Archive for August, 2007

“The imminence and severity of the problems posed by the accelerating changes in the global climate are becoming increasingly evident. Heat waves are becoming more severe, droughts and downpours are becoming more intense…and sea level is rising…The environment and the world’s societies are facing increasing stress” (UN Foundation, 2007).

Despite some non-believers, to the [...]

On the 3rd May this year, I was privileged to attend the annual Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) (online) conference in Perth. On this day, Sue Holliday (PIA National President) launched Sustainable Cities – How PIA Wants Our Cities Shaped, aimed at generating action by the Federal Government on sustainable development in particular. PIA’s serious [...]

“The production and use of energy by households, industry and commerce contributes around 72 per cent of Victoria’s total greenhouse gas emissions” (DSE 2005)
Expressions such as ‘Greenhouse gas emissions’ and ‘energy efficiency’ are fast becoming the catch phrases of the 21st century as the population becomes increasingly aware of climate change and the need to [...]

The Victorian Government’s Melbourne 2030 report is the key urban planning policy document for Melbourne and its surrounds for the next 30 years. The report includes a policy to encourage a more compact metropolitan area to reduce pressure on Melbourne’s urban fringes. The proposal involves locating new residential developments close to existing urban [...]

Melbourne 2030 (online) claims that its strategy must be implemented in an integrated manner involving the community. Planning is multidimensional and there is ‘people’ element involved. I totally agree on this statement. I suppose the community has to be involved much earlier than implementation of a strategy, i.e from development of the strategy through to [...]