Sustainability and urban land use and transport planning in Australia: Progress over 25 years and future prospects

International Conference on Sustainable Civil Engineering

June 20-21, 2016 Cape Town, South Africa

John Black

University of New South Wales, Australia

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Civil Environ Eng

Abstract :

In response to the recommendations of the Brundtland Report (1987) Our Common Future, the Australian National Government established Ecologically Sustainable Development Working Groups on which the presenter represented the Australian Council for Social Service (ACOSS) on the transport advirory group. The recommendations were primarily goals and objectives driven together with potential urban form and transport mode solutions â�?�? although neither giving much thought to evidence-based policy analysis nor novel methodologically approaches. In the following quarter of a decade considerable academic and practical developments have occured in urban land use and transport planning, project evaluation and financing. These major developments in methodology, such as the statutory requirement to undertake economic, social and environmental evaluations of major infrastructure proposals, or in solutions, such higher density residential and commercial developments especially around rail stations (transit orientated developments) are summarised. Specific examples drawn from Australian cities are used to illustrate developments in methodology (including the authorâ�?�?s scientific contributions to â�?�?sustainable urban transportâ�?) and in sustainable outcomes. As for future prospects, a case study of Canberra, Australiaâ�?�?s capital city is presented where future challenges and solutions are addressed into making what is today essentially a low-density, car dependent city into a more sustainable city. Such challenges are common to Australian cities and indeed in many cities in the world.

Biography :

Email: j.black@unsw.edu.au