Urban Transformations Research Centre (UTRC)
Our Mission
The Urban Transformations Research Centre mission is three-fold:
- To transform our communities and infrastructure into sustainable, equitable and resilient futures.
- To deliver action-oriented research and innovation in partnership with industry and society.
- To lead urban transformations research and innovation in Western Sydney and across the world.
Highlights
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NSW Affordable Housing Network
UTRC is helping lead a new statewide collaboration to address one of the state’s most urgent challenges: housing affordability, supply, and long-term resilience.
The Right to Power Report Launch
Led by First Nations’ researchers and energy experts, including UTRC’s Dr Tom Longden, this report exposes the impacts of energy disconnections on community wellbeing and sets out community-led pathways to a fairer energy future.
Unlocking Possibilities with UTRC
The Urban Transformations Research Centre addresses one of the greatest challenges facing humankind: making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
News & Events
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Green Steel, Faster Homes: A Win-Win Australia-China Trade Corridor
Australia and China could develop a staged, well-regulated trade corridor that links Australia’s emerging low‑emissions iron and steel supply with China’s high‑volume modular housing manufacturing to accelerate delivery of affordable, low‑carbon homes, write Professor Greg Morrison and Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad.
Health-Centred Climate Adaptation: An Action Guide for Councils
Local governments are at the frontline of climate risk - from extreme heat and flooding to long-term infrastructure stress and rising service demand. Building on peer-reviewed research led by Professor Nicky Morrison, this new resource for Councils has now been released in partnership with the Western Sydney Health Alliance.
Urban bushfire risk rising as climate changes, cities expand
Despite breaking out in the middle of the northern winter, the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fires were a textbook example of the destructive capacity of a wildfire that spreads to a city, explains Professor Sebastian Pfautsch.