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Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute

Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute

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MSSI facilitates interdisciplinary sustainability research across faculties and centres at the University of Melbourne, and promotes research in a way that maximises engagement and impact. MSSI emphasises the contribution of the social sciences and humanities to understanding and addressing sustainability and resilience challenges.

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Past events

Research and Engagement

  • Future Cities

    The Future Cities Research Cluster is a whole-of-university research group seeking to investigate and respond to the challenges facing urban environments.

  • The Climate Reality Project

    The Climate Reality Project’s mission is to catalyse a global solution to the climate crisis.

  • Gippsland Smart Specialisation Strategy

    Taking a place based approach to innovation and sustainable regional development working with and for the local community.

  • Australian Bushfire Prevention

    This project has three broad integrated objectives that aim to reduce the occurrence of bushfire arson.

  • Seed Funded Projects 2020

    Four diverse projects that bring together interdisciplinary teams with a wide range of external partners were successful in securing MSSI seed funding in 2020.

  • Sustainable Food Systems

    Promoting environmentally sustainable, healthy and socially equitable food systems at the University of Melbourne.

  • Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement

    This strategic engagement program has strengthened public discussion and applied research translation on international climate negotiations issues.

  • Suburban Futures

    How can the suburbs be transformed to increase resilience in challenging times? Do we need radical new urban imaginaries to guide this transition?

  • Sustainable Consumption beyond the Growth Economy

    This innovative research program explores the problematic issues of our current growth-orientated economy.

  • Environmental Arts and Humanities Network

    A post-disciplinary space for stories and conversations about art-activist-academic thinking-making-being to support living systems and multispecies justice.

  • Seed Funded Projects 2018/19

    Five diverse projects were successful in securing Climate Transformations seed funding for 2018/19.

  • Collaborative Governance under Austerity: an eight city comparative case study

    The Melbourne case study focused on the revitalisation process of Central Dandenong.

  • Social Sustainability

    Exploring the policy and planning links between land use, transport, environmental sustainability, social inclusion and wellbeing.

  • The Disability Inclusive City

    Investigating the impacts of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on Australia’s cities and urban regions.

  • Indigenous Land and Culture

    Ensuring the protection of iconic natural areas and cultural values.

  • Seed Funded Projects 2019/20

    Three projects were successful in securing Climate Transformations seed funding for 2019/20.

  • New Urban Levers to Address Homelessness

    What new urban levers can the Victorian state rapidly deploy to address Melbourne's homelessness crisis?

  • Regional Arts Collaboration

    Artists connect with regional communities to explore resilience in the face of social and environmental change.

  • Australian Coal Transitions: Research and Dialogue on the Future of Coal

    Strong global climate change mitigation will require a significant decline in coal use.

  • Seed Funded Projects 2021

    Four diverse projects that bring together interdisciplinary teams were successful in securing MSSI seed funding in 2021.

  • Research Impact

    At MSSI we want our research to make a difference. We want our work to have an impact beyond the University, and we want to capture that impact in a strategic way. We’ve started generating Impact Case Studies for some of our research projects, to show how we go about translating research into action.

It is important to us that our research is readily accessible to both the public and the broader research community. All MSSI publications are available for download without charge.

  • Research Papers

  • Issues Papers

  • Briefing Papers

  • Reports and Books

  • Public Lecture Papers

  • MSSI Annual Reports

Recent publications

  • Strategic Planning for Melbourne's Green Wedges

    RESEARCH PAPER
    This paper highlights some critical trade-offs between competing land uses in the Green Wedges, particularly where areas with high biodiversity values are involved.

  • Growing a Clean Economy: Opportunities for Australian States and Territories

    This Discussion Paper presents opportunities for state and territory-level governments to work towards fostering strong economies that facilitate deep emissions reductions by 2050.

  • Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    Explores how we can remain hopeful and courageous in the face of the climate emergency.

  • MSSI Annual Report 2020

    MSSI ANNUAL REPORT

  • Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    Based on walks around their home city, the authors find new ways of seeing and understanding urban life in the 21st century.

  • Developing and Implementing an Approach to Regional Innovation and Development in Gippsland

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    This report outlines the achievements of the first phase of the Gippsland Smart Specialisation Strategy (GS3).

  • Benchmarking Urban Exchanges: Lessons for Melbourne

    RESEARCH PAPER
    This benchmarking report outlines the potential future themes and activities to foster Melbourne’s transition toward a more sustainable and healthier city.

  • Feeling the Heat

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    This book connects international stories on bushfires to provide a unified strategic perspective on the prevention of wildfire ignition.

  • MSSI Annual Report 2019

    MSSI ANNUAL REPORT

  • Land-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Options for Victoria

    This paper finds that there is potential for Victoria's land sector to make a contribution to climate change mitigation through carbon dioxide removal, with significant...

  • EU Study Mission: Innovation Systems in Action

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    Place-based regional innovation in Netherlands and Germany...

  • MSSI Oration 3: Renewing democracy in a time of environmental crisis

    PUBLIC LECTURE PAPER
    Delivered by Dr Rebecca Huntley, one of Australia's foremost researchers on social trends.

  • Central Dandenong: Australia's comeback city? Lessons about revitalisation for diverse places

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    This Research Briefing shares lessons learnt about the experience of revitalisation in Central Dandenong, Melbourne.

  • Growing a Clean Economy: Opportunities for Australian States and Territories

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    This Discussion Paper presents opportunities for state and territory-level governments to work towards fostering strong economies that facilitate deep emissions reductions by 2050.

  • Rein-stating Power – Decarbonisation, Decentralisation and Digitalisation in Electricity

    PUBLIC LECTURE PAPER
    Edited transcript from the Fay Gale Memorial Lecture, presented by Sangeetha Chandrashekeran at the IAG Conference in Hobart, July 2019.

  • Healthy and Sustainable Cities

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    Issues and opportunities in Melbourne’s knowledge system to transition to a healthy and sustainable city...

  • MSSI Oration 2: Resilience in the face of sustainability crises

    PUBLIC LECTURE PAPER
    Prof Lars Coenen presented the second MSSI Oration titled, Resilience in the face of sustainability crises: Is innovation the problem or the answer?

  • Australia's Clean Economy Future: Costs and Benefits

    This cost-benefit analysis finds that developing clean economies, whilst tackling climate change will actually deliver economic benefits.

  • Melbourne: How big, how fast and at what cost?

    RESEARCH PAPER
    Whilst Melbourne has previously been awarded the most ‘liveable city’, it is fast becoming an economically and socially polarised city. Cheaper housing may attract people...

  • MSSI Annual Report 2018

    MSSI ANNUAL REPORT

  • Degrowth 'from below'? The role of urban social movements in a post-capitalist transition

    RESEARCH PAPER
    Capitalism’s limitless growth on a finite planet means the economic system we take for granted could end soon. If so, transformative and sustainable change must...

  • Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary

    BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS
    This book explores how to make the vast suburban landscapes that ring the globe safe and sustainable in the face of planetary ecological crisis.

  • Melbourne Sustainability

    ISSUES PAPER
    Transforming research for a sustainable society. Patrick Troy contributes to a debate about the future of urban life in a situation where the capacities of...

  • Transforming economy, church and society

    PUBLIC LECTURE PAPER
    Edited transcripts by Prof Ross Garnaut, Prof John Langmore, Dr Tim Thornton and Dr Ian Barns, from the Eco-transitions workshop.

Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute (MSSI) acknowledge the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung Peoples of the Kulin Nation as the traditional owners of the unceded land on which the University stands and respectfully recognise Elders past and present.

MSSI was established in 2009 as an Interdisciplinary Research Institute at the University of Melbourne. Our approach includes an emphasis on the contribution of the social sciences to understanding and addressing sustainability and resilience challenges. We are hosted by the Faculty of Architecture, Building & Planning.

Our goals are to enable and support:

  • University of Melbourne, Australian, and international research linkages and partnerships
  • Development and implementation of interdisciplinary research projects
  • Production and dissemination of high impact publications and research findings
  • Post-graduate research and learning
  • Public engagement and debate
  • Institute staff

    Our team of academic, research and professional staff members

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  • Advisory Board

    MSSI enjoys the support of a diverse and vibrant Advisory Board of experts, leaders and champions of sustainability

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  • Executive Committee

    The MSSI Executive Committee consists of academic faculty representatives who provide advice to the Director and act as a conduit for communications across the University

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  • Honoraries and Associates

    MSSI benefits from the knowledge, influence and skills of our Honorary Fellows and Associates

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Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute

Address
Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute
Level 3, Melbourne School of Design (Bldg 133)
Masson Road, The University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3010
Australia
Email
mssi-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au
Phone
+61 (03) 9035 8235
Twitter
@MSSIMelb

Click here for a University of Melbourne Parkville Campus Map,  Building No. 133

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All enquiries about admission to internships, exchanges or courses, including Masters and PhD, should be sent to the relevant faculty or school at the University.

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Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute

  • Research & Networks
    • Research and Engagement
      • Future Cities
      • The Climate Reality Project
      • Gippsland Smart Specialisation Strategy
      • Australian Bushfire Prevention
      • Seed Funded Projects 2020
        • Seed Funded Projects 2020
      • Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement
    • Research Impact
  • Publications
    • Research Papers
      • Benchmarking Urban Exchanges: Lessons for Melbourne
    • Issues Papers
      • Urban resilience for local government: Concepts, definitions and qualities
    • Briefing Papers
      • Urban resilience for local government
    • Reports and Books
      • EU Study Mission Report: Innovation Systems in Action
      • Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary
        • Degrowth in the Suburbs
      • EU Study Mission: Innovation Systems in Action
      • Feeling the Heat
      • Developing and Implementing an Approach to Regional Innovation and Development in Gippsland
      • Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City
        • Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City
      • Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis
        • Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis
    • Public Lecture Papers
      • MSSI Oration 3: Renewing democracy in a time of environmental crisis
    • MSSI Annual Reports
      • MSSI Annual Report 2018
      • MSSI Annual Report 2019
      • MSSI Annual Report 2020
  • News
    • Australia: Liveability vs Sustainability
    • Black Saturday: Urban sprawl and climate change key dangers
    • Bushfires and water quality
    • Melbourne's real-world impact on climate change
    • Five things we learned from the Biden Climate Summit
    • State leadership on emissions reduction is crucial
    • Strategic Planning for Melbourne's Green Wedges
    • PhD Scholarship: Monitoring & Evaluating Climate Communication & Education
    • Cell based meat and the future of food: policy and politics
    • Protecting Melbourne's Green Wedges while we still can
    • Pursuit: Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis
    • Life Course Centre Pathways Scholarship
  • Events
    • Reconfiguring future urban infrastructures webinar series
  • About Us
    • Institute staff
      • Ciaran McCormack
      • Dr Janine Felson
      • Professor Sarah Bell
      • Dr Melanie Lowe
      • Kennedy Mbeva
      • Imogen Butler
      • Dr Julia de Bruyn
      • Brendan Kennedy
      • Melissa Kennedy
      • Catriona Croft-Cusworth
    • Honoraries and Associates
    • Executive Committee
    • Advisory Board
      • Joe Morrison
      • Kane Thornton
      • Sue Cattermole
      • Lucinda Corrigan
      • Karen Cain
      • Nicholas Reece
  • Current Students
  • Library
  • Staff