What works for place-based approaches in Victoria? Research report and case studies

Place-based approaches are an innovative way to address disadvantage and inequity, strengthen resilience to crises in place, and build thriving and resilient communities. In 2021-22, the Centre led a consortium of research partners examining literature, evidence and practice to understand what features enable the success of place-based approaches and how to best support them – information essential to improving the wellbeing of Victorian communities into the future.

Findings from these reports will inform the continued paradigm shift across government, funders, organisations and innovators working to address inequities and build the capacities of Victorian communities.

Download the reports

Part 1. A review of the literature

Part 1 outlines the critical factors for successful place-based approaches drawing on existing Australian and international evidence and offers insights on gaps in current knowledge about place-based approaches and opportunities for future research.

Download Part 1: A review of the literature

Part 1: A review of the literature PDF, 1.58 MB

Part 2. A review of practice

Part 2 focuses on five case studies of place-based approaches in Victoria providing grounded and context specific insights into the challenges and opportunities facing place-based approaches in Victoria.

Download Part 2: A review of practice

Part 2: A review of practice PDF, 2.2 MB

Inside the report

Key findings

Download a summary of key findings from the research

Summary of key findings from the literature PDF, 946.07 KB
Summary of key findings from practice PDF, 1.01 MB

Partners and contributors

The ‘What works for place-based approaches in Victoria?’ project was funded by the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (Place Based Reform and Delivery branch) with oversight and guidance from a range of government, philanthropic and not-for-profit stakeholders. The project is a collaboration between the Centre for Just Places, RMIT Centre for Urban Research and the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. The project’s advisory group and reviewers are experts and practitioners working on different aspects of place-based policy, practice and evaluation from the Social Solutions Research Group in the Institute for Social Science Research at the University of Queensland, the Institute for Resilient Regions at the University of Southern Queensland, the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University, the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria, and Stand Up Collaboration.

We acknowledge and thank the place-based practitioners and policy makers interviewed over the research for their time and generosity in sharing their experiences and expertise.

“Anything we’ve done and any success we’ve had has been based on really clearly understanding what people need. We have made it our goal to unflinchingly serve what we hear people say they need…and when you do that, the response [trust] is then very strong [from the community].”

Greater Shepparton Lighthouse initiative

For more information

Contact the Centre’s Executive Director, Susie Moloney, at susie.moloney@jss.org.au or Haydie Gooder at haydie.gooder@jss.org.au.

If you require one of these PDFs in an accessible format, please contact Susie Moloney at Susie.Moloney@jss.org.au

Jesuit Social Services established the Centre for Just Places in 2021, with significant seed funding from the Gandel Foundation and the Victorian Government.