This document provides an overview of AURIN, a federated network of data and research hubs that empowers research into the built environment. It describes AURIN's data portal and analytics tools and shares case studies demonstrating how AURIN has supported academic and government research projects across multiple scales from the neighborhood to metropolitan and national levels by providing open access to authoritative datasets and analytical capabilities.

1. ANDS
Friday 16th June 2017
Xavier Goldie
AURIN, THE UNINVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
AURIN – Overview

3. WHO ARE WE?
A FEDERATED NETWORK OF DATA AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH HUBS

8. Identification
/Relevance
Legal
Obligations
Metadata
Access
Curation andRelease
Monitoring
Maintainence
Archive
Specialist
Research
Requests

9. Metadata = data.aurin.org.au
Research Outputs = map.aurin.org.au
Data + Analytics = portal.aurin.org.au
OpenAPI = http://docs.aurin.org.au/aurin-portal-access-registration/aurin-api/

10. AURIN
Data Access
PORTAL
API
AURIN Map

11. AURIN
Data Access
PORTAL
API
AURIN Map
Open and more
secure data
Open data –
derived from
National Map
Direct access to open
datasets from apps and
desktop

12. AURIN
PORTAL
Security
Research
(University-
AAF)
EndUser
Government
(VHO)
Utilities (Multiple
Agencies)
Domain Expert (ie
Energy and Water)
Data Providers
A
A
CAUL

20. AURIN empowers research into
the built environment
~7,300 TOTAL USERS
~84% ACADEMIC (.EDU) USERS
~16% GOVERNMENT (.GOV) USERS
ACADEMIC SECTOR:
~71% STUDENTS
~29% STAFF

21. AURIN empowers academic research into the
built environment through
DATA
and
ANALYTICS

22. DATA:
• Portal brings ~2000 datasets together from open and closed
sources into single geographic framework. Most are
nationwide coverage
• Data from over 70 disparate data providers, facilitating
intersectional research
• Data can be imported and exported, in spatial and non-spatial
formats, to allow integration into researcher’s existing
analytical ecosystem

23. ANALYTICS
• Over 100 analytical tools, ranging in complexity from basic
graphing and visualisation, to spatial statistical routines,
implemented in R, but using a GUI for non expert users
• Tailor-made analytical routines e.g. Walkability tools
• Additional decision support tools external to the AURIN Portal
around land use planning e.g. AURIN’s Online What-If?
• Licensed access to PSMA Geocoder

24. The true value of AURIN:
• Single port of call for urban researchers to access
authoritative datasets ready for analysis
• Completely eliminates need for researchers to arrange data
licensing – saves time and money
• Free access enables small scale research projects especially
in non-STEM and non-biological sciences, and especially for
PhD students

25. CASE STUDIES

26. NEIGHBOURHOOD SCALE

27. Relationship between Transit Oriented Development and
Residential Property Values

28. Relationship between Transit Oriented Development and
Residential Property Values
• Eileen Sim (Masters Student) and collaborators showed
that proximity to metropolitan train station had positive
impact on residential property values
• Challenged assumptions which fuel opposition to
development, allow for evidence based urban policy
• AURIN datasets available for free through the portal were
fundamental to the work

29. Relationship between Transit Oriented Development and
Residential Property Values
“It would have been close to impossible for me to
conduct the research as a Masters paper. It may have
been possible if the researcher was an experienced
researcher and had extensive contact with APM to gain
access to that data but I was really just an amateur
and purchasing it was not an option.”

30. SUBURB SCALE

31. Differences in residential locational choices of male and
female same-sex couples in Melbourne and Sydney

32. Differences in residential locational choices of male and
female same-sex couples in Melbourne and Sydney
• Researchers showed that male and female same-sex
couples were segregated from each other in closely linked
neighbourhoods
• Regression modeling challenged theories about the role of
the Creative Class in driving LGBT aggregation
• AURIN datasets, and spatial statistical analytical routines in
the AURIN portal, were central to the analysis

33. Differences in residential locational choices of male and
female same-sex couples in Melbourne and Sydney
“The breadth of data available in AURIN, combined
with other sources at the same level of geography
easily allows the kind of multivariate regression
methods central to answering these questions.
Especially a rich property value dataset at such a fine
spatial resolution”

34. MUNICIPAL SCALE I

35. Development of City of Darebin Walking Strategy
Developing a Walking Strategy for Darebin
Signed the International
Charter for Walking in 2008
Background and benchmarking
Development of a Principal
Pedestrian Network
Social indicators analysis and
AURIN portal
Walking assessments and
pedestrian Level of Service
(LoS)
Prioritisation

36. Development of City of Darebin Walking Strategy
• Local Government in Victoria (City of Darebin) developed a
strategy to both improve the walkability of their city and
increase the rates of walking amongst residents and visitors
• Integrated approach, incorporating socio-economic and
health data, infrastructure and asset information and
economic analysis
• AURIN datasets and analytical tools were central to shaping
the policy

37. Development of City of Darebin Walking Strategy
“What I like about AURIN is that it’s one spot where I
can access data, analyse it and display my results. It’s a
one-size-fits-all tool.”

38. MUNICIPAL SCALE II

39. Investigating changes to the Live Music Scene in Melbourne
and Sydney

40. Investigating changes to the Live Music Scene in Melbourne
and Sydney
• Dr Sarah Taylor investigated spatial shifts in the live music
scene in Melbourne and Sydney over the last two decades
• Illustrated that different aggregation processes were driving
the viability of venues in the two cities
• AURIN data around gaming and liquor venues in Melbourne
ensured that the analyses could occur

41. Investigating changes to the Live Music Scene in Melbourne
and Sydney
“The best part about AURIN was knowing that
trustworthy official data was readily accessible…It
switched the focus to getting on with research…I really
noticed the difference for equivalent NSW data that
was not available on AURIN: I did eventually obtain the
data but the process was long and not conducive to
efficient research.”

42. SUB REGIONAL SCALE I

43. Preventing non-urgent hospital ED admissions

44. Preventing non-urgent hospital ED admissions
• Researchers from the University of Melbourne investigated
factors which cause parents to bring young children to EDs
for non-urgent presentations
• Showed that neighbourhood characteristics (walkability,
perceived safety), when intersected with GP or clinic
characteristics, strongly predicted results.
• AURIN was a research partner, providing expertise, data
and analytics to generate and visualise outcomes

45. Preventing non-urgent hospital ED admissions
As a direct outcome of this research, AURIN has been
able to secure access to the National Health Services
Directory service location data (individual points) for
use through the AURIN portal for academic and
government researchers

46. SUB REGIONAL SCALE II

47. Integrating inter-disciplinary data into an online health
analytical framework

48. Integrating inter-disciplinary data into an online health
analytical framework
• Eastern Melbourne Health Region developed an open
online resource with health and well-being information for
evidence based policy development and resource allocation
• Integrated with a range of resources, driven by idea of open
collaboration
• AURIN provides access to data to the well via our open API

49. Integrating inter-disciplinary data into an online health
analytical framework
Work has begun to feed more datasets into The Well
for clinicians, epidemiologists and public health experts
to use – including those around gambling, liquor
consumption, land use and societal violence

50. METROPOLITAN SCALE

51. The spatial characteristics of housing affordability
and stress in Sydney

52. The spatial characteristics of housing affordability
and stress in Sydney
• A/Prof Pettit and collaborators from UNSW investigated the
spatial distribution of housing stress in Sydney
• Illustrated that the standard indicators used (incl. those
released today!) have substantial methodological
limitations
• Data and visualisation capabilities of the AURIN portal were
used in conjunction with desktop functions

53. MULTI METROPOLITAN SCALE

54. State of Environment Report – The Built Environment

55. State of Environment Report – The Built Environment
• State of Environment Report is generated every 5 years by
the Department of Environment and Energy, providing an
appraisal of environmental issues and challenges
• The report is structured along a number of themes, one of
which is the Built Environment, highlighting challenges
associated with urbanisation and environmental tensions
• AURIN datasets were central to underpinning the
importance of built form on accessibility in health
outcomes

56. State of Environment Report – The Built Environment

57. Next Steps (Data)
• Incorporation of historical and current property sales at
point level (again!)
• Direct feed to the Atlas of Living Australia point datasets to
incorporate biological science data – allows urban ecology
analysis
• Developing new relationships with Australian Data
Archives, Parliamentary library to incorporate large scale
historical cultural datasets