To better reflect our mission for urban and regional research, we’ve changed our name to the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative. Our new name continues to recognise the generous legacy of Warren Halloran and his gift to the University of Sydney in honour of his father, Henry Halloran, who was an active advocate for town planning in the first half of the 20th century. Our new name expresses our core goals around promoting urban and regional research and dialogue across the University, profession, public policy and wider community.

In keeping with our commitment to ensure that important research reaches a wide audience, our Postdoctoral Urban Research Translation Scheme provides funding for early-career researchers to disseminate their work to industry, policy makers and or the wider community. Previous grant recipients have explored themes such as housing, infrastructure governance, and community-led urban development. 

Our latest recipient, Dr Emma Lees has been funded to disseminate findings from her doctoral study of cooperative enterprises in Barcelona, including housing cooperatives and more, to Australian built environment professionals. Dr. Emma Lees is currently an Honorary Associate with the Work and Organisational Studies Discipline at the University of Sydney. Congratulations Emma!

Planning reform features heavily in Australia’s housing policy agenda, underpinning the National Housing Accord to deliver 1.2 million homes over the next five years. Australia is not alone: in recent years jurisdictions across the United States and Canada have embarked on or are considering widespread ‘upzoning’ strategies designed to overcome local regulatory constraints on housing development. This event considered the latest policy debates and research on planning reforms and housing outcomes in North America in relation to Australia’s own reform agendas and affordability ambitions, and attracted more than 450 registrations. Our eminent panel included international researchers Dr Tina Stacey from the Urban Institute Washington and Professor Karen Chappel, Director of Toronto’s School of Cities and outstanding Australian researchers and practitioners.

Our research incubator on Climate Change, Place, and Mental Health has launched its webinar series with a discussion on the mental health impacts of mould exposure in housing. Presentations by Maria Gatto (University of Melbourne), Zuzia Buszewicz (Tenants' Union of NSW), and Associate Professor Arianna Brambilla (University of Sydney) offered valuable insights from the perspectives of public health research, tenant advocacy, and architectural design. The session underscored the complex interplay between environmental conditions, housing quality, and mental health outcomes—particularly in the context of climate change and housing precarity. This important discussion contributes to a growing body of work calling for integrated, evidence-based approaches to healthy housing.

ABC Online - Plans for NSW's largest ever build-to-rent project in Sydney's inner west lodged with government. Professor Nicole Gurran

See our full list of recent media items and commentary here.