Avoid Minimize further expansion of our cities
• Support and facilitate the containment of Australian cities. Avoid responding to concerns of housing affordability with initiatives that increase the size of cities and compromise sustainability.
• Minimise the need for further expansion of urban areas by increasing density, amenity and public transport in existing areas.
Research
• Coordinate data available from Australian, State/Territory and local government sources, and establish a comprehensive national database of the physical characteristics (ie Urban Design data) of major cities and towns. The data should include three-dimensional mapping of Australian cities and be coordinated with other non-physical data, for example, census data. The data should be freely available at local government offices throughout Australia.
• Governments at every level should commit funds for new urban design research focussed on the sustainable design of cities and towns.
• Establish local and State/Territory government resources and funding to ensure mandatory and comprehensive data revisions to reflect changes to the built environment as they occur.
• Ensure that university research policy encourages significant increases in Urban Design research that aids the improvement of our cities and towns.
Resources
• Provide appropriate resources for Urban Design practice in the implementation of new public works.
• Support architectural competitions, that are appropriately run and remunerated, or qualification based selection processes for significant Urban Design services.
Policies
• Fund a national review of Urban Design policy and practice to improve understanding of how our cities and towns can increase their economic, social and environmental sustainability.
• Establish a National Built Environment Design Policy and appropriately resourced Minister with a portfolio for the Built Environment.
Planning and Urban Design controls
• Reform planning legislation throughout the nation to ensure appropriate focus on development outcomes that support the continuity of our urban culture that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable
• Require the national coordination of planning and urban design terms and definitions used in legislation, local government policy and urban design plans to provide consistent, comprehensible policy and to assist community engagement with the development review process.
• Reform planning and Urban Design controls throughout the nation to focus on the design of the public domain, provide appropriate controls that encourage high quality architecture and ensure that participation in the approval process focuses on issues affecting the public domain.
• Require decisions on the built environment in local authorities to be informed by people with appropriate expertise