Kate Shaw

Kate Shaw (born 1961, in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian academic, planning activist and commentator. As of 2026, she was a Honorary Research Fellow in Urban Geography and Planning at the University of Melbourne.

Background

Kate's background is in alternative cultures. , before undertaking a Postgraduate Diploma in urban policy and planning (1993) and a Masters in social science (2000), both at RMIT. and used a number of case studies from European and Australian cities to investigate the range of policies that have been used to support alternative culture in neighbourhoods subject to gentrification.

From 2005 to 2008 she was research associate on a large project with Prof. Ruth Fincher titled "Transnational and Temporary: students, community and place-making in central Melbourne", looking at the growing student population and how they are housed in Melbourne. Her own ARC funded project on "Planning the ‘creative city’: reconciling global strategies with local subcultures" took place from 2009 to 2012.

Scholarly contributions

Her current research focuses on urban renewal in the 21st century. Accepting that the economic case for growth combines with the environmental case for limiting urban sprawl to produce an irresistible logic for increasing the densities of Australian cities, it explores ways of improving on the renewal projects of the last 50 years. Current work examines the legislative, regulatory, financial, political and cultural barriers to socially equitable urban development, and researches practices across the world that do it well. Shaw has focused on public housing renewal programs for more than a decade.

In 2009, Shaw was the co-author of "Whose Urban Renaissance? An international comparison of urban regeneration policies".

Shaw has written extensively on the subject of gentrification.

As of July 2026, she was completing a book titled "The Squander and Salvage of Global Urban Waterfronts".

Public engagement Shaw is notable for her work in connection with the protection of local cultural diversity and alternative sub-cultures.

As well as academic publications, Shaw publishes opinion articles in the media , makes inquiry submissions , participates in radio interviews and writes in The Conversation.

Shaw was involved in the 'Save the Espy' campaign (1997-2003), formally known as The Esplanade Alliance , which was a campaign to retain the Esplanade Hotel, Melbourne. When the Esplanade Alliance planned to present a history of the hotel's culture to the developer, they were locked out of the hotel, and Shaw stated "the first time in the hotel's 120-year history that a group of St Kilda residents had been refused entry". In 1998 Kate Shaw co-wrote an opinion piece calling for the hotel to be retained. Shaw was the Spokesperson for the Esplanade alliance and assisted with the VCAT hearing & fund-raising. By 2023, the City of Port Phillip and Becton Corporation reached agreement on The Esplanade Hotel.

In 2003, Kate Shaw published an academic analysis "Planning for the Espy: policies, politics, deals" in the Planning Institute Australia's publication Planning News. Kate was working on her PhD thesis on the politics of preservation at the time. She also cited this list of cities in a 2014 article as examples where "unable or unwilling to curb gentrification", local governments ensured "some of the financial returns are invested in rent controls, capital works and purchases for (sub)cultural uses".

Housing affordability In 2016, Shaw wrote "Victoria's [planning] system is dire". for her paper "The Place of Alternative Culture and the Politics of its Protection in Berlin, Amsterdam and Melbourne". Shaw’s paper interpreted alternative city cultures as a form of heritage.

In 2024 Shaw was awarded The Royal Society Research Culture Award for making a substantial impact on improving equality, diversity and inclusion through education, outreach, communication and open data.

Selected publications

Shaw publishes a list of publications and lectures on her website.

Porter, L. and Shaw, K. (Eds)(2008) Whose Urban Renaissance? An international comparison of urban regeneration strategies, London: Routledge Long, C., Shaw, K. and Merlo, C. (Eds)(2005) Suburban fantasies : Melbourne unmasked, Melbourne : Australian Scholarly Publishing Shaw, K (Ed)(1998) Planning practice 1998 : the best and worst examples of city planning and development, North Melbourne, Vic. : People's Committee for Melbourne