The fact sheet below provides a guide to the purpose and use of this statistical geography. The rings geography breaks Australia’s five largest capital cities into three concentric zones and can be used to analyse patterns in population, jobs, connectivity and access to services. This fact sheet provides a guide to understanding and using the classification.

BCARR has undertaken a South East Queensland (SEQ) research project to provide an evidence base on the spatial distribution of population growth, jobs, connectivity and liveability of SEQ. This evidence can be used to monitor how population, jobs, connectivity and liveability change over time and respond to investment. The report aims to support the department's policy and project delivery. The final report is available below.

BCARR conducted a Work from Home (WfH) research project to provide evidence of how social, demographic and spatial characteristics influence WfH capability and uptake in Australian cities. The study also explores the link between WfH and relocation and investigates post-pandemic prospects for WfH in Australia. This new evidence can help improve understanding of the key drivers of WfH and the ongoing role that WfH will likely play in influencing urban and regional development outcomes in Australia.

This research was conducted by the University of South Australia (UniSA) between March 2022 and June 2023 and was co-funded by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts in partnership with the iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre.

The study addresses the following questions:

• What are the primary determinants of firm and residential location patterns across Australia?
• What are the drivers of or barriers to attracting and retaining businesses and households to regional cities, and how do they differ based on characteristics of businesses, households and regions?
• What are the possible long-term impacts of COVID-19 on firm and residential location decisions across metropolitan and regional cities?
• How are these impacts likely to influence resulting spatial patterns of employment activity and residential settlement within and across these cities?

To answer these questions UniSA undertook nationwide surveys of businesses, landlords and residents and conducted interviews and focus groups with residents across different city sizes and types, real estate and property developers, commercial landlords, state and local government officials, business owners and senior executives.

This study provides important insights for policymakers, businesses, and communities on current and possible future patterns of employment activity and residential settlement.

You can read the report Long-term pandemic impact on business and residential location to find out more.