The final report from the Shaping Futures project has been published with a launch event in Australia.

Shaping Futures chair Professor Duncan Maclennan at the launch of the Shaping Futures Changing the Housing Story report at the State Library Victoria, Australia
The project has explored the conventional housing policy narratives that have dominated government thinking in Australia, Britain and Canada (the ABC countries) over the past 20-30 years. Each of the three nations faces unique housing challenges but also share common problems.
Shaping Futures aims to construct more effective, progressive policy narratives robust enough to thrive within the tough competitive environments that prevail within public policymaking and budgetary processes.
The report and a shorter summary version was launched at an event hosted by Housing Choices Australia at the State Library Victoria.
Managing Director Michael Lennon said: “The Shaping Futures project is all about sharing knowledge and experience between housing sectors in Australia, Britain and Canada – with a purpose to work smarter and faster. Our sector is on the verge of a whole new policy environment.”
The report contains ten principles for housing policy and tax reform intended to provide a coherent framework for reforming housing policies.
The policy proposals reflect the need for an enduring framework of consensual approaches that form a path towards better performing housing systems in all three countries.
The authors of the report are:
- Professor Duncan Maclennan, University of Glasgow and Policy Scotland
- Professor Kenneth Gibb, University of Glasgow and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE)
- Sharon Chisholm, honorary fellow, University of Glasgow, and Policy Scotland
- Professor Hal Pawson, City Futures Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, Sydney
- Professor David Hulchanski, Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto
Read the report
You can read online or download:
- the full report
- the summary report
- each individual chapter
Get the report, summary and chapters
Read an article by Professors Duncan Maclennan and Hal Pawson: Housing policy reset is overdue, and not only in Australia