Riverwood North is a large public housing estate in Sydney’s inner southwest. The NSW State Government has awarded Payce Communities the tender to regenerate the estate. Initiated in 2011 and also involving St George Community Housing Ltd (SGCH Ltd), the project is scheduled for completion between 2016 and 2020. It will include replacement of some 180 public housing units with 650 new homes – the majority for open market sale.

In addition to housing densification and diversification, the scheme will also include a new library, a community centre, retail provision, as well as a public park and other public open spaces. As part of the overall package, numerous social inclusion initiatives are also being rolled out.

Commencing in 2014, City Futures is undertaking a formative evaluation of the project. This encompasses (1) residents of the newly built homes; (2) former tenants displaced from the estate due to demolition (and are either not eligible or not taking up the opportunity to return), and (3) residents of the remainder of the Riverwood Estate not directly impacted by the physical renewal. It aims to reflect opportunities for residents to engage and contribute to decisions about the renewal, physical and social impacts of the renewal activities, and outcomes of the introducing large numbers of private households into the area.

Evaluation fieldwork takes a mixed-method approach and is undertaken in three waves, in 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2017/18. This includes:

• A residents survey
• Key stakeholder interviews
• Resident focus group meetings and in-depth interviews
• Secondary data analysis