Queering Cities in Australia

QueeringCitiesinAustralia Makingpublicspacesmoreinclusivethroughurbanpolicyandpractice ©Gettyimages 3 QueeringCitiesinAustralia Makingpublicspacesmoreinclusivethroughurban policyandpractice ExecutiveSummary4 Introduction7 Methodology15 Thematicliteraturereview19 Localgovernmentstrategies27 andpoliciesreview Conclusion51 Recommendations55 References59 Researchteam63 contents HowcouldwemakepublicspacesmoreinclusiveforLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesand communitiesthroughbetteraccommodationinpolicyandpracticeforlocalareas? 2 ExecutiveSummary QueeringcitiesisacollaborativeresearchprojectbetweenArup,MariduluBudyariGumalHealthyUrbanEnvironmentsCollaboratory,WesternSydneyUniversity,theUniversityofTechnologySydneyandtheUniversityofNewSouthWales. ItexamineshowpublicspacescanbemoreinclusiveforLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesandcommunitiesthroughbetteraccommodationinpolicyandpracticeforlocalareas. ThisworkaimstoproviderecommendationsforcreatingmoreinclusivepublicspacesinthelocalgovernmentareasofmetropolitanSydney,MelbourneandBrisbane. Sydney Melbourne Brisbane BuildingonthesuccessofaUK-basedproject,QueeringPublicSpace(Catterall&Azzouz2021),thisreportrefocusesthelensonAustraliancities.Thisisnecessarybecausethehistories,legaciesandcontemporaryformsofcitiesdifferacrosstheworld,requiringnuancedlocalinsightto‘usualise’queernessinpublicspaces. Thereportcomprisestheresultsofadesk-topresearchproject.First,athematicliteraturereview(Braun&Clarke2021)ontheexperiencesofLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesandcommunitiesinAustraliancitieswasconducted,identifyingbestpracticesininclusivelocalareapolicyanddesign globally.Buildinguponthefindingsoftheliterature review,asetofassessmentcriteriawasdeveloped: –Stakeholderengagement; –FormationofaLGBTIQ+advisorycommittee; –AffirmingandusualisingLGBTIQ+communities; –Stafftrainingandawareness;and –Inclusivepublicspacedesignguidelines. Second,areviewoflocalgovernmentstrategiesandpolicieswasconductedagainsttheassessmentcriteriadevelopedoutofthethematicliteraturereview.Thereviewassessedlocalcouncils withinAustralia’smajoreasternseaboardcities–GreaterSydney,GreaterMelbourneandGreaterBrisbane–regardingtheirstrategiesandactivitiesforaccommodatingLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesandcommunities. Keyfindings –FewcouncilshavestakeholderengagementactivitieswithLGBTIQ+individuals,communitygroups,organisationsandbusinesses; –Amongthethreecities,MelbourneismoreproactiveinestablishingLGBTIQ+advisorycommittees; –Inner-citycouncilsaremoreproactive ininitiativesforaffirmingandusualisingLGBTIQ+communities.RelatedactionsincludeholdingLGBTIQ+events, andvisualcuessuchasrainbowflags andcreatingrainbowcrossings; –Councilsareleastengagedwithstaff trainingandawareness;and –Whilemanycouncilshaveidentifiedtheneedforinclusiveandaccessiblepublicspacesandcouncilfacilities,strategiesandactionsdonotaddressspecificaccommodationsforLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesandcommunities. Thisreportconcludeswitharecommendationsframework.InPhase2ofthisresearch,thethemesidentifiedwillbetakentoaseriesofworkshopswithLGBTIQ+communities,policymakersandpublicspaceplannerstodevelopsolutionsthatmightbeimplementedbylocalcouncilstoimprovetheinclusivityoflocalareasandpublicspaces. 45 Introduction ©JeffreyFeng Queeringcities ResearchfromarangeofdisciplinesacrossvariouscountrieshasidentifiedhowpublicspacescanbedangerousandexclusionaryforLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesandcommunities.1 Lessworkhasfocusedonhowtomakepublicspacessafe,welcomingandinclusiveforLGBTIQ+people,familiesandcommunities,orto‘usualise’queernessintheuseanddesignofpublicspaces. Thisisimportantforsecureaccesstopublicspaces,whichunderpinsdiverseaspectsofhealthandwellbeing,including: –Asenseofself-securitywhenoutandaboutinpublicspaces; –Safeaccessofsocialnetworksandinteraction; –Safeaccesstoemploymentandeducationopportunities;and –Theuseofopenspaces(e.g.parks)fortherapeuticandrecreationalpurposes. Withever-increasingmovestowardsLGBTIQ+equalityinmoreandmorecountries,suchaslegalisationofsame-sexmarriageandanti-discriminationlawsineachstateofAustralia,itistimelytoconsiderhowqueernesscanbeusualisedinpublicspaces. TheHills Hornsby NorthernBeaches Queeringandusualisingpublicspace Weusethepracticeof‘queering’to Here,drawingonCatterall&Azzouz(2021),we defineusualisingwithinplanninganddesigningas Penrith Blacktown Ku-ring-gai acknowledgethatLGBTIQ+individuals, beingaccommodatingofallgendersandsexualities Parramatta Ryde WilloughbyLaneCove familiesandcommunitiesshouldbe fromthestart,notalwaysbyhighlightingdifferences, Cumberland HuntersHillCanadaBay Mosman NorthSydney butbymakingspacesandimplementingpoliciesthat Fairfield StrathfieldWoollahra consideredandincorporatedinthe foundationallyaccommodateall. Liverpool Burwood InnerSydneyWest Waverley useanddesignofpublicspaceatthelocallevelandbeyond.AhistoryofsocialandlegalexclusionsshowsthatLGBTIQ+individuals,familiesandcommunitieshavespecificspatialconcerns,asdemonstratedinpreviousresearch(seeThematicliteraturereviewofthisreportforfurtherfindings). Weneedtobe