Researching underutilised waterways

Swinburne University PhD student Damian Rogers is seeking input from Docklanders as part of his research into activating urban waterways to enhance public space.

While his research isn’t specifically focused on Docklands, he said the area’s transformation from post-industrial waterways to the renewed urban precinct it was today was a central component of his study.

He said he was interested in the insights of Docklanders living and/or working in a waterfront precinct.

“The redevelopment of post-industrial waterways has brought the city to the water’s edge, but the process has neither created a sense of place nor added to the social capital of the city,” he said.

“The expansive underutilised waterways provide new opportunities for activation to integrate them into the context of the city and provide that sensory experience that builds sense of place.”

“This research project will investigate activating post-industrial waterways to reposition urban waterways as public spaces through the activation of the water body to enable a public experience of the water and build a sense of place.”

Mr Rogers is seeking a small group of willing Docklanders to contribute to his research by completing anonymous 20-minute survey, which includes still images and videos that pose questions in response to viewing them.

He said the data gathered in his project may be used in academic publications (journals, conferences, industry journals and/or books) and no identifying information would be included in the publications•

To take the survey email: [email protected]