Maheshwari_B_Balanced urban growth – Is it a myth or reality?

Basant Maheshwari, Michael Buxton, Donna Craig, Brian Davidson, Ashantha Goonetilleke, Kathi Holt-Damant, Hector Malano , Kevin Rozzoli and Bruce

Simmons

Outer-urban

Urban

The Urban Growth Dynamics

Blacktown 4 years ago

Blacktown now

Penrith 4 years ago

Penrith now

Australian cities are growing Sydney 2025 5.9 million;

Melbourne: 2025: 5.0 million, Most Australian cities will

double their population by 2050

This growth mainly occurs in the outer suburbs

Building and managing these growth areas is a significant challenge

We need a will to find sustainable solutions for the issues facing cities of the future

Why Urban Growth? The growth of urban land areas occurs as the result of four

obvious factors:

(1) population growth,

(2) increase in the number of households,

(3) increasing affluence and

(4) commercial expansion.

The less obvious but real reasons for the growth are developers’ vested interests, government’s addiction to use urban growth as a means to keep the economy going and greed of speculators.

What are we faced with? Urbanisation is everywhere around Australia and

globally;

It is a looming crisis and the future liveability of our urban areas is at risk;

We need to do something about it before it is too late to retrofit things at a great cost later;

We need to understand what we are trying to do and how it is going to affect us into the future and what can we do better now;

Peri-urban issues fall between the cracks It is neither looked after by urban nor by rural policies

and actions.

Balancing Urban Growth

Build more houses;

Developer driven

No development;

Status quo

Urban Growth – Land use is the main driver

So, the key questions are… How do we achieve balanced urban growth so that our

urban and outer-urban areas are liveable and sustainable into the future (in >20 years)?

While urban growth is happening, how do we keep our waterways and ecosystem healthy?

Do we need to grow some food around our cities in the future?

We need balanced urban growth so that our

cities and towns will be liveable into the future.

So, What Is Balanced Urban Growth?

How can we achieve balanced urban growth?

The know-how to achieve sustainable and liveable cities is now available

But…. Current policies and planning for urban expansion do not

often use technical, economic and social aspects together

A way forward is: Integrated and trans-disciplinary approach and evidence-based

planning and decision making

Research and industry groups and government agencies working

together

Balanced Urban Growth Planning – It needs right and succinct information. Policy makers need clear and

concise information (often a one-pager) to make quick decisions and policy formulations.

We need to facilitate cooperative research, development and capacity building for sound evidence-based planning that will continuously maintain and improve land within outer urban developments

Transdisciplinary Research is needed

Urban Growth – A Myth or Reality Myth Reality

We can control urban growth. Urban growth is practically unstoppable.

Food production in peri-urban areas is insignificant and not economically viable.

Food produced in peri-urban areas has values beyond just $ value. It has social and other values, and therefore it can be made viable.

Peri-urban is distinct and defined. Peri-urban boundary is dynamic and can not be defined easily. It is a fuzzy and a complex area.

Everyone needs to do their bit to get the urban growth right.

This is not adequate. There needs to be integrated planning and development for a common goal.

In concluding - how do we achieve balanced urban growth? We need to work on interconnectivity of

environmental, social and economic aspirations;

We need to connect to players in all relevant sectors to bridge policy, industry and research divides and seek solutions that are integrated and deliver mutually beneficial outcomes.

We can no longer afford isolated solutions aimed at just one sector. Decisions on land use, water, energy and food production can and do have direct impacts and often unintended consequences on each other and on other related sectors.

Thank you!