Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Ancient floods provide blueprint for modern climate resilience

A UOW-led research project is digging deep to help build more climate-resilient communities across western Sydney. 

Led by Associate Professor Tim Cohen from UOW's Environmental Futures, the groundbreaking project revealed the long-term history of extreme floods in the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, drawing on 1,000 years of evidence. 

Using cutting-edge technology to analyse the landscape’s geological past, researchers excavated flood deposits and applied advanced luminescence dating methods in UOW’s world-class Optical Dating Facility – one of the leading labs of its kind globally.  

In partnership with government, industry and environmental stakeholders, the team then combined geological findings with statistical data and cultural oral histories to build a comprehensive picture of the catchment's flood behaviour. 

The research is being proposed as a method to inform flood models and risk assessments for the communities of western Sydney, helping improve planning and emergency response. The team hopes to replicate the approach across Australia's most at-risk river catchments. 

‘Communities cannot prepare for disasters that they don't know are possible,’ Associate Professor Cohen said. ‘In the face of a changing climate, knowledge truly is our best defence.’

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

UOW Liverpool grows higher education access in South Western Sydney

In September 2025, Vice-Chancellor Professor Max Lu AO joined construction and council representatives to mark a new stage of expansion for UOW’s Liverpool campus.  

Due for completion in 2028, phase 2 of the landmark Liverpool Civic Place development will deliver 11 storeys of university space alongside flexible life sciences facilities. The expansion will enable student numbers to grow from 1,500 to 4,000, helping meet demand for higher education in South Western Sydney.  

With UOW’s relocation to Civic Place taking place in 2026, the new campus delivers comprehensive teaching facilities in a vibrant precinct, renewing the university’s commitment to collaboration in education, research and the development of the region. 

‘This is about giving students in South Western Sydney access to world-class education where they live and work,’ Professor Lu said.   

‘Liverpool is one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions and we are proud to be part of its future. Our new campus will put students at the centre, strengthen our local social and economic impact, and create exciting opportunities through partnerships with the community that will help shape the region’s future.’ 

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 4: Quality Education
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Students turn knowledge into community impact

UOW nutrition and dietetics students have put learning into practice while supporting community health and wellbeing through a work placement with Meals on Wheels North Shoalhaven. 

Students in their final year of study spent 4 weeks working across the service, assisting with meal preparation, nutrition education, and comprehensive menu and recipe analysis. In one day alone, the students helped prepare and pack 400 meals, while their broader work provided nutritional expertise to a volunteer-run organisation supporting older people, people with disability and their carers. 

The students were supervised by Professor Karen Walton and Professor Kelly Lambert from UOW's School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences. 

‘The students were able to apply their understanding of the socio-ecological relationship between food, nutrition and health,’ Professor Lambert said. ‘Not only did the students gain hands-on experience in a real-world setting, but they also used their nutrition know-how to make a real difference in the lives of people right here in our community.’ 

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 2: Zero Hunger
• Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
• Goal 4: Quality Education
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Catalysing collective action for effective weed management

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow Associate Professor Sonia Graham from the School of Social Sciences investigated how seven communities successfully controlled weeds over 30 years. Weeds represent a major threat to natural ecosystems and sustainable rural industries, and current policies call for communities to act collectively to manage weeds; however, there is little empirical evidence about effective approaches.

Drawing from over 100 interviews, Associate Professor Graham’s extensive case studies demonstrated that collective approaches through Landcare and Rivercare groups achieved superior economic and environmental outcomes compared to individual efforts. Most significantly, the research revealed substantial social benefits from collaborative weed management, such as nurturing robust social networks that enable community resilience in responding to climate-related hazards.

For the first time, the study has provided evidence that collective weed management delivers greater environmental impact while simultaneously strengthening community bonds. This groundbreaking work shows how community-based environmental action can be a powerful strategy in successful climate adaptation.

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 13: Climate Action

Electric buses drive sustainable transport forward

In June 2024, UOW introduced two zero-emissions electric buses on its Wollongong campus, operating on the popular North Gong Shuttle routes. The vehicles are the first fully electric buses to operate in the Illawarra region, replacing the previous hybrid fleet.

More than 25 per cent of UOW students, staff and visitors use the free shuttle bus services, making this transition a key component of the University’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The buses are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower noise pollution and improve air quality on campus, while continuing to reduce reliance on private vehicles.

This initiative highlights UOW’s leadership in environmental responsibility and commitment to practical, community-focused climate action. The electric bus rollout also serves as a model for other institutions seeking to reduce their carbon footprint through innovative and sustainable transport solutions.

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 13: Climate Action

Reimagining urban greening through human-plant relationships

Understanding the complex relationships between people and plants in urban environments is critical for successful city greening initiatives. UOW researchers are pioneering groundbreaking research that examines how humans experience urban vegetation in their everyday lives and why conflicts over greening projects continue to emerge across Australian cities.

This innovative project is led by ARC Future Fellow, Associate Professor Dr Jennifer Atchison, from UOW's School of Social Sciences, in partnership with the University of Canterbury and the University of Melbourne. Using cutting-edge concepts and methods to generate new knowledge about contested human-plant geographies, the team investigated how diverse socio-cultural relations drive disputes over urban greening in three Australian cities, offering crucial insights that have been poorly understood until now.

The research addresses a vital challenge facing urban planners and policymakers: while urban greening is essential for sustainable, liveable and climate-adapted cities, conflicts over these initiatives continue to cause delays and even project failures. Expected outcomes include transformative understandings of key human-plant relationships, facilitated international collaborations, and significant findings that will improve urban greening policies and governance frameworks.

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

How indoor air quality affects the transmission of airborne diseases

UOW's Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) completed a comprehensive review examining the impact of indoor air quality on airborne viral disease transmission in Australia’s indoor environments. Commissioned by the Office of the Chief Scientist of Australia on behalf of the Prime Minister’s National Science and Technology Council, the review synthesised evidence across mechanisms of airborne disease transmission, strategies to improve air quality, indoor air monitoring potential, and energy efficiency impacts.

The research examined economic and health impacts of airborne diseases, with findings offering practical guidance for creating healthier indoor environments in public buildings, schools, offices and healthcare facilities.

This work demonstrates UOW's leadership in translating building science research into practical solutions that protect public health. The research provides actionable insights for improving air quality while maintaining building energy efficiency, providing crucial evidence for policy makers and building managers.

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Enabling demand flexibility for net zero buildings

Professor Zhenjun Ma and a team from the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) have pioneered demand flexibility solutions, enabling buildings to shift or reduce energy use in response to grid requirements. As Australia progresses toward net zero emissions, integrating renewable energy sources into buildings becomes essential; but their intermittent nature can destabilise electricity grids.

In collaboration with CSIRO and over 50 international researchers, the SBRC explored the deployment of a digital-grid infrastructure that unlocks five megawatts of flexible energy across 200 non-residential buildings. This would allow buildings to better align energy use with periods of high renewable generation, resulting in reduced emissions, lower energy costs and improved grid reliability.

Alongside physical testing, the SBRC team has developed virtual building models to simulate energy scenarios and test flexibility strategies without disrupting daily operations. This combination of experimental data and digital modelling forms a powerful toolkit for identifying scalable, practical demand flexibility solutions.

The project demonstrates how buildings can actively support the transition to renewable energy and net zero targets. In recognition of the SBRC’s innovation and impact, Professor Ma received a prestigious national excellence award in 2024.

This initiative is supporting:

• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals