Harnessing complex
data for future needs

The Australian Urban Observatory is a ground-breaking digital platform that transforms complex data into easily understood indicators presented as maps of liveability across Australia’s largest cities. Register now to login and view the liveability of your local area.
For Planners and Policymakers
Are you a Planner or Policy Maker trying to find ways to improve the health and liveability of your city?
The Australian Urban Observatory enables you to understand walkability, access to schools, public transport and public open spaces in each of your neighbourhoods, to help decide which areas and people need resources the most.
You can also look at other neighbourhoods and suburbs across the country to find out what is working in comparable geographic or demographic areas.
For Developers and Consultants
Maybe you’re a Developer or Design Consultant looking for the next place to invest or how your project can improve liveability for the surrounding community?
The AUO connects your project with meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility targets. You can start by looking at indicators of housing, local employment, access to shops or community services at the suburb level and then narrow right down to the small local neighbourhood level.
For Teachers, Students and Journalists
Perhaps you are a Teacher or Student exploring liveability in Australia? Or a Journalist trying to understand the impacts of liveabilty for people and communities.
The AUO provides a unique resource measuring the major influences of liveability and shows how liveability changes across different locations and cities, leveraging years of evidence based research from RMIT University.
The Australian Urban Observatory was featured in a recent article in The Age. What can Melburnians learn about their suburb […]
Join RMIT University and the Urban Futures Capability Platform for two fantastic Active Transport webinars on Wednesday 3rd June. The […]
Researchers from RMIT University’s Healthy Liveable Cities Group and Cambridge University have been awarded over $800,000 in funding for a […]
UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and the World Health Organization has released a new sourcebook ‘Integrating health in urban […]
These new indicators are designed to support communities as they respond to COVID-19, enabling a more granular analysis of community access to Public Open […]
RMIT University has launched a new public-facing research website and (of course!) two of our Healthy Liveable Cities Group researchers, […]
“One of the most important messages from government during the pandemic has been to work from home if you can. […]
RMIT researchers and the Victorian Department of Transport launch a new digital tool to measure the health impacts of replacing […]
Two projects out of the Centre for Urban Research were recognised at last week’s 2021 PIA Victoria Awards for Planning […]
Want to understand how we can better support walkability, physical activity and community health in rural and regional Australia? Communities […]
Both, A.; Gunn, L.; Higgs, C.; Davern, M.; Jafari, A.; Boulange, C.; Giles-Corti, B. Achieving ‘Active’ 30 Minute Cities: How […]
A suite of new free online courses is set to equip urban professionals with the skills needed to tackle the […]
We are proud to announce that the Australia Urban Observatory’s Director, Associate Professor Melanie Davern, was a part of the […]
The Australian Urban Observatory and our Director Associate Professor Melanie Davern are so pleased to be part of the research […]
Public participation in planning and urban design has a long history that can be traced back over the past century to seminal […]
The average distance to the nearest doctor is more than 9km in some metropolitan areas, according to new data from […]