Planning the post-political city: exploring public participation in the contemporary Australian city

This special section examines the possibility of meaningful debate and contestation over urban decisions and futures in politically constrained contexts. In doing so, it moves with the post-political times: critically examining the proliferation of deliber- ative mechanisms; identifying the informal assemblages of diverse actors taking on new roles in urban socio-spatial justice; and illuminating the spaces where informal and formal planning processes meet. These questions are particularly pertinent for understanding the processes shaping Australian cities and public participation today

\u2730-minute city\u27? Not in my backyard! Smart Cities Plan must let people have their say

The federal government\u27s Smart Cities Plan is framed around the 30-minute city . In this city, journeys will take no more than half an hour, regardless of your location. The recently released plan has significant implications for population, transport provision and land-use intensity in neighbourhoods - the places where people live and how they get around. The realisation of its goals will require ongoing densification of Australian suburbs

Unsettling planning theory

Recent political developments in many parts of the world seem likely to exacerbate rather than ameliorate the planetary-scale challenges of social polarization, inequality and environmental change societies face. In this unconventional multi-authored essay, we therefore seek to explore some of the ways in which planning theory might respond to the deeply unsettling times we live in. Taking the multiple, suggestive possibilities of the theme of unsettlement as a starting point, we aim to create space for reflection and debate about the state of the discipline and practice of planning theory, questioning what it means to produce knowledge capable of acting on the world today. Drawing on exchanges at a workshop attended by a group of emerging scholars in Portland, Oregon in late 2016, the essay begins with an introduction section exploring the contemporary resonances of ‘unsettling’ in, of and for planning theory. This is followed by four, individually authored responses which each connect the idea of unsettlement to key challenges and possible future directions. We end by calling for a reflective practice of theorizing that accepts unsettlement but seeks to act knowingly and compassionately on the uneven terrain that it creates

New tools and innovations for improving urban safety

Abstract not available

When is a deliberative framework appropriate in metropolitan planning?

Abstract not available

Investigating the knowledge interface between stakeholder engagement and plan-making

The ‘ideal deliberative procedure’ provides structure to the process of stakeholder deliberation, yet creates a tension with the formal processes of strategic plan-making. This paper examines process design by drawing upon communicative planning theory, and the rational comprehensive model and deliberative democracy literature. In the context of metropolitan strategic spatial plan-making, the aim of this paper is to examine how the knowledge interface between the process of stakeholder engagement and the process of plan-making enables or inhibits implementation of the plan. A retrospective study examining the development of two metropolitan strategic spatial plans: Greater Perth’s the Network City plan and Greater Vancouver’s the Livable Region Strategic Plan is provided. It is revealed that the engagement of the planners, the public and the politicians occurs within formal stakeholder engagement ‘events’ positioned at different stages of the plan-making process. This paper reveals that the deliberation among the professional planners and the politicians at the process design stage steers the plan-making process in a manner that retains its legitimacy and creates a more implementable plan.

The interface between the public, the politician and the professional planning in plan-making exercises

Deliberative democracy theorists argue that inclusive processes of stakeholder engagement generally result in more rational and more legitimate policy outcomes when compared to other conventional approaches of decision-making. Examination of inclusive stakeholder engagement processes undertaken in the development of spatial urban planning documents reveals that a tension exists between the process of inclusive stakeholder engagement and the implementation of policy outcomes. Literature on deliberative democracy suggests that both a top-down and bottom-up approach to decision-making will help reconcile that tension by drawing upon the legitimating roles that the public, the professional planner and the politician bring to the process of plan-making. What is missing however is literature which describes the change that occurs in the relationship between these three groups. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore how the literature on deliberative democracy describes the relationship between the public, the politician and the professional planner in the plan-making process. By examining the interface between these three main groups of stakeholders questions emerge regarding how the change in relationship between the groups affects the quality of the policy outcome

Examining the knowledge interface : metropolitan plan-making and deliberative engagement

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, 201

Book review: 'Regional planning for open space', edited by Arnold van der Valk and Terry van Dijk

Review of the book: 'Regional planning for open space', edited by Arnold van der Valk and Terry van Dijk, published by Routledge, 2009

Empowering local government: time for a rethink

Australia faces many challenges as it moves through the 21st Century including the need for more affordable housing, upgrading infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population and immediate climate change concerns. These challenges need to be addressed quickly. They transcend both the metropolitan and the regional and are relevant to all municipalities