Adjunct Professor Julie Lawson
Details
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Department: School of GUSS
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Campus: City Campus Australia
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julie.lawson@rmit.edu.au
Open to
- Collaborative projects
- Technical support
About
I lead and undertake research, consultancy, policy development, publishing and advocacy in the housing sector. My research concerns urban and land policy, housing systems, circuits of investment, urban infrastructure, financial intermediaries and guarantees, comparative theories, knowledge exchange and evaluations of good practices. For over 30 years I have provided expertise to the European Commission, national amd regional governments, international organisations and advocacy organisations. To promote more sustainable and inclusive places to live, I contribute to legislative reform, national housing and land policy strategies, as well as affordable and social housing systems and their governance.
In addition to EU and Australian research projects, over to past 3 years I have provided technical expertise for Ukraine contributing to the Recovery Council (Lugano Plan) , EU Facility Plan and EC technical assistance on housing policy, legislative reform, institutional development and capacity building efforts.
I have lived in several countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia for extended periods. Since 2023 I am based in Poland and regularly contribute to policy and research networks across Europe. My mother tongue is English, I am also fluent in Dutch and enjoy collaborating across cultures, professions, academic disciplines and time zones!
Research fields
- 4407 Policy and administration
- 3304 Urban and regional planning
- 4406 Human geography
- 4410 Sociology
- 4408 Political science
- 3505 Human resources and industrial relations
- 3801 Applied economics
- 4404 Development studies
UN sustainable development goals
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
Academic positions
- Editorial Board
- Critical Housing Analysis
- , Czech Republic
- 2024 – Present
- Adjunct Professor
- RMIT University
- Centre for Urban Research
- Melbourne, Australia
- 2022 – 2025
- Honorary Associate Professor
- RMIT University
- Melbourne, Australia
- 2016 – 2022
- Co-Editor
- Housing Theory and Society
- , Sweden
- 2011 – 2024
Non-academic positions
- Senior Housing Expert
- NIRAS for EU Delegation in Ukraine
- , Ukraine
- 2024 – Present
- Director
- Just Cities
- , Netherlands
- 2019 – Present
Teaching interests
I have lived in several countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia for extended periods since 1997, while retaining strong ties to Australia, RMIT's Centre for Urban Research and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. Research has been my focus although I have been involved in teaching urban planning and housing policy to policy makers, urban professionals, undergraduates and masters students at RMIT University in Melbourne and the Institute of Housing and Urban Development in Rotterdam and professional training to the Husbanken, the Norwegian State Housing Bank. Through the Un #Housing2030 initiative we have produced a series of educative podcasts. I co--prepared a course on recovery with TU Delft, in partnership with UNUN The Ukraine_theThe Netherlands Urban Network, RMIT Melbourne and Zuyd University. I am also coordindator of the European Network for Housing working group Crises, Conflict and Recovery with Ukrainian colleagues, where we promote the development and presentation of research on this topic.
My mother tongue is English, I am also fluent in Dutch and enjoy collaborating across cultures, professions, academic disciplines and time zones.
Research interests
Urban and Regional Planning, Applied Economics, Policy and Administration, Business and Management
My research of urban and land policy, housing systems, circuits of investment, urban infrastructure, financial intermediaries and guarantees, and evaluations of good practices informed the UN Report #Housing2030 and the establishment of Australia's National Housing Finance Investment Corporation (NHFIC), now Housing Australia. I have led many AHURI research projects such as the Inquiry in National Housing Strategies, Infrastructure, Intermediaries and affordable housing policies comparing investment pathways and contribute to many publications and podcasts in the housing and urban sector.
For over a decade I was on the Editorial Board of the leading international journal Housing Theory and Society 2011-2023 and since 2023 for Critical Housing Analysis. I re-started the ENHR Working Group Housing and Social Theory in 2018 and initiated the WG Crises and Conflict and Recovery in 2023 and co-organised events Rebuilding a Place to Call Home and the course Tools for Recovery with colleagues from Ukrainian organisations such as UNUN, New Housing Policy and CEDOS.
