Melbourne Polytechnic Research Repository

Welcome to the Melbourne Polytechnic Research Repository.

The Research Repository is administered by the Melbourne Polytechnic Library.

It aims to collect, preserve and make freely available the applied research and scholarship of the staff and students of Melbourne Polytechnic. It is an open access digital collection.

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Recent Submissions

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    The (re)making of a city centre: Jan Gehl and the transformation of Melbourne CBD
    (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 2025-10-10) Chitrakar, Rajjan; Herriotts, Rosalind; Hogg, Peter
    Jan Gehl, an eminent Danish Architect and Urban Designer, has worked in more than forty cities around the world and contributed to revitalising their city centres. Although his work in Australia has drawn considerable attention in recent years, not much is known about his early and exemplary work on revitalising the city centre in Melbourne. This paper explores Gehl’s urban design work in Melbourne by examining his engagement with the City of Melbourne after being invited to lead the ‘Places for People’ initiative in 1993. Gehl’s main contributions during his collaboration with the council include developing the methodology for the Public Space Public Life surveys and co-authoring of the Places for People study reports. Gehl made several key recommendations in the reports that turned out to be instrumental in formulating urban design approaches to help transform the Melbourne CBD into a vibrant city centre. This transformation, which led to the revival of the public realm, is evident in several significant changes made to some major public spaces between 1994 and 2004 and beyond. This paper contributes to the urban design discipline by adding new knowledge of Gehl’s work in Melbourne and widening its recognition in Australia and internationally.
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    Revisiting Jan Gehl’s approaches to the public space study in the Melbourne CBD
    (Melbourne Polytechnic, 2022-12-07) Chitrakar, Rajjan Man; Herriotts, Rosalind; Bamford, Nick
    This presentation explores urban design works of Jan Gehl in Melbourne over a period of more than 25 years. It focuses on examining how Gehl his public space study methods contribute to transforming the Melbourne CBD into a vibrant city centre. Findings indicate that not only has Gehl made a significant contribution in revitalizing public spaces in the transformation of Melbourne city centre, but his approaches to public space study are unique and highly productive in making urban design policy decisions. His early work in Melbourne is exemplary to achieve the successful transformation.
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    Impacts of capital investment in tourism infrastructure: the case of the fortress of Kuelap, Peru
    (CABI Digital Library, 2024) Rivas Medina, Cecilia; Cherro Osorio, Sandra
    Located in the north of Peru, the Archaeological Complex of Kuélap – an ancient fortress nestled in the cloud forest – is considered a significant cultural resource representative of one of the country’s most important pre-Inca cultures: the Chachapoyas. While being a main destination on the north-eastern tourism circuit, this site required considerable development in order to attract tourism to the area. This case study investigates the relationship between capital investment in tourism infrastructure and improvements to tourism services. A combination of public and private partnerships allowed for the improvement of accessibility and tourism information facilities. The implementation of a cable car system to the fortress, the first of its kind in the country, has significantly reduced the trip distance from 2 h of hiking down to 20 min. The inclusion of signposting, infography and resting areas has also contributed to tourism satisfaction. Furthermore, through the development of community-based products and services, the local population is expected to benefit from the increase in visitation. As a result of these developments, tourist numbers showed a positive increase, contributing to the local economy. This case study examines current impacts and provides an analysis of other factors related to the management of heritage sites and their implications in the long term.
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    Not all fun and games: the case of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games
    (CABI Digital Library, 2023) Delevska, Ana; Cherro Osorio, Sandra; Nguyen, Van K
    In April 2022, the Australian state of Victoria was confirmed to be the host of the Commonwealth Games 2026. The proposal placed a strategic emphasis on leveraging legacy to benefit local communities, particularly through the provision of affordable and social housing and sporting facilities in regional Victoria. The Games were to take place across five regional cities to showcase Victoria globally, while generating economic growth for the regional economies, creating local jobs and boosting inclusion and participation of regional communities. However, in July 2023, the Premier of Victoria announced the cancellation of the Games, primarily justified by the increase in the initial cost of running the event. This conceptual case study provides an analysis of the factors that influenced the cancellation and identifies several significant challenges that contributed to that outcome, including lack of infrastructure, logistical complexities, and budgetary constraints, as well as the intricate dynamics among these aspects. It also discusses the potential opportunities and challenges for the state of Victoria and its brand as a host of sporting events.
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    Traces of Incipient Aboriginal Urbanism in South-Eastern Australia: Paper presented at 15th Australasian Urban History / Planning History Conference, Launceston, 5-7 February 2020
    (Not published, 2020-02-06) Hogg, Peter T. M.
    Conference paper: Traces of Incipient Aboriginal Urbanism in South-Eastern Australia (2020). Paper presented at Edge Conditions: Invented Peripheries, Hidden Centres, 15th Australasian Urban History / Planning History Conference, University of Tasmania, Launceston, 6 February 2020