Queering Cities in Australia: Making public spaces more inclusive through urban policy and practice

Building on the success of a UK-based project, Queering Public Space (Catterall & Azzouz 2021), this report refocuses the lens on Australian cities.

This is necessary because the histories, legacies and contemporary forms of cities differ across the world, requiring nuanced local insight to ‘usualise’ queerness in public spaces. The report comprises the results of a desk-top research project. First, a thematic literature review (Braun & Clarke 2021) on the experiences of LGBTIQ+ individuals, families and communities in Australian cities was conducted, identifying best practices in inclusive local area policy and design globally. Building upon the findings of the literature review, a set of assessment criteria was developed:

• Stakeholder engagement;
• Formation of a LGBTIQ+ advisory committee;
• Affirming and usualising LGBTIQ+ communities;
• Staff training and awareness; and
• Inclusive public space design guidelines.

Second, a review of local government strategies and policies was conducted against the assessment criteria developed out of the thematic literature review. The review assessed local councils within Australia’s major eastern seaboard cities – Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne and Greater Brisbane – regarding their strategies and activities for accommodating LGBTIQ+ individuals, families and communities.

Key findings

• Few councils have stakeholder engagement activities with LGBTIQ+ individuals, community groups, organisations and businesses;
• Among the three cities, Melbourne is more proactive in establishing LGBTIQ+ advisory committees;
• Inner-city councils are more proactive in initiatives for affirming and usualising LGBTIQ+ communities. Related actions include holding LGBTIQ+ events, and visual cues such as rainbow flags and creating rainbow crossings;
• Councils are least engaged with staff training and awareness; and
• While many councils have identified the need for inclusive and accessible public spaces and council facilities, strategies and actions do not address specific accommodations for LGBTIQ+ individuals, families and communities. 

This report concludes with a recommendations framework. In Phase 2 of this research, the themes identified will be taken to a series of workshops with LGBTIQ+ communities, policymakers and public space planners to develop solutions that might be implemented by local councils to improve the inclusivity of local areas and public spaces.

Explore Healthy Environments