Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemLeaving no one behind in the race to net zero: Renters and the renewable energy transition( 2023)Climate justice is now recognised by policymakers around the world as a vital part of climate change strategy. The renewable energy transition in the housing sector has the potential to reduce energy bills and improve quality of life for everyone. However, it is imperative governments take active measures to ensure the benefits of the renewable energy transition are equitably distributed. Dwellings in the private rental sector typically have lower rates of energy efficiency and renewable energy technology than those which are owner-occupied. Renters are therefore more susceptible to rising energy prices, which is likely to get worse with climate change as more frequent and intense weather events place an upward pressure on energy consumption. This minor thesis investigates how government policy addresses the renewable energy transition in the private rental sector from a climate justice perspective. Research methods comprise qualitative policy analysis and interviews with key stakeholders. Two Australian inner-city municipalities with a high proportion of renters serve as case studies. Based on the findings, a more tailored policy approach towards the private rental sector is considered necessary to ensure no one is left behind in the renewable energy transition.
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ItemConsolidating the Australian Dream: Housing Aspirations of Young Adults in Melbourne( 2022)The notion of ‘home’ as a house on a large block of land has been a key ideal of a longstanding ‘Australian Dream’. Chasing the Australian Dream is common in the psyche of a settler-colonial and immigrant society where, for several generations now, it has often meant a ticket to financial profit, conventional family comfort and a stake in the political agenda. The cultural concept is oft considered to be a powerful social norm in Australia, so much so that there continues to be de-facto democratic support for urban sprawl and restrictions on densification in established residential neighbourhoods, despite the impacts on sustainability and social equity. The thesis takes an exploratory approach to better understand how ideals of the Australian Dream may or may not be influencing the kinds of housing and neighbourhoods that young adults actually want to live in. An online survey was created in an attempt to answer the following research questions; 1) to what extent do young adults living in Melbourne aspire towards the Australian Dream?, and 2) what kinds of housing and neighbourhoods do young adults wish to see more of in Melbourne? Overall, the results show that ideals of the Australian Dream were substantially more private and inward focused than the contemporary issues that young adults were concerned about when considering notions of home. Young adults overwhelmingly prioritised proximity to services and public transport over dwelling size, amount of storage and private features. Despite some limitations in the sampling and survey methodology, the implications of this research are that much more needs to be done to plan and deliver on 20-minute neighbourhoods and to open up space for more medium density mixed use housing, particularly across established inner and middle suburbs of Melbourne.
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ItemDensity in the Backyard: Infill Potential of Tiny Houses on Wheels( 2022)Strategic planning documents in Victoria push for increased urban density, while also espousing the virtues and necessity of sustainable urban development. Yet, there are not clear strategies about what form these increases of density will take. It is broadly assumed that densification equates to replacing single dwellings on a lot with multi-dwelling developments such as apartment buildings. Other potential forms of densification are rarely addressed within planning strategy, and thus those alternate typologies, such as certain types of small secondary dwellings, find themselves in a liminal space, neither explicitly permitted nor disallowed within the Victorian Planning Provisions. Small secondary dwelling typologies, such as tiny houses, may provide an alternate solution to demolish-rebuild strategies for increasing urban density. An analysis of relevant Victorian planning policy documents and discussions with people looking for alternatives to traditional housing typologies suggests tiny houses have potential to be one viable method of increasing urban density and providing sustainable urban infill options in Victoria, Australia.