Cities within a city : planning policies and intra-urban inequalities in Greater Sydney

Numerous research papers and reports have acknowledged Sydney’s inequalities in terms of place-based difficulties, governance, migrant settlement, displacement, gentrification, housing development, and affordability. However, that research is not specific to the urban inequalities related to urban policy applications. Considering the gap, this research investigates the urban planning practices, their impacts and outcomes in Sydney in light of case studies, secondary evidence, empirical data and critical urban philosophies. The key questions in this research are: how is Sydney transforming into an increasingly unequal city? how do influential socio-economic actors contribute to urban inequalities? what is the situation of the rights to the city in the disadvantaged geographies of Sydney? And how are the life and livelihoods of Sydney’s underprivileged residents disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? This research employs critical theory as a crucial lens to analyse the socio-economic disparities in urban spaces. The critical analysis outlines that the NSW urban planning system, practices and outcomes influence the cities within a city divide in Sydney, supporting secondary content and empirical data. The affluent areas are prioritised in neoliberal urban growth with less housing and population targets and expanded opportunities. In contrast, the disadvantaged regions have extreme urbanisation instead of much needed urban opportunities and infrastructure support. The NSW urban planning practices are strongly influenced by socio-economic power; consequently, high socio-economics northern and eastern areas of Sydney influence the urban growth and development. They are able to prevent densification in their areas. On the other hand, the less affluent residents of low socio-economic Western Sydney areas lack the power to resist large volumes of additional dwellings leading to fast densification. The critical analysis of this research outlines Sydney’s urban policy practices, planning powers, and urban rights divide as an ‘east–west divide’. This research points out that empowered local politics, expanded communication, enhanced consultation, and improved community engagement mechanisms are needed to effectively engage Western Sydney residents in the planning process. This research develops the ‘Equal, Resilient and Sustainable Western Sydney Model’ to address the existing urban divide and build equal, sustainable and resilient cities and communities. This thesis also proposes numerous strategies to ensure Western Sydney residents’ active and robust community engagement. In addition, better and accessible education, improved human resources, innovation, technological transformation, and efficient infrastructure are vital to enhancing socio-economic development in disadvantaged Western Sydney

Neoliberalism, power, and right to the city and the urban divide in Sydney, Australia

Sydney, the capital of the Australian state of New South Wales, is geographically divided by socio-economic conditions and urban opportunities. However, the division in Sydney has not been investigated from an urban planning perspective. This research hypothesises that the urban planning system and its practice-produced consequences promote inequalities in Sydney. This study conceptualises Sydney’s urban inequality in the context of critical concepts of neoliberalism, the theory of power, and the right to the city. Based on semi-structured interviews, secondary documents, and data analysis, this research claims that residents of lower socio-economic areas lag behind compared to others. The paper emphasises the significance of a just city and strong community engagement to reduce the disparate urban policy practices that influence urban divides in Sydney

Fit for the future, (not) fit for the community: a critical analysis of NSW Council amalgamation and community opposition

Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 62-69.Chapter One. Introduction -- Chapter Two. Literature review -- Chapter Three. Research methodology -- Chapter Four. Council amalgamation in New South Wales -- Chapter Five. Critical insights of NSW council amalgamation -- Chapter Six. Conclusion -- References -- Appendices.The NSW State Government announced its local government strategic reform program Fit for the Future (FFTF) in 2014. At the centre of the NSW Government's plan was the desire to reduce the number of local government areas (LGAs). This research found that council amalgamation remains a central policy goal of local government strategic reform. Despite the goals of the State Government, the FFTF reforms were opposed throughout the process. This opposition arose from both local communities and local government. Despite a growing body of existing literature exploring Council reform in NSW, a critical gap is observed. To date, analysis of local government reform fail to examine the rationale and strategy of community opposition. In order to better reveal the insights of the amalgamation process, this project adopted a case study approach by examining the proposed merger of Ryde, Lane Cove and Hunters Hill councils. A qualitative mixed methods approach is adopted. Within the context of the neoliberal and post-political form of governance, this research reveals the State Government objectives and strategies behind FFTF. Likewise, drawing on a post-politics and NIMBY framework, councils and community reasons and strategies in opposing council amalgamation is interrogated.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (75 pages) colour illustration

NSW local government reform : council amalgamation, antagonism, and resistance

The New South Wales State Government announced its local government strategic reform programme Fit for the Future in 2014. At the centre of the plan was the desire to reduce the number of local government areas. Opponents mobilised various resistance strategies to challenge amalgamation. However, the initial efforts to resist amalgamation failed but opponents got success in opposing amalgamation via the legal system. As such, the New South Wales State Government was forced to abandon its plans to amalgamate some regional and metropolitan councils in response to community opposition and resistance. Despite a growing body of existing literature, to date, the analyses of local government reform fail to examine the rationale and strategies of community opposition. To examine the public participation, community opposition, and resistance, this paper draws on the research that pertains to the proposed merger of the Ryde, Lane Cove, and Hunters Hill councils

COVID-19 governance catastrophe in Bangladesh

Governance generally refers to efforts to make and enforce rules competently; manage situations and solve public issues capably; impose strategies, and deliver services smoothly to citizens. In this regard, governance is not a set of rules, but a process based on efficient administration and collaborative teamwork between a political state and its civil society, various intergovernmental organisations, and public and private institutions. This chapter highlights Bangladesh's governance failures in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic

Neoliberal and post-political urban governance : local government amalgamations in New South Wales, Australia

The state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia experienced council amalgamations from 2014 to 2017, amidst widespread disagreement from residents, community groups, councils, and politicians concerning the strategies and policy goals of the state government. In response, this article explores the experience in terms of a neoliberal and post-political framework, which offers a compelling lens to investigate the amalgamation aims and activity. A qualitative mixed methods approach is used to present a case study of three urban councils. The research reveals the critical underlying neoliberal/politico-economic benefits of amalgamation, and elucidates the techno-managerial, post-political processes employed by the state government in pursuit of its goals

COVID-19 pandemic is about more than health: a state of governance challenges in Bangladesh

Governance can help minimise the effects of catastrophes. Countries had some time to prepare for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but some did not use it to improve their arrangements. This research investigates several countries’ governance strategies, develops a governance model and critically analyses Bangladesh’s failure as a case of governance catastrophe. This study applies qualitative methods of textual data analysis to explore data sourced from current newspapers, blogs, websites, journal articles and books to determine the most appropriate evidence and generate connections and interpretations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for all countries; however, the different national responses have provided the opportunity to measure governments’ capability in addressing the crisis. Governments need to study the current COVID-19 response and enhance their governance capacities to minimise the spread of infection and to prepare for the challenge of socio-economic recovery

Political hostility and local government crisis in Bangladesh : ruling party's supremacy and opposition party's costs of being outside of the state power

Bangladesh has a history of political unrest and supremacy of the ruling party. Recently, representatives of the local government were suspended for being accused in cases of political violence. The ruling party is defining the suspensions as a legal process; on the contrary, the opposition political parties are claiming it as political hostility and a way of controlling local governments. There are shortages of research on contemporary political challenges and its consequences. Thus, this study considered local government representative suspensions as a case to exemplify the political hostility and local government crisis in Bangladesh. This study also demonstrated some theoretical points to frame the conceptual thoughts, likewise explained the status and some historical illustration of governmental intrusion over local government. Besides, this study applied the qualitative method to discover the research queries. Consequently, the analysis outlined substantial political supremacy and hostility in Bangladesh and its adverse impact on local governance

Sustainable and resilient community in the times of crisis : the Greater Sydney case

With more than 86% of people residing in large metropolitans, Australia is one of the world’s most urbanised countries. Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales (NSW), is Australia’s economic heart, and its vibrance is essential to drive both the NSW and Australian economies. Due to rapid economic and population growth, Greater Sydney has been expanding, and its demographics have been transforming. However, Greater Sydney is divided into advantaged and disadvantaged areas considering various indicators. A slanted imaginary line running from north-west to the south-east divides the advantaged north and east from the disadvantaged (Greater Western Sydney) south-west and west. This study reveals that Greater Western Sydney lacks sustainable and resilient communities due to the uneven distribution of opportunities and lack of community capacity. This study also argues that the disadvantaged communities experience higher vulnerability to risks in emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in an even more disadvantaged condition. Creating resilient communities is imperative to progress individuals or communities’ ability to adapt and overcome any crisis and transform their collective ability to face challenges. The disadvantaged Western Sydney communities require sustainable urban growth with evidence-based, long-term, and inclusive strategic responses to build community resilience to reduce vulnerability. This paper points toward the need for shaping resilient communities and emphasises the need for community empowerment, provision of urban amenities, and provision of socio-economically and infrastructurally balanced sustainable growth for the underprivileged communities in Sydney

Urban planning as a game of power : the case of New South Wales (NSW), Australia

Power and domination have a considerable presence everywhere in society. Power-dynamic forces play a significant role in institutional practices, agenda-setting, decision-making and ensuring particular groups’ interests. Power is also substantially evident in urban planning. Power in urban planning is exerted by various actors. Power is an opportunity for affluent residents to confront planning practices. This research explores powerful actors in urban planning through an empirical study of urban planning in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This empirical study analyses contemporary political, statutory and socio-economic influential powers in NSW’s urban planning by applying Foucault’s power theory. It contributes to knowledge and practice in urban studies by unveiling how political, institutional and socio-economic power influences urban planning in NSW. This research illustrates that state urban planning machinery has ultimate authoritative power in urban planning and advances the interests and aspirations of the socio-economic and political power elites