

Drawing on expertise across disciplines, RMIT helps develop evidence-based solutions that support the future wellbeing, sustainability and liveability of cities and communities in Australia and around the world.

Highlights of recent SDG 11 aligned activity are included below, with more information available in our 2025 Sustainability Annual Report (PDF 13 MB), with our 11 years of reporting progress outlined on the Sustainability Annual Report webpage.

Broader sustainability contributions are also highlighted in our organisational Annual Report, which are tabled in the Victorian Parliament.

2025 Case Studies

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RMIT researchers were recognised with a Nobel Sustainability Award in 2025 for their contribution to the Global Observatory of Healthy and Sustainable Cities (GOHSC), an international initiative that measures and promotes healthier urban environments.

The Observatory develops open-access indicators that help cities assess factors such as walkability, access to public transport, public space and healthy neighbourhood design. 

By generating evidence that supports better urban planning and decision-making, GOHSC helps governments and communities create cities that are healthier, more liveable and environmentally sustainable. The network now connects hundreds of researchers and practitioners across cities around the world.

RMIT researchers are contributing to conversations about the future of affordable and sustainable housing through the Barkly Street Public Housing Estate Future Visions project. 

In 2025, researchers examined alternatives to the demolition and redevelopment of Melbourne's public housing towers, finding that upgrading existing buildings and delivering infill development could provide better social, environmental and economic outcomes. 

The research showed retrofit approaches could significantly reduce carbon emissions while helping communities remain connected to existing services, support networks and neighbourhoods. Through evidence-based research, RMIT is helping inform more inclusive and sustainable approaches to urban development.

Launched in 2025, the RMIT Urban Dynamics (RUDY) Node is helping improve the way cities are planned and managed through advanced urban data and modelling technologies. 

As part of the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN), researchers are developing digital twins, AI-enabled mapping tools and analytical platforms that support evidence-based decision-making. 

These technologies help governments, planners and researchers better understand urban environments, improve sustainability planning and create more resilient and liveable communities.

2024 Case Studies

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Rapid urban development and population growth pose challenges for creating sustainable, liveable, and healthy cities. Globally, this has underscored the need for sustainable urban planning to ensure equitable access to essential services. 

Professor Melanie Davern at RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research leads a research team that has developed the Australian Urban Observatory (AUO), a platform that transforms complex urban data into liveability maps for major cities. 

These maps, based on research linking environment and public health, provide insights into health-related factors. The AUO uses GIS maps to show data on walkability, public transport, and more, aligning with government policies. Widely used by policymakers and developers, the platform aids in enhancing infrastructure and investment decisions. Since 2020, the AUO has expanded from measuring liveability in 21 cities to becoming a successful startup.

In 2024, the National Growth Areas Alliance collaborated with the AUO to create customised City Liveability Scorecards for Outer Growth Areas using 2021 data. Scorecards will be developed for five Australian capitals: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. The project is ongoing, with the team refining indicators to track liveability and improve global city planning.

RMIT University is leading the creation of the world-call City North Social Innovation Precinct, a major urban renewal initiative funded through the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund. 

Designed to foster inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities, the precinct will connect research, education, industry, and government to tackle social and environmental challenges. It will support sustainable urbanisation by creating innovation ecosystems focused on social impact, climate transition, and equitable access to skills and opportunity. 

The project embeds sustainability principles into planning and design, promoting compact and inclusive development, sustainable transport, and responsible land use. 

Early initiatives such as the Social Innovation Hub, Workforce Innovation and Development Institute, and Health Transformation Lab demonstrate the precinct’s contribution to sustainable cities and communities by advancing integrated, people-centred approaches to urban development that strengthen community resilience and local innovation capacity.

RMIT Europe’s panel event during Barcelona’s Architecture Weeks 2024 showcased the globally recognised Superblocks model, aligning with RMIT University’s commitment to building resilient infrastructure, fostering innovation, and supporting inclusive, sustainable industrialisation.  

Led by urban ecologist Salvador Rueda Palenzuela, the discussion explored how the Superblocks approach reimagines urban spaces, prioritising pedestrians, enhancing green areas, and improving sustainability and liveability.  

The event brought together experts from RMIT and local partners to address practical challenges and solutions for city transformation, reflecting RMIT’s ongoing collaborative efforts in infrastructure development and urban innovation.  

By engaging in research, educational initiatives, and partnerships like the Memorandum of Understanding with the Fundacion Ecología Urbana y Territorial, RMIT advances measurable progress in quality infrastructure and community-focused innovation, supporting SDG 9 and shaping the sustainable cities and industries of the future. 

SDG Alignment Mapping Overview

As reported in the 2025 Sustainability Annual Report, there were 120 course units and 284 research projects aligned with SDG 11 in 2025, representing a wide range of initiatives related to sustainable cities and communities. 

Other SDG alignment insights are captured in the data below.

120 Course Units

284 Research Projects

37 International Research Partnerships

227 Publications

  RMIT Global Average
Publications in Top 25% Journal Percentiles by SIR (%) 84.5 61.5
Citations per Publication 3.5 2.3
Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) 1.9 39%
National Contribution (%) 6.9% N/A
International Collaboration  52.0 24.1
Developing Country Collaboration (%) 39% N/A
Low to Lower-Middle Income Country Collaboration (%) 15% N/A

Research Projects and Initiatives Over the Years

The following research projects have been specifically aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the aim to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. These projects and initiatives are examples of the University’s contribution to the SDGs over the years.

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Improved Urban Systems for Liveability

This project investigates how major cities function and the effects of their land-use, housing and infrastructure systems on the humans that live in them.

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Aquatic Pollution Prevention Partnership

The aims of this research partnership between Melbourne Water and RMIT University is to help prevent aquatic pollution.

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Engineering solutions for informal settlements in Honiara, Solomon Islands

Based on technical site visits and self-identified community needs, RMIT University engineers from different disciplines are designing solutions to mitigate water, sanitation, drainage, waste, and flood risks in five highly vulnerable settlements in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

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Creating Liveable Cities in Australia

Creating Liveable Cities in Australia is the first “baseline” measure of liveability in Australia’s state and territory capitals.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples