Climate change and sustainable urban planning policies: case study, Southeast Queensland, Australia

The phenomena of climate change can be defined as a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. The impacts of climate change in urban areas can result in the increase of the urban ‘heat island’ effect, heatwaves and colder periods, flooding, intensified storm frequency and storm surge, draught and increased bushfire risk (Gold Coast City Council 2009). Climate change has already affected large urban agglomerations. Unexpected heatwaves in Paris and Moscow, unusual intensity of Hurricane Katrina and the recent super storm Sandy are only a few examples of adverse impacts of climate change. In the European Union and North America urban planning policies and strategies targeting climate change have been introduced at the interstate, state, regional, municipal and local levels. The Australian continent has been regarded as one of the most affected regions of the world in terms of climate change implications. Combating the implications of climate change has been priority policy of every state in Australia. For the past decades Queensland’s economy was largely based on property led development, The recent 2010-2011 Queensland floods of historic proportion, which came after a decade of extreme draught, raised many questions about the future development of cities and urban areas. This paper will discuss the planning instruments at regional, municipal and local neighbourhood levels that address the issues of climate change in the Southeast Queensland Region. They vary from general directions, regional plans and guidelines, city wide planning schemes to local and neighbourhood plans and development codes. Effective enforcement of sustainable planning regulations and design guidelines in new developments is the key to smart growth and creating climate responsive urban environments

Revitalising the inner city in the Asia Pacific Region through urban design: different approaches and scales of intervention

In recent years the Asia-Pacific Region has witnessed a spate of revitalisation projects as part of a general trend in addressing blight and decay of inner city urban areas. Urban design has been globally recognised as one of the key instruments of physical transformation employed to enhance urban quality and achieve sustainable urban environments. In this article we explore the role of urban design in the revitalisation process. In order to capture a wider urban context, revitalization at a city wide level in Singapore, district level in Brisbane, Queensland Australia and neighbourhood level on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia is examined . The three case studies differ from each other in terms of city size, global context, local economy, urban policy and in the case of Singapore social profile and culture. The study revealed that urban design, not only has role in the revitalization process, but underpins the economic and social regeneration of blighted urban areas in all three cities

Contrasting global imagery to local realities in the postcolonial waterfronts of Malaysia's capital cities

Urban waterfront redevelopments are often about image-making for economic and political gain. This article analyses three major recent waterfront projects within the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area: Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the River of Life, and Lake Putrajaya. All have been important in projecting an image of a modern, developed, postcolonial Malaysia. The article examines these waterfront landscapes in relation to three key themes: their contribution to the overall city image, to economic development, and to ecological performance. The article draws upon policy documents, project plans, interviews with local policymakers, designers and academics, field observation of the current physical development, land use and social use of the three waterfront precincts, and a mental mapping survey of users' cognitive images of how these precincts fit within the overall city image. Analysis shows that the appearance, use and development process of these three waterfront projects draw heavily on international models. The article suggests several waterfront sites and uses within the three projects that indicate a more authentic local paradigm for urban waterfront development

Linking place attachment and social interaction: towards meaningful public places

Purpose A public space is a place of significance when it fulfils the human need for social interaction and attachment. However, the scarcity of public spaces poses a challenge to support socialisation for people within a defined social and cultural group. The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between place attachment and social interaction within public spaces in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach Face-to-face interviews with urban users were conducted to examine the users’ engagement in three main public spaces in the city and the significance of these spaces to everyday social interaction. Field observations were carried out to examine patterns of users’ activities and interactions. Findings The authors uncover a lack of multi-functional spaces to support diverse forms of interactions in the city. A street has an important function to generate activities. However, spaces for people to sit and stay remain scarce, and are in most cases consumed by extended commercial use and thus considered private. Opportunities for social interaction are very limited. The significance of the places relates strongly to commercial and tourism functions, and hence place attachment evolves around those activities. Participants associated their familiarity and engagement with interaction between familiar people, close ethnic relationships and business acquaintances. Practical implications The authors argue that more robust and socially responsive public spaces should be reclaimed for the culturally diverse users. Social implications Development of attachment through meaningful spaces for people to stay and interact could enhance the role of public spaces in the city. Originality/value By understanding the social meanings of places, particularly in a multi-cultural setting, a stronger basis for designing and managing urban places towards resiliency and social sustainability can be provided

Performance of public spaces in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan region in terms of the tropical climate

The Greater Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Region is one of the fastest growing regions in Malaysia and in the last decade has witnessed a spate of new residential, institutional and commercial development. Much of this development has been mainly market driven and guided by economic and political reasons. Such rapid property led development often neglects the local traditions, the natural settings and the local tropical climate and as a result has a detrimental impact on the surrounding public space. The aim of this study is to analyse the state of existing selected public spaces in the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Region against a set of recognised universal evaluative criteria for tropical design followed by identifying a set of measures to remedy existing deficiencies. The nature of this research is predominantly qualitative conducted through intense contact in the real urban life. The research methods include literature review, content analysis, field assessment and visual observations on suitable case study areas. The analysis revealed that a majority of public spaces in the region are not pedestrian friendly and do not reflect the tropical climate, being devoid of trees and vegetation. Future development of public open spaces in appreciation of the local tropical climate, local traditions, identity and character would significantly contribute to a holistic environment, viable economy and social equilibrium

Contrasting global imagery to local realities in the postcolonial waterfronts of Malaysia’s capital cities

Urban waterfront redevelopments are often about image-making for economic and political gain. This article analyses three major recent waterfront projects within the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area: Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the River of Life, and Lake Putrajaya. All have been important in projecting an image of a modern, developed, postcolonial Malaysia. The article examines these waterfront landscapes in relation to three key themes: their contribution to the overall city image, to economic development, and to ecological performance. The article draws upon policy documents, project plans, interviews with local policymakers, designers and academics, field observation of the current physical development, land use and social use of the three waterfront precincts, and a mental mapping survey of users' cognitive images of how these precincts fit within the overall city image. Analysis shows that the appearance, use and development process of these three waterfront projects draw heavily on international models. The article suggests several waterfront sites and uses within the three projects that indicate a more authentic local paradigm for urban waterfront development

Comparative analysis of post- Second World War urban environments in Westerns and Central Europe and Southeast Asia

The physical destruction of the urban environment during a war can occur as a result of damage through air and missile raids, a nuclear explosion, devastation through civil uprisings, attacks on the urban infrastructure and, more recently terrorist attacks. There are also non-physical damages; such as biological warfare and cyber-attacks that can cause significant chaos within an urban conurbation. This study focuses on the consequences of the Second World War in the urban environments of cities in Western and Central Europe and Southeast Asia, and illustrates the different approaches and paths individual nations have followed in rebuilding their damaged urban fabric. The Second World War resulted in the considerable destruction of the urban fabric throughout Western and Central Europe. Many German cities were partially or almost destroyed as a result of air bombing. Other cities in Central Europe became living battlefields, and suffered significant devastation because of air raids and the passing front. After the Second World War, state and local authorities in Europe placed a strong emphasis on rebuilding the cities, and as a result, urban planning became one of the leading professions. In Southeast Asia, the situation was different as the urban population percentage was significantly lower than in Europe, and therefore the majority of the fighting and war activities took place in the rural areas. Consequently, the destruction of urban areas had a lesser impact on the local economies, and rebuilding cities was not a decisive post-war economic driver as in the case of..