The teleconference is now being applied in the broadband contexts of the minority world, or Globa... more The teleconference is now being applied in the broadband contexts of the minority world, or Global North1, by both geography teachers and researchers as well as by conference and seminar organisers. The implications for how teleconference technology transforms physical distance has long been considered in relation to businesses (Rosetti and Surynt, 1985) and teaching (Sherry, 1996). Here, we consider some wider implications for geographical knowledge-sharing that arise from teleconference technologies on the basis of a seminar series on landscape research between nine scholars who are simultaneously located in Sweden, Norway and Australia. What are the implications of virtual travel for geographical knowledge-sharing? Does the teleconference provide a route that satisfies the desire to be physically co-present with peers, while at the same time offering emancipation from the tyrannies of physical distance in geographical knowledge- sharing? This article explores these questions in two sections. The first outlines the importance of intermittent face-to-face meetings in conveying geographical knowledge and describes the teleconference seminar context that encouraged us to think about the importance of physical propinquity. The second section discusses our experiences and reflections on the teleconference as a knowledge-sharing technology that transformed physical co-presence. We conclude by discussing the wider geographical implications of applying teleconference technologies.
Whether advocating creativity as a means to place competition or critiquing the social dislocatio... more Whether advocating creativity as a means to place competition or critiquing the social dislocations that stem from creativity-led urban regeneration, research about the creative economy has tended to assume that large cities are the cores of creativity. That many workers in `creative' industries choose to live and work in small urban centres is often overlooked. In this context, this article aims to recover within debates the importance of size, geographical position and class legacies in theories of creativity, economic development and urban regeneration. Using empirical materials from a case study of one Australian city—Wollongong, in New South Wales—it is argued that what might at first appear a rather parochial example illustrates the importance of rethinking the creative economy in place. Crucially, it is shown that, regardless of the numerical population size of a city, creativity is embedded in various complex, competing and intersecting place narratives fashioned by disc...
Management of ecologically significant urban green space is likely to be increasingly governed by... more Management of ecologically significant urban green space is likely to be increasingly governed by biodiversity policy frameworks. These frameworks tend to reproduce bounded thinking and strategies that separate green space from its context and characterise people as a disturbance. Like many green spaces these ecologically significant areas are highly valued by visitors and nearby residents. Green space is important for engagement with nature, social interaction, and for respite from daily life: it is strongly connected to surrounding areas and to the lives of people who live there. The dissonance between bounded management thinking and the role of green space in resident's lives may compromise conservation goals if boundedness remains a central concept in management. For an ecologically significant and heavily used area of bushland in suburban Australia we examine management frameworks and the relationships of visitors to the bushland. We find that visitors value the bushland for its social role and as a valuable remnant of native vegetation where they can experience a variety of associations with flora, fauna, and what they perceive as a relatively intact 'natural' landscape. Concepts central to management frameworks such as 'biodiversity' were not well understood but were incidental to visitors' understanding of the bushland as environmentally valuable and as an asset to the area. Current management frameworks fail to acknowledge these contemporary associations and isolate the bushland in time and space. We identify where official management frameworks and visitor associations with the bushland diverge and potentially converge and suggest alternative directions for management.
This article investigates intersections of sexuality, sex, femininities, and alcohol. The concept... more This article investigates intersections of sexuality, sex, femininities, and alcohol. The concept of spatially-situated subjectivity is deployed to examine how women negotiate their femininities and sexualities in and through spaces of a 'night out'. A mixed methods approach was ...
Abstract The present paper examines the complex politics of gay/lesbian belonging through a case ... more Abstract The present paper examines the complex politics of gay/lesbian belonging through a case study of Daylesford, Victoria, an Australian country town. It contributes to two research bodies: gay/lesbian rural geographies and the politics of belonging. Daylesford hosts ChillOut, Australia's largest rural gay/lesbian festival, which provides a telling context for investigating gay/lesbian belonging in rural Australia. We use qualitative data from the 2006 ChillOut Festival, including interviews with local residents, newspaper commentaries ...
Abstract We examine how normative constructions of 'the creative city&am... more Abstract We examine how normative constructions of 'the creative city'have entered into Australian planning discourses. Although welcoming a place-based approach, critical consideration is given to how the misappropriation of 'place making'in creative city revitalisation plans may enhance rather than address processes of social marginalisation. A Foucauldian framework is employed, exploring the notion of the social production of power through discourse. We draw on a case study of Wentworth Street, a key urban space in ...
... It's men and women, not man and man. That's sick. That's hitting material! ...... more ... It's men and women, not man and man. That's sick. That's hitting material! ... In-depth life narratives are appropriate for this project for several reasons. ... Virtual Journeys: Exploring Sexuality through Commercial Websites Journeys through virtual space transformed Harry's lifeworld. ...
Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 2009
This paper examines processes of social cohesion across sexual difference in ‘queer-friendly neig... more This paper examines processes of social cohesion across sexual difference in ‘queer-friendly neighbourhoods’—localities that have a heterosexual majority in residential and commercial terms, but where a significant presence of gay and lesbian residents, businesses, and organisations are welcomed. This investigation advances a lineage of work on the development and maintenance of gay and lesbian neighbourhoods, and their role in residents' well-being. The findings also extend understandings of social cohesion, a key theme in neighbourhood and policy research across the West. The context of this study is Australia, where recent projects on social cohesion have focused on public order, economic benefits, and race tensions. However, given that gay men and lesbians are present in Australian social and political debates, sexuality should be integrated into studies about neighbourhood cohesion. To analyse processes of cohesion between heterosexual and same-sex-attracted people, we draw...
Are mobility scooters harbingers of a future where small and versatile electric vehicles roam our... more Are mobility scooters harbingers of a future where small and versatile electric vehicles roam our cities
It\u27s a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things - ra... more It\u27s a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things - rates, rubbish and parking. They want lower rates, the freedom to turf out as much trash as they like, and convenient free car parking. The arrival of dockless share bikes set these attitudes towards parking and rubbish on a collision course
Once upon a time when something was simple to do we said: "It's as easy as riding a bike." But sw... more Once upon a time when something was simple to do we said: "It's as easy as riding a bike." But switching from driving a car to riding a bike as one's main means of transport is anything but easy. The welldocumented obstacles holding people back from cycling include a lack of proper bike lanes, secure parking arrangements, end-of-trip facilities and bike-friendly public transport, as well as lack of convenient storage space. Despite these obstacles, people continue to try to make cycling a central part of their lives, with varying degrees of success. While we know broadly what the impediments are, we don't know how individuals confront them over time. We tend to approach this issue as an "all or nothing" affair-either people cycle or they don't. Research is often framed in terms of cyclists and non-cyclists. But, for most people, our research tells us it is a gradual process of transformation, with setbacks as well as small victories. The hesitant maybe-cyclist of today is potentially the fully committed cyclist of tomorrow. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. We have taken a lead from research into smoking, which sees failed quit attempts not as failures but as necessary steps on the road to success. Part of our research is interested in the faltering starts people make in transitioning from motor vehicles to bikes. Our aim is to help identify new intervention points for cycling policy.
1 A relational approach to walking: methodology, metalanguage , and power relations Key insights ... more 1 A relational approach to walking: methodology, metalanguage , and power relations Key insights When asked to share experiences of walking regular city routes, residents are adept at gauging constant changes that characterise their walks, their ways of knowing and being in the world, and their approaches to navigating varied power relations. A relational approach to studying, speaking and writing about, and understanding those changes can also enrich both walking studies and geographical studies of mobility.
Migration from the Global South to Global North is a major feature of contemporary population mov... more Migration from the Global South to Global North is a major feature of contemporary population movements, and provides a lived experiment of the implications of moving from less resource-intensive modes of living towards more resource-intensive ones. Pre-migration practices come together in complex ways post-migration with established norms and infrastructures in destination countries. Here we examine the barriers to and enablers of sustainable practices, synthesising in-depth research from nine different studies in southeastern Australia in relation to household water use, food growing and transport. The total sample includes 323 migrants from 33 countries. The main barriers include infrastructure and broader patterns of work and society. The main enablers are cultural norms of frugality and preferences for public transport. Barriers and enablers interact in diverse ways. We show that migrants are important contributors to inadvertent sustainabilities, but their contributions may be weakened by infrastructural, structural and cultural barriers. Addressing the diverse capacities of migrants would enhance system change for everyone.
This paper presents a survey study with 1,444 low-income older residents in regional NSW, Austral... more This paper presents a survey study with 1,444 low-income older residents in regional NSW, Australia exploring their value perceptions towards using energy efficiently, as an approach to segmentation in social marketing. The study theorises that insight regarding the perceived functional, economic, emotional, social, and ecological value of using energy efficiency by participants can be used to segment, target and position social marketing programme activities to facilitate energy efficient behaviour(s). Latent class analysis was conducted on the participant sample, and identified seven distinct latent classes: frugal eco warriors, value opportunists, greenies, indecisive, apathetic independent spendthrifts, independents, and ambivalent ecologists. Each of these distinct latent classes displayed particular orientations with respect to value of using energy efficiently. This analysis presents new insights for social marketers from an appreciation of how different groups frame value in...
This paper seeks to better understand mobility justice with reference to the bodily sensations of... more This paper seeks to better understand mobility justice with reference to the bodily sensations of cycling. Differential mobility is not just the result of gendered, classed and racialised social norms but are productive of these social hierarches. We build on these arguments by asking the question: ‘Where does it feel right to ride a bike‘? This paper takes up this challenge by drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s notions of assemblage and territory. In this way, mobility justice is conceptualised as a process of territorialisation, reterritorialisation and deterritorialisation. Our analysis proceeds by offering three ‘portraits’ ‘from empirical materials gathered from a qualitative cycling project in the car-dominated small city of Wollongong, Australia. We argue that all road users are not equal, regardless of having the same formal status. Through an appreciation of the rhythmic qualities of spatiality, the paper charts experiences of the process of inclusion and exclusion from the ...
presented at the World Social Marketing Conference, 19-21 April 2015, Sydney, Australiapresented ... more presented at the World Social Marketing Conference, 19-21 April 2015, Sydney, Australiapresented at the World Social Marketing Conference, 19-21 April 2015, Sydney, Australia
It's a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things rat... more It's a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things rates, rubbish and parking. They want lower rates, the freedom to turf out as much trash as they like, and convenient free car parking. The arrival of dockless share bikes set these attitudes towards parking and rubbish on a collision course.
University of Wollongong acknowledges that never has there been a more exciting or important time... more University of Wollongong acknowledges that never has there been a more exciting or important time to do Geography. There are new global challenges, problems and anomalies emerging that need creative solutions. University of Wollongong recognised that a Geography degree provides graduates with an eclectic and interdisciplinary skill-set necessary to address these challenges. Graduates will be trained in both the skill sets of a scientist and a social scientist, alongside communication, writing, and analytical skills. UOW Geography graduates will be analytical and critical thinkers toward social, cultural and physical problems and issues. The UOW Bachelor of Geography provides graduates with a broad range of transferrable skills setting up a lifetime of career opportunities.
The teleconference is now being applied in the broadband contexts of the minority world, or Globa... more The teleconference is now being applied in the broadband contexts of the minority world, or Global North1, by both geography teachers and researchers as well as by conference and seminar organisers. The implications for how teleconference technology transforms physical distance has long been considered in relation to businesses (Rosetti and Surynt, 1985) and teaching (Sherry, 1996). Here, we consider some wider implications for geographical knowledge-sharing that arise from teleconference technologies on the basis of a seminar series on landscape research between nine scholars who are simultaneously located in Sweden, Norway and Australia. What are the implications of virtual travel for geographical knowledge-sharing? Does the teleconference provide a route that satisfies the desire to be physically co-present with peers, while at the same time offering emancipation from the tyrannies of physical distance in geographical knowledge- sharing? This article explores these questions in two sections. The first outlines the importance of intermittent face-to-face meetings in conveying geographical knowledge and describes the teleconference seminar context that encouraged us to think about the importance of physical propinquity. The second section discusses our experiences and reflections on the teleconference as a knowledge-sharing technology that transformed physical co-presence. We conclude by discussing the wider geographical implications of applying teleconference technologies.
Whether advocating creativity as a means to place competition or critiquing the social dislocatio... more Whether advocating creativity as a means to place competition or critiquing the social dislocations that stem from creativity-led urban regeneration, research about the creative economy has tended to assume that large cities are the cores of creativity. That many workers in `creative' industries choose to live and work in small urban centres is often overlooked. In this context, this article aims to recover within debates the importance of size, geographical position and class legacies in theories of creativity, economic development and urban regeneration. Using empirical materials from a case study of one Australian city—Wollongong, in New South Wales—it is argued that what might at first appear a rather parochial example illustrates the importance of rethinking the creative economy in place. Crucially, it is shown that, regardless of the numerical population size of a city, creativity is embedded in various complex, competing and intersecting place narratives fashioned by disc...
Management of ecologically significant urban green space is likely to be increasingly governed by... more Management of ecologically significant urban green space is likely to be increasingly governed by biodiversity policy frameworks. These frameworks tend to reproduce bounded thinking and strategies that separate green space from its context and characterise people as a disturbance. Like many green spaces these ecologically significant areas are highly valued by visitors and nearby residents. Green space is important for engagement with nature, social interaction, and for respite from daily life: it is strongly connected to surrounding areas and to the lives of people who live there. The dissonance between bounded management thinking and the role of green space in resident's lives may compromise conservation goals if boundedness remains a central concept in management. For an ecologically significant and heavily used area of bushland in suburban Australia we examine management frameworks and the relationships of visitors to the bushland. We find that visitors value the bushland for its social role and as a valuable remnant of native vegetation where they can experience a variety of associations with flora, fauna, and what they perceive as a relatively intact 'natural' landscape. Concepts central to management frameworks such as 'biodiversity' were not well understood but were incidental to visitors' understanding of the bushland as environmentally valuable and as an asset to the area. Current management frameworks fail to acknowledge these contemporary associations and isolate the bushland in time and space. We identify where official management frameworks and visitor associations with the bushland diverge and potentially converge and suggest alternative directions for management.
This article investigates intersections of sexuality, sex, femininities, and alcohol. The concept... more This article investigates intersections of sexuality, sex, femininities, and alcohol. The concept of spatially-situated subjectivity is deployed to examine how women negotiate their femininities and sexualities in and through spaces of a 'night out'. A mixed methods approach was ...
Abstract The present paper examines the complex politics of gay/lesbian belonging through a case ... more Abstract The present paper examines the complex politics of gay/lesbian belonging through a case study of Daylesford, Victoria, an Australian country town. It contributes to two research bodies: gay/lesbian rural geographies and the politics of belonging. Daylesford hosts ChillOut, Australia's largest rural gay/lesbian festival, which provides a telling context for investigating gay/lesbian belonging in rural Australia. We use qualitative data from the 2006 ChillOut Festival, including interviews with local residents, newspaper commentaries ...
Abstract We examine how normative constructions of 'the creative city&am... more Abstract We examine how normative constructions of 'the creative city'have entered into Australian planning discourses. Although welcoming a place-based approach, critical consideration is given to how the misappropriation of 'place making'in creative city revitalisation plans may enhance rather than address processes of social marginalisation. A Foucauldian framework is employed, exploring the notion of the social production of power through discourse. We draw on a case study of Wentworth Street, a key urban space in ...
... It's men and women, not man and man. That's sick. That's hitting material! ...... more ... It's men and women, not man and man. That's sick. That's hitting material! ... In-depth life narratives are appropriate for this project for several reasons. ... Virtual Journeys: Exploring Sexuality through Commercial Websites Journeys through virtual space transformed Harry's lifeworld. ...
Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 2009
This paper examines processes of social cohesion across sexual difference in ‘queer-friendly neig... more This paper examines processes of social cohesion across sexual difference in ‘queer-friendly neighbourhoods’—localities that have a heterosexual majority in residential and commercial terms, but where a significant presence of gay and lesbian residents, businesses, and organisations are welcomed. This investigation advances a lineage of work on the development and maintenance of gay and lesbian neighbourhoods, and their role in residents' well-being. The findings also extend understandings of social cohesion, a key theme in neighbourhood and policy research across the West. The context of this study is Australia, where recent projects on social cohesion have focused on public order, economic benefits, and race tensions. However, given that gay men and lesbians are present in Australian social and political debates, sexuality should be integrated into studies about neighbourhood cohesion. To analyse processes of cohesion between heterosexual and same-sex-attracted people, we draw...
Are mobility scooters harbingers of a future where small and versatile electric vehicles roam our... more Are mobility scooters harbingers of a future where small and versatile electric vehicles roam our cities
It\u27s a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things - ra... more It\u27s a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things - rates, rubbish and parking. They want lower rates, the freedom to turf out as much trash as they like, and convenient free car parking. The arrival of dockless share bikes set these attitudes towards parking and rubbish on a collision course
Once upon a time when something was simple to do we said: "It's as easy as riding a bike." But sw... more Once upon a time when something was simple to do we said: "It's as easy as riding a bike." But switching from driving a car to riding a bike as one's main means of transport is anything but easy. The welldocumented obstacles holding people back from cycling include a lack of proper bike lanes, secure parking arrangements, end-of-trip facilities and bike-friendly public transport, as well as lack of convenient storage space. Despite these obstacles, people continue to try to make cycling a central part of their lives, with varying degrees of success. While we know broadly what the impediments are, we don't know how individuals confront them over time. We tend to approach this issue as an "all or nothing" affair-either people cycle or they don't. Research is often framed in terms of cyclists and non-cyclists. But, for most people, our research tells us it is a gradual process of transformation, with setbacks as well as small victories. The hesitant maybe-cyclist of today is potentially the fully committed cyclist of tomorrow. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. We have taken a lead from research into smoking, which sees failed quit attempts not as failures but as necessary steps on the road to success. Part of our research is interested in the faltering starts people make in transitioning from motor vehicles to bikes. Our aim is to help identify new intervention points for cycling policy.
1 A relational approach to walking: methodology, metalanguage , and power relations Key insights ... more 1 A relational approach to walking: methodology, metalanguage , and power relations Key insights When asked to share experiences of walking regular city routes, residents are adept at gauging constant changes that characterise their walks, their ways of knowing and being in the world, and their approaches to navigating varied power relations. A relational approach to studying, speaking and writing about, and understanding those changes can also enrich both walking studies and geographical studies of mobility.
Migration from the Global South to Global North is a major feature of contemporary population mov... more Migration from the Global South to Global North is a major feature of contemporary population movements, and provides a lived experiment of the implications of moving from less resource-intensive modes of living towards more resource-intensive ones. Pre-migration practices come together in complex ways post-migration with established norms and infrastructures in destination countries. Here we examine the barriers to and enablers of sustainable practices, synthesising in-depth research from nine different studies in southeastern Australia in relation to household water use, food growing and transport. The total sample includes 323 migrants from 33 countries. The main barriers include infrastructure and broader patterns of work and society. The main enablers are cultural norms of frugality and preferences for public transport. Barriers and enablers interact in diverse ways. We show that migrants are important contributors to inadvertent sustainabilities, but their contributions may be weakened by infrastructural, structural and cultural barriers. Addressing the diverse capacities of migrants would enhance system change for everyone.
This paper presents a survey study with 1,444 low-income older residents in regional NSW, Austral... more This paper presents a survey study with 1,444 low-income older residents in regional NSW, Australia exploring their value perceptions towards using energy efficiently, as an approach to segmentation in social marketing. The study theorises that insight regarding the perceived functional, economic, emotional, social, and ecological value of using energy efficiency by participants can be used to segment, target and position social marketing programme activities to facilitate energy efficient behaviour(s). Latent class analysis was conducted on the participant sample, and identified seven distinct latent classes: frugal eco warriors, value opportunists, greenies, indecisive, apathetic independent spendthrifts, independents, and ambivalent ecologists. Each of these distinct latent classes displayed particular orientations with respect to value of using energy efficiently. This analysis presents new insights for social marketers from an appreciation of how different groups frame value in...
This paper seeks to better understand mobility justice with reference to the bodily sensations of... more This paper seeks to better understand mobility justice with reference to the bodily sensations of cycling. Differential mobility is not just the result of gendered, classed and racialised social norms but are productive of these social hierarches. We build on these arguments by asking the question: ‘Where does it feel right to ride a bike‘? This paper takes up this challenge by drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s notions of assemblage and territory. In this way, mobility justice is conceptualised as a process of territorialisation, reterritorialisation and deterritorialisation. Our analysis proceeds by offering three ‘portraits’ ‘from empirical materials gathered from a qualitative cycling project in the car-dominated small city of Wollongong, Australia. We argue that all road users are not equal, regardless of having the same formal status. Through an appreciation of the rhythmic qualities of spatiality, the paper charts experiences of the process of inclusion and exclusion from the ...
presented at the World Social Marketing Conference, 19-21 April 2015, Sydney, Australiapresented ... more presented at the World Social Marketing Conference, 19-21 April 2015, Sydney, Australiapresented at the World Social Marketing Conference, 19-21 April 2015, Sydney, Australia
It's a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things rat... more It's a local government truism that Australian city dwellers care about only three things rates, rubbish and parking. They want lower rates, the freedom to turf out as much trash as they like, and convenient free car parking. The arrival of dockless share bikes set these attitudes towards parking and rubbish on a collision course.
University of Wollongong acknowledges that never has there been a more exciting or important time... more University of Wollongong acknowledges that never has there been a more exciting or important time to do Geography. There are new global challenges, problems and anomalies emerging that need creative solutions. University of Wollongong recognised that a Geography degree provides graduates with an eclectic and interdisciplinary skill-set necessary to address these challenges. Graduates will be trained in both the skill sets of a scientist and a social scientist, alongside communication, writing, and analytical skills. UOW Geography graduates will be analytical and critical thinkers toward social, cultural and physical problems and issues. The UOW Bachelor of Geography provides graduates with a broad range of transferrable skills setting up a lifetime of career opportunities.
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