Cities in Global Transition ― Creating Sustainable Communities in Australia

Dr Raymond Charles Rauscher is a conjoint lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and a director of Habitat Association for Arts and Environment Inc. Delving into the subject of sustainable urban planning (SUP), Ray completed a PhD (2009) at the University of Newcastle. Ray has at various times lived and worked within the three Greater Sydney Districts that the book focuses on – Sydney Inner West, Greater Parramatta, and St George. Being born in Brooklyn, New York City (1943), he graduated from the City College of New York (Bachelor of Engineering, Civil, 1966). Later, he completed a master’s degree (commencing) at the University of Michigan (research submission on Detroit entitled A Solution to the Urban Crisis: Proposal for the Creation of Region Serving New Cities (unpublished 1969). A Masters of Town and Country Planning was completed at Sydney University (1971) with a thesis Community Response to a Redevelopment Proposal (University of Sydney Library Microfilm Dept.). The thesis covered planning conflicts in Erskineville and Newtown (Sydney), and measures to resolve these.

Wanting to research further, Ray published (co-author Salim Momtaz) Sustainable Communities: A Framework for Planning - Case Study of an Australian Outer Sydney Growth Area (Springer 2014). Continuing to study urban change, he published (co-author Salim Momtaz) Brooklyn's Bushwick - Urban Renewal in New York, USA (Springer 2014). ?Ray then brought together long term research (1970-2013) of the City of Sydney inner city areas, resulting in the publication (co-author Salim Momtaz) Sustainable Neighborhoods in Australia: City of Sydney Urban Planning (Springer 2015). ?Preparing for this book (Cities in Global Transition) meant numerous field trips into the Greater Sydney Districts, as he witnessed municipal and State efforts to adopt SUP practices in the face of global transition (e.g. population movements and settlement changes). On a community note, since 1973 Ray has been a member of the Australian based Social Developers Network (SDN). The Network commenced at the time (late) PM Gough Whitlam (1972-1975) and (late) Tom Uren (Minister for Planning and Regional Development under the PM). Both of these renowned Australians introduced environmental and social bases to urban planning (Ray worked in a Federal program at the time). ?A number of those Whitlam government planning initiatives have proven pivotal to development of all three districts that the book addresses.

Dr. Salim Momtaz is an Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He teaches in the area of sustainable resource management. He received a PhD from the University of London under a Commonwealth Scholarship. A geographer, environmental scientist and social planner by training, Salim’s research interests include: environmental planning and governance, social adaptation to climate change, social impact assessment, community engagement and urban governance. His recent published books include Experiencing Climate Change in Bangladesh, Elsevier (2016); Sustainable Neighbourhoods in Australia: City of Sydney Urban Planning, Springer (2015); Brooklyn’s Bushwick: Urban Renewal in New York, USA, Springer (2014); Sustainable Communities: A Framework for Planning, Springer (2014); Evaluating Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in Developing Countries, Elsevier (2013).