Dr Kristian Ruming is a researcher, urban and economic geographer, and senior lecturer in the Department of Geography and Planning at Macquarie University.
His research interests centre on issues of housing, urban planning and urban governance. He has explored social housing provision in New South Wales, in particular residents' experience of their neighbourhood and the evaluation of policies tied to urban renewal and community regeneration.
To gain more insight into his current research around the planning and redevelopment of the Ivanhoe social housing estate located in Macquarie Park precinct, we asked Dr Ruming a few questions.
My current project is exploring issues surrounding the planning and redevelopment of the Ivanhoe social housing estate located in Macquarie Park. The Ivanhoe estate is made up of 259 apartments and townhouses and is home to about 460 residents. It sits within Macquarie University Station Urban Renewal Area and is identified by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment as a priority location for urban renewal and regeneration. In late September 2015, the Minister for Social Housing announced the redevelopment of the Ivanhoe estate.
The estate is to be replaced with more than 2500 apartments, consisting of a mix of social, affordable and private housing. It is proposed that approximately 25% of new dwellings will be social housing units – almost doubling the current number of properties. To facilitate the redevelopment, all current tenants will be moved out of their homes over the next three years. While existing tenants will be offered the opportunity to return to the redeveloped estate, many residents have expressed concerns about being moved. Residents are concerned that important social connections will be lost, that their new homes and locations will not provide the services they need, and that dwellings on the redeveloped estate will not meet their requirements (ie two bedroom apartments rather than 4 bedroom townhouses that are better suited to families). This is a broad project which is exploring all aspects of the redevelopment project, ranging from the governance and management frameworks responsible for delivering the redevelopment, through design and planning issues, to working with local tenants who are being forced to move from their homes.
This project draws together my research interests in social housing provision, urban planning and urban governance. It is a rare opportunity to explore the large-scale redevelopment of a social housing estate from the very early stages. Urban redevelopment projects can take many years to complete and this project will offer the opportunity to examine the process and issues throughput the entire process. Further, the Ivanhoe estate is located opposite Macquarie University. The residents who live there are members of our immediate community. It is important that we engage with our local community and seek to improve their quality of life, particularly in the case where our neighbours are disadvantaged communities.
This project is in the early stages, however, it is moving fast. I am currently in the process of drawing together the wide variety of interested stakeholders. Importantly, the project has received support from NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), UrbanGrowth NSW and Ryde City Council. The Salvation Army who provides support and services to residents in the Ivanhoe estate have played a major role in driving the research. All stakeholders have expressed a commitment to the research as an essential component of the redevelopment process. We are looking to commence formal fieldwork with Ivanhoe residents and key stakeholders in early 2016.
One of the innovative approaches that will be used in this project is the longitudinal tracking of social housing tenants as they move out of their current home into their new dwellings. The project will interview tenants before they move out of their homes, when they move into their new home, and regularly over the life of the project. The interviews will examine tenants’ experiences of the relocation process, how they have integrated into their new community and their desire to return to a redeveloped Ivanhoe estate. As estate regeneration projects become more frequent, a greater understanding of the lived experiences of tenants as they are moved from their home is essential in informing allocation and relocation policies. To date, this information has not been collected.
This project benefits the community in a number of ways. First, at the highest level, it explores the planning and governance of large-scale urban redevelopment projects. As the push for regeneration and densification increases across Australian cities, these insights will inform the planning and redevelopment of sites across our cities. Second, the research will be integrated into the planning and delivery of the Macquarie University Station Urban Renewal precinct. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the project will provide benefits for social housing tenants required to move from their homes to facilitate redevelopment. The project will provide benefits to current Ivanhoe residents as we track their movement and provide access to services and information and other support throughout the process.
The research will also assist the broader social housing community as the insights from this research can be fed into allocation and relocation policies mobilised in social housing estates across NSW and Australia.
His research interests centre on issues of housing, urban planning and urban governance. He has explored social housing provision in New South Wales, in particular residents' experience of their neighbourhood and the evaluation of policies tied to urban renewal and community regeneration.
To gain more insight into his current research around the planning and redevelopment of the Ivanhoe social housing estate located in Macquarie Park precinct, we asked Dr Ruming a few questions.
What is your current research project about?
My current project is exploring issues surrounding the planning and redevelopment of the Ivanhoe social housing estate located in Macquarie Park. The Ivanhoe estate is made up of 259 apartments and townhouses and is home to about 460 residents. It sits within Macquarie University Station Urban Renewal Area and is identified by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment as a priority location for urban renewal and regeneration. In late September 2015, the Minister for Social Housing announced the redevelopment of the Ivanhoe estate.
The estate is to be replaced with more than 2500 apartments, consisting of a mix of social, affordable and private housing. It is proposed that approximately 25% of new dwellings will be social housing units – almost doubling the current number of properties. To facilitate the redevelopment, all current tenants will be moved out of their homes over the next three years. While existing tenants will be offered the opportunity to return to the redeveloped estate, many residents have expressed concerns about being moved. Residents are concerned that important social connections will be lost, that their new homes and locations will not provide the services they need, and that dwellings on the redeveloped estate will not meet their requirements (ie two bedroom apartments rather than 4 bedroom townhouses that are better suited to families). This is a broad project which is exploring all aspects of the redevelopment project, ranging from the governance and management frameworks responsible for delivering the redevelopment, through design and planning issues, to working with local tenants who are being forced to move from their homes.
Why did you decide to conduct this research?
This project draws together my research interests in social housing provision, urban planning and urban governance. It is a rare opportunity to explore the large-scale redevelopment of a social housing estate from the very early stages. Urban redevelopment projects can take many years to complete and this project will offer the opportunity to examine the process and issues throughput the entire process. Further, the Ivanhoe estate is located opposite Macquarie University. The residents who live there are members of our immediate community. It is important that we engage with our local community and seek to improve their quality of life, particularly in the case where our neighbours are disadvantaged communities.
At what stage is the research at?
This project is in the early stages, however, it is moving fast. I am currently in the process of drawing together the wide variety of interested stakeholders. Importantly, the project has received support from NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), UrbanGrowth NSW and Ryde City Council. The Salvation Army who provides support and services to residents in the Ivanhoe estate have played a major role in driving the research. All stakeholders have expressed a commitment to the research as an essential component of the redevelopment process. We are looking to commence formal fieldwork with Ivanhoe residents and key stakeholders in early 2016.
Are you applying any pioneering approaches/innovative methodologies in your research?
One of the innovative approaches that will be used in this project is the longitudinal tracking of social housing tenants as they move out of their current home into their new dwellings. The project will interview tenants before they move out of their homes, when they move into their new home, and regularly over the life of the project. The interviews will examine tenants’ experiences of the relocation process, how they have integrated into their new community and their desire to return to a redeveloped Ivanhoe estate. As estate regeneration projects become more frequent, a greater understanding of the lived experiences of tenants as they are moved from their home is essential in informing allocation and relocation policies. To date, this information has not been collected.
What benefits does your research provide to the community?
This project benefits the community in a number of ways. First, at the highest level, it explores the planning and governance of large-scale urban redevelopment projects. As the push for regeneration and densification increases across Australian cities, these insights will inform the planning and redevelopment of sites across our cities. Second, the research will be integrated into the planning and delivery of the Macquarie University Station Urban Renewal precinct. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the project will provide benefits for social housing tenants required to move from their homes to facilitate redevelopment. The project will provide benefits to current Ivanhoe residents as we track their movement and provide access to services and information and other support throughout the process.
The research will also assist the broader social housing community as the insights from this research can be fed into allocation and relocation policies mobilised in social housing estates across NSW and Australia.
