City Futures Research Centre Arts, Design and Architecture

The precarious city: the suburban settlement in an age of uncertainty

This project will investigate the disintegration of two interrelated pillars of Australia’s post-war ‘suburban settlement’ – home ownership and income security – and the consequences of this for patterns of urban change. Drawing on the concept of social citizenship, the project will explore the implications of this process through the life trajectories of 25 to 40 year olds. The research will generate new knowledge by extending our understanding of how structural changes in employment opportunities are disrupting established patterns of housing demand for this group. The knowledge generated will inform policy makers and wider debates on the longer term implications of the break-down of home ownership on the Australian model of citizenship.