New residents—new city. The role of urban activists in the transformation of inner city Melbourne

This study of inner suburban residents' associations in Melbourne in the 1960s and 1970s examines the role of social activism in shaping Australia's urban dynamics. It argues that the focus on gentrification as an all-embracing explanatory concept in urban studies in Australia and elsewhere has detracted attention from the importance of structural change especially the de-industrialisation of the inner suburbs and the influence of urban activists and residents' associations in this period. The article concludes that insufficient analysis of social and economic change and the limited recognition of the importance of diverse communities continue to limit inclusive policy responses to urban reconstruction in Australia.