Professor Ralph Horne

Research overview

Ralph Horne has research expertise in urban social and policy change for sustainable design and development. He has extensive experience in environmental techniques and sustainability appraisal and has a specific research interest in low carbon urban transitions. He combines research leadership and participation in projects concerning the environmental, social and policy context of production and consumption in the urban environment.

Research projects

A selection of recent Category 1 grants includes:

2014–2018 Project HOME – Housing Outcomes Metrics and Evaluation. ARC LP150100089 with partners State Government; City of Melbourne, MIRVAC, SJB Urban. With Dr A. Martel, Professor G. London, Professor M. Carmona and Professor C. Fudge.

2013–2016 Decision-making for lifetime affordable and tenable city housing. ARC LP130100008 with partners; SJB Urban, VicUrban. With Professor L. Padgham and PIs P. Byrne and S. McPherson.

2013–2014 Living Change: Adaptive housing responses to climate change in the town camps of Alice Springs, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Fund.

2010–2013 Understanding the patterns, characteristics and trends in the housing sector labour force in Australia. Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute Project 30634. With Professor T. Dalton and Professor P. Chettri.

2010–2013 Current labour processes and management of subcontractors: impacts on productivity in the housing construction industry. Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Project 30643. With Professor T. Dalton and Professor R. Wakefield. 

2009–2012 More than a Roof Overhead: Meeting the Need for a Sustainable Housing System in Remote Indigenous Communities. ARC Linkage, LP0883615 with partners; Department of Housing and Works WA, Indigenous Business Australia, Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation, Northern Territory of Australia, Centre for Appropriate Technology. With Professors R. Wakefield, J. Fien, M. Christie, J. Altman and Dr E. Charlesworth.

2007–2011 Lifetime Affordable Housing in Australia: Integrating environmental performance and affordability. ARC LP0776834 with partners; Land Management Corporation (SA), VicUrban (VIC), Building Commission (VIC). With Professors M. Berry, S. Hamnett and Associate Professor J. Kellett. 

2007–2010 Carbon neutral communities: making the transition. ARC LP0775120 with partners; State of Victoria – Department of Justice, Moreland Energy Foundation, Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action, Manningham City Council, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, City of Darebin, City of Playford (SA). With Professors J. Fien, S. Hamnett and Associate Professor J. Kellett.

Research supervision

Ralph is a registered research supervisor in the following areas:

• Low carbon urban transitions, retrofitting and compact cities.
• Housing and households, zero emission affordable and quality housing design and production, and the lived experience of households, including in indigenous Australia and Latin America.
• Resilient urban futures, including socio-technical change, climate action planning and sustainability appraisal, in Australia, UK and South East Asian contexts.

• BSc (Hons), MSc Salford (UK), PhD SHU (UK)

Ralph enjoys a wide network of industry partnerships. He has acted as Chief Investigator in over 100 industry-linked research projects across the built environment, urban sustainability and social change since 2005. He has also held the following current and recent relevant non-academic roles:

2014–present: Incoming Director, Cities Programme, the urban arm of the United Nations Global Compact.

2010–2013: Director, Green Building Council of Australia.

2008–2012: Council member, Built Environment Industry Innovation Council, Commonwealth Government, Australia.

2005–2012: Director, Centre for Design, RMIT University, Australia.