Planning Theory and Practice Interface: Exchange between researchers and practitioners in urban p... more Planning Theory and Practice Interface: Exchange between researchers and practitioners in urban planning: achievable objective or a bridge too far?/The use of academic research in planning practice: who, what, where, when and how?/Bridging research and practice through collaboration: lessons from a joint working group/Getting the relationship between researchers and practitioners working/Art and urban planning: stimulating researcher, practitioner and community engagement/Collaboration between researchers and practitioners: Political and bureaucratic issues/Investigating Research/Conclusion: Breaking down barriers through international practice?
This paper explores relationships between community opposition, planning assessments and local po... more This paper explores relationships between community opposition, planning assessments and local political processes. While resident opposition to development proposals is thought to delay housing supply, the nature, extent and pathways of influence have not been quantitatively established. In Victoria the number of third party objections has no direct legal weight, but in practice, development applications involve multiple decision makers. Community expectations that objection numbers “count” may reflect suspicion that refusals are more likely from elected local decision makers. This paper tests for relationships between procedural and political pathways in planning. It uses descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models based on one year (15 676) of Melbourne residential development assessments. It is found that objection numbers increase significantly with local socio-economic status and that, as applications receive more objections, elected representatives more often intervene. Assessments by elected councilors are significantly more likely to be refused, and have relative odds more than seven times higher of resulting in appeal. The paper argues that local contestation of housing, particularly from better-resourced groups, is highly adaptable to reforms seeking to overcome or rationalise it. Reducing or shifting opportunities for third party opposition may less reduce planning uncertainty, than increase its variation, complexity, and spatial concentration.
Given the scale and complexity of challenges facing urban environments, urban research has a pote... more Given the scale and complexity of challenges facing urban environments, urban research has a potentially significant role to play in informing policy responses and decision-making processes in practice. Yet the nexus between urban research and planning practice in Australia could be characterised as weak at best. In this paper we focus on the role of researchers in the research–practice nexus, and in particular on Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and PhD candidates. We examine the institutional contexts and differing career trajectories of Australian ECRs and the relationship to professional practice, drawing on interviews, secondary data sources and our own ‘early career’ experiences. We argue that ERCs are rarely effectively prepared to engage in the contemporary urban policy realm; and that the discipline needs to explore opportunities for capacity building for future researchers and research leaders.
This paper examines the nature of urban change at the micro-scale in Melbourne from 1870 to 1970.... more This paper examines the nature of urban change at the micro-scale in Melbourne from 1870 to 1970. The research forms part of an ongoing international collaboration on the shaping of modern cities. The focus of the broader research programme is the extent of persistence and path dependence in city structures. The central hypothesis is that city structures change slowly, because of inertia, increasing returns and transactions costs, but there are defining periods that produce major changes. These changes may flow from deliberative institutional interventions (such as infrastructure investment and policy change) or exogenous shocks (such as natural disaster, war, and macro-economic shifts). The research will test the hypothesis by collating and examining long-term primary data on urban evolution in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Melbourne. This paper presents the conceptual and theoretical framing of this programme of research, along with findings from the second phase of our empirical work conducted in the suburb of Carlton, Melbourne. The empirical data enables comparison of the evolution of two locations within Carlton. The paper provides a detailed long run account of land use and land value based on rate records, census data, and planning schemes; and documents continuity and change in urban characteristics over a 100 year period. The findings and discussion focus on the role of land ownership patterns and built materials in determining rates of urban structural change. The paper argues that understanding long run continuity and change in city structure provides valuable insight into contemporary urban trends and city futures.
This paper examines the nature of land use change over the long term in cities. It constitutes pa... more This paper examines the nature of land use change over the long term in cities. It constitutes part of ongoing international research collaboration on the shaping of modern cities. The research seeks to understand the drivers of change, whether change is a gradual or discrete process, and the role of institutions in change. The central hypothesis of the research programme is that city structures change slowly due to path dependence that reflects inertia, increasing returns and transactions costs, but there are defining periods that produce major changes. These changes may flow from deliberate institutional interventions (such as infrastructure investment and policy change) or exogenous shocks (such as natural disaster, war, and technical change). We present the findings from a pilot study that employs property rate records and planning schemes to chart very long run changes in land use in the suburb of Carlton, Melbourne. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this kind of research, and the potential importance of land ownership patterns to path dependence in urban development. If these findings were to be replicated more generally, they would suggest that an understanding of contemporary urban land use requires a more nuanced understanding of long run continuity and change in cities.
Delivering new residential housing within established metropolitan areas takes place within a con... more Delivering new residential housing within established metropolitan areas takes place within a context of competing pressures, with planning and housing policy objectives often at odds with both developer and resident expectations. These competing perspectives typically emerge within the development assessment process, where planning officers and elected officials determine development proposals. This paper examines the participation of elected Councillors in the determination of development applications in Melbourne, exploring tensions between merits based assessments conducted by planning officers and the politically informed decision making of elected representatives. Using publicly available Council meeting minutes, we analysed metropolitan Melbourne residential permit applications for 2011 that were determined directly by Councillors rather than being determined under delegation by Council planning officers. We investigated the characteristics of applications where Councils withdrew delegated authority from Council planning officers; the degree to which Councillors adopted planning officer recommendations; and the factors influencing decision making, including spatial location, dwelling density and public objection levels.
At the 2013 State of Australian Cities (SOAC) Conference, a dedicated plenary session examined th... more At the 2013 State of Australian Cities (SOAC) Conference, a dedicated plenary session examined the blunt prospect of “Who cares about Australian Urban Research?” One group apparently not reading, or not making extensive use of, urban research is Australian urban planners. Drawing on interviews and focus groups undertaken for a recent research project, in this paper we examine the nature of the research-practice Relationship in an Australian urban planning context. We explore the limited extent to which practitioners engage with research outputs; and the entrenched barriers to research to practice information exchange. While our interviews indicate planners are concerned about the lack of a solid research base with which to underpin many policies, assumptions and decisions; we find that time-poor professionals largely rely on popular media, industry publications and practice networks to inform decision making. Further, the political and reactive environment of planning practice means the role for evidence in consensus-driven decision-making is fraught and far from clearly defined. Ultimately the project highlights the extent to which the resources required to digest research, interpret its local significance, and apply it to practice can be underestimated.
Resident third party objections and appeals against planning applications: implications for higher density and social housing, Feb 2012
Resident third party objections and appeals against planning applications: implications for highe... more Resident third party objections and appeals against planning applications: implications for higher density and social housing ISBN 978-1-921610-93-6
This research is motivated by the need to create urban environments that cater to population grow... more This research is motivated by the need to create urban environments that cater to population growth and provide quality of life in ways that limit the detrimental impacts of urban development. The research consists of a review, analysis and critique of attempts to implement sustainability principles through the use of performance assessment tools in the delivery of master planned estates (MPEs) in Australia. At the core of the inquiry is a systematic analysis of sustainability assessment and decision-making tools currently utilised in the MPE development sector, as such tools are primary vehicles for attempting to move sustainability from theory into practice.
The research draws on case study methodology and evaluation studies to develop an analytical framework derived from a critical review of literature on sustainability, sustainability assessment and MPEs. The application of the framework to selected cases studies of existing sustainability assessment tools targeted as MPE development reveals the strengths and weaknesses of tools in terms of their response to sustainability theory, implementation of sustainability assessment methodology, and effectiveness as mechanisms for operationalising sustainability principles in the planning and delivery of MPEs.
The thesis reveals a limited but growing engagement with sustainability in MPE development, and a corresponding emergence of sustainability assessment tools targeted at this scale of development. However, there is little critical interrogation of the integrity and effectiveness of such tools. This thesis shows that current sustainability assessment tools acting in this space are lacking in rigour, transparency and independent verification. They are being utilised by a small subsection of developers who selectively apply assessment to targeted projects. Existing tools thus provide limited opportunity to have a significant impact on sustainability performance across the MPE development sector.
Building on the analysis of existing tools, the thesis proposes guiding principles for the future development and use of assessment tools to more successfully operationalise sustainability in the delivery of MPEs. In examining the implications of the analysis of tools for existing urban policy frameworks, the thesis argues that effective sustainability assessment of MPE development requires an increased role for government to either develop standards to ensure the integrity of industry and independent tools and integration with development approval processes, or to develop its own mechanisms for sustainability assessment in development approval.
State of Australian Cities National Conference 2009, Jan 1, 2011
Urban fringe residential estates continue to dominate the residential development sector in Austr... more Urban fringe residential estates continue to dominate the residential development sector in Australia. Several practice based sustainability assessment tools have recently been developed which acknowledge the impacts of such developments and attempt to improve outcomes. This paper examines how sustainability principles and concepts are presented and applied in such assessment tools, focusing on two Australian based examples, the Sustainable Community Rating Tool and EnviroDevelopment. The paper argues that the increasing use of sustainability rhetoric in the assessment of residential estate development is often tenuously connected to sustainability principles, and that more rigour is required in the adoption and application of sustainability principles in such assessment.
Sate of Australian Cities conference, …, Jan 1, 2007
As our cities continue to grow, the majority of new dwellings are being built on greenfield sites... more As our cities continue to grow, the majority of new dwellings are being built on greenfield sites at the urban fringe. If we are to meet the challenges of climate change, water scarcity and sustainable natural resource management, a significant change is required in the way our urban developments are planned, designed, constructed and inhabited. Achieving sustainable outcomes requires that assessment can be undertaken to assist decision-making and evaluate progress towards goals. The question arises as to how best to achieve these assessments. Various tools already exist, and interest in applying the Ecological Footprint methodology to urban developments has grown. This paper considers an Ecological Footprint analysis of Aurora, a new residential estate in Melbourne's north. The estate is being developed by VicUrban, with the expressed aim of creating a new benchmark in sustainable urban development. The paper analyses the Aurora case study to explore the effectiveness of Ecological Footprint analysis in the context of urban development. It concludes that while limitations and challenges exist, Ecological Footprint has much to offer in the assessment of urban development projects, providing evaluation of the significance of achievements within the context of ecological limits.
Planning Theory and Practice Interface: Exchange between researchers and practitioners in urban p... more Planning Theory and Practice Interface: Exchange between researchers and practitioners in urban planning: achievable objective or a bridge too far?/The use of academic research in planning practice: who, what, where, when and how?/Bridging research and practice through collaboration: lessons from a joint working group/Getting the relationship between researchers and practitioners working/Art and urban planning: stimulating researcher, practitioner and community engagement/Collaboration between researchers and practitioners: Political and bureaucratic issues/Investigating Research/Conclusion: Breaking down barriers through international practice?
This paper explores relationships between community opposition, planning assessments and local po... more This paper explores relationships between community opposition, planning assessments and local political processes. While resident opposition to development proposals is thought to delay housing supply, the nature, extent and pathways of influence have not been quantitatively established. In Victoria the number of third party objections has no direct legal weight, but in practice, development applications involve multiple decision makers. Community expectations that objection numbers “count” may reflect suspicion that refusals are more likely from elected local decision makers. This paper tests for relationships between procedural and political pathways in planning. It uses descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models based on one year (15 676) of Melbourne residential development assessments. It is found that objection numbers increase significantly with local socio-economic status and that, as applications receive more objections, elected representatives more often intervene. Assessments by elected councilors are significantly more likely to be refused, and have relative odds more than seven times higher of resulting in appeal. The paper argues that local contestation of housing, particularly from better-resourced groups, is highly adaptable to reforms seeking to overcome or rationalise it. Reducing or shifting opportunities for third party opposition may less reduce planning uncertainty, than increase its variation, complexity, and spatial concentration.
Given the scale and complexity of challenges facing urban environments, urban research has a pote... more Given the scale and complexity of challenges facing urban environments, urban research has a potentially significant role to play in informing policy responses and decision-making processes in practice. Yet the nexus between urban research and planning practice in Australia could be characterised as weak at best. In this paper we focus on the role of researchers in the research–practice nexus, and in particular on Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and PhD candidates. We examine the institutional contexts and differing career trajectories of Australian ECRs and the relationship to professional practice, drawing on interviews, secondary data sources and our own ‘early career’ experiences. We argue that ERCs are rarely effectively prepared to engage in the contemporary urban policy realm; and that the discipline needs to explore opportunities for capacity building for future researchers and research leaders.
This paper examines the nature of urban change at the micro-scale in Melbourne from 1870 to 1970.... more This paper examines the nature of urban change at the micro-scale in Melbourne from 1870 to 1970. The research forms part of an ongoing international collaboration on the shaping of modern cities. The focus of the broader research programme is the extent of persistence and path dependence in city structures. The central hypothesis is that city structures change slowly, because of inertia, increasing returns and transactions costs, but there are defining periods that produce major changes. These changes may flow from deliberative institutional interventions (such as infrastructure investment and policy change) or exogenous shocks (such as natural disaster, war, and macro-economic shifts). The research will test the hypothesis by collating and examining long-term primary data on urban evolution in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Melbourne. This paper presents the conceptual and theoretical framing of this programme of research, along with findings from the second phase of our empirical work conducted in the suburb of Carlton, Melbourne. The empirical data enables comparison of the evolution of two locations within Carlton. The paper provides a detailed long run account of land use and land value based on rate records, census data, and planning schemes; and documents continuity and change in urban characteristics over a 100 year period. The findings and discussion focus on the role of land ownership patterns and built materials in determining rates of urban structural change. The paper argues that understanding long run continuity and change in city structure provides valuable insight into contemporary urban trends and city futures.
This paper examines the nature of land use change over the long term in cities. It constitutes pa... more This paper examines the nature of land use change over the long term in cities. It constitutes part of ongoing international research collaboration on the shaping of modern cities. The research seeks to understand the drivers of change, whether change is a gradual or discrete process, and the role of institutions in change. The central hypothesis of the research programme is that city structures change slowly due to path dependence that reflects inertia, increasing returns and transactions costs, but there are defining periods that produce major changes. These changes may flow from deliberate institutional interventions (such as infrastructure investment and policy change) or exogenous shocks (such as natural disaster, war, and technical change). We present the findings from a pilot study that employs property rate records and planning schemes to chart very long run changes in land use in the suburb of Carlton, Melbourne. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this kind of research, and the potential importance of land ownership patterns to path dependence in urban development. If these findings were to be replicated more generally, they would suggest that an understanding of contemporary urban land use requires a more nuanced understanding of long run continuity and change in cities.
Delivering new residential housing within established metropolitan areas takes place within a con... more Delivering new residential housing within established metropolitan areas takes place within a context of competing pressures, with planning and housing policy objectives often at odds with both developer and resident expectations. These competing perspectives typically emerge within the development assessment process, where planning officers and elected officials determine development proposals. This paper examines the participation of elected Councillors in the determination of development applications in Melbourne, exploring tensions between merits based assessments conducted by planning officers and the politically informed decision making of elected representatives. Using publicly available Council meeting minutes, we analysed metropolitan Melbourne residential permit applications for 2011 that were determined directly by Councillors rather than being determined under delegation by Council planning officers. We investigated the characteristics of applications where Councils withdrew delegated authority from Council planning officers; the degree to which Councillors adopted planning officer recommendations; and the factors influencing decision making, including spatial location, dwelling density and public objection levels.
At the 2013 State of Australian Cities (SOAC) Conference, a dedicated plenary session examined th... more At the 2013 State of Australian Cities (SOAC) Conference, a dedicated plenary session examined the blunt prospect of “Who cares about Australian Urban Research?” One group apparently not reading, or not making extensive use of, urban research is Australian urban planners. Drawing on interviews and focus groups undertaken for a recent research project, in this paper we examine the nature of the research-practice Relationship in an Australian urban planning context. We explore the limited extent to which practitioners engage with research outputs; and the entrenched barriers to research to practice information exchange. While our interviews indicate planners are concerned about the lack of a solid research base with which to underpin many policies, assumptions and decisions; we find that time-poor professionals largely rely on popular media, industry publications and practice networks to inform decision making. Further, the political and reactive environment of planning practice means the role for evidence in consensus-driven decision-making is fraught and far from clearly defined. Ultimately the project highlights the extent to which the resources required to digest research, interpret its local significance, and apply it to practice can be underestimated.
Resident third party objections and appeals against planning applications: implications for higher density and social housing, Feb 2012
Resident third party objections and appeals against planning applications: implications for highe... more Resident third party objections and appeals against planning applications: implications for higher density and social housing ISBN 978-1-921610-93-6
This research is motivated by the need to create urban environments that cater to population grow... more This research is motivated by the need to create urban environments that cater to population growth and provide quality of life in ways that limit the detrimental impacts of urban development. The research consists of a review, analysis and critique of attempts to implement sustainability principles through the use of performance assessment tools in the delivery of master planned estates (MPEs) in Australia. At the core of the inquiry is a systematic analysis of sustainability assessment and decision-making tools currently utilised in the MPE development sector, as such tools are primary vehicles for attempting to move sustainability from theory into practice.
The research draws on case study methodology and evaluation studies to develop an analytical framework derived from a critical review of literature on sustainability, sustainability assessment and MPEs. The application of the framework to selected cases studies of existing sustainability assessment tools targeted as MPE development reveals the strengths and weaknesses of tools in terms of their response to sustainability theory, implementation of sustainability assessment methodology, and effectiveness as mechanisms for operationalising sustainability principles in the planning and delivery of MPEs.
The thesis reveals a limited but growing engagement with sustainability in MPE development, and a corresponding emergence of sustainability assessment tools targeted at this scale of development. However, there is little critical interrogation of the integrity and effectiveness of such tools. This thesis shows that current sustainability assessment tools acting in this space are lacking in rigour, transparency and independent verification. They are being utilised by a small subsection of developers who selectively apply assessment to targeted projects. Existing tools thus provide limited opportunity to have a significant impact on sustainability performance across the MPE development sector.
Building on the analysis of existing tools, the thesis proposes guiding principles for the future development and use of assessment tools to more successfully operationalise sustainability in the delivery of MPEs. In examining the implications of the analysis of tools for existing urban policy frameworks, the thesis argues that effective sustainability assessment of MPE development requires an increased role for government to either develop standards to ensure the integrity of industry and independent tools and integration with development approval processes, or to develop its own mechanisms for sustainability assessment in development approval.
State of Australian Cities National Conference 2009, Jan 1, 2011
Urban fringe residential estates continue to dominate the residential development sector in Austr... more Urban fringe residential estates continue to dominate the residential development sector in Australia. Several practice based sustainability assessment tools have recently been developed which acknowledge the impacts of such developments and attempt to improve outcomes. This paper examines how sustainability principles and concepts are presented and applied in such assessment tools, focusing on two Australian based examples, the Sustainable Community Rating Tool and EnviroDevelopment. The paper argues that the increasing use of sustainability rhetoric in the assessment of residential estate development is often tenuously connected to sustainability principles, and that more rigour is required in the adoption and application of sustainability principles in such assessment.
Sate of Australian Cities conference, …, Jan 1, 2007
As our cities continue to grow, the majority of new dwellings are being built on greenfield sites... more As our cities continue to grow, the majority of new dwellings are being built on greenfield sites at the urban fringe. If we are to meet the challenges of climate change, water scarcity and sustainable natural resource management, a significant change is required in the way our urban developments are planned, designed, constructed and inhabited. Achieving sustainable outcomes requires that assessment can be undertaken to assist decision-making and evaluate progress towards goals. The question arises as to how best to achieve these assessments. Various tools already exist, and interest in applying the Ecological Footprint methodology to urban developments has grown. This paper considers an Ecological Footprint analysis of Aurora, a new residential estate in Melbourne's north. The estate is being developed by VicUrban, with the expressed aim of creating a new benchmark in sustainable urban development. The paper analyses the Aurora case study to explore the effectiveness of Ecological Footprint analysis in the context of urban development. It concludes that while limitations and challenges exist, Ecological Footprint has much to offer in the assessment of urban development projects, providing evaluation of the significance of achievements within the context of ecological limits.
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Papers by Joe Hurley
The research draws on case study methodology and evaluation studies to develop an analytical framework derived from a critical review of literature on sustainability, sustainability assessment and MPEs. The application of the framework to selected cases studies of existing sustainability assessment tools targeted as MPE development reveals the strengths and weaknesses of tools in terms of their response to sustainability theory, implementation of sustainability assessment methodology, and effectiveness as mechanisms for operationalising sustainability principles in the planning and delivery of MPEs.
The thesis reveals a limited but growing engagement with sustainability in MPE development, and a corresponding emergence of sustainability assessment tools targeted at this scale of development. However, there is little critical interrogation of the integrity and effectiveness of such tools. This thesis shows that current sustainability assessment tools acting in this space are lacking in rigour, transparency and independent verification. They are being utilised by a small subsection of developers who selectively apply assessment to targeted projects. Existing tools thus provide limited opportunity to have a significant impact on sustainability performance across the MPE development sector.
Building on the analysis of existing tools, the thesis proposes guiding principles for the future development and use of assessment tools to more successfully operationalise sustainability in the delivery of MPEs. In examining the implications of the analysis of tools for existing urban policy frameworks, the thesis argues that effective sustainability assessment of MPE development requires an increased role for government to either develop standards to ensure the integrity of industry and independent tools and integration with development approval processes, or to develop its own mechanisms for sustainability assessment in development approval.
The research draws on case study methodology and evaluation studies to develop an analytical framework derived from a critical review of literature on sustainability, sustainability assessment and MPEs. The application of the framework to selected cases studies of existing sustainability assessment tools targeted as MPE development reveals the strengths and weaknesses of tools in terms of their response to sustainability theory, implementation of sustainability assessment methodology, and effectiveness as mechanisms for operationalising sustainability principles in the planning and delivery of MPEs.
The thesis reveals a limited but growing engagement with sustainability in MPE development, and a corresponding emergence of sustainability assessment tools targeted at this scale of development. However, there is little critical interrogation of the integrity and effectiveness of such tools. This thesis shows that current sustainability assessment tools acting in this space are lacking in rigour, transparency and independent verification. They are being utilised by a small subsection of developers who selectively apply assessment to targeted projects. Existing tools thus provide limited opportunity to have a significant impact on sustainability performance across the MPE development sector.
Building on the analysis of existing tools, the thesis proposes guiding principles for the future development and use of assessment tools to more successfully operationalise sustainability in the delivery of MPEs. In examining the implications of the analysis of tools for existing urban policy frameworks, the thesis argues that effective sustainability assessment of MPE development requires an increased role for government to either develop standards to ensure the integrity of industry and independent tools and integration with development approval processes, or to develop its own mechanisms for sustainability assessment in development approval.