http://blog.roughtheory.org explorations of planning theory and practice Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:48:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Just a quick note, since students won't be using this blog this term, that readers who monitor the discussion here, might want to wander over to another new student course blog - Scribbling on Bricks - which will be featuring student work on Property, Planning and Economics this term. http://blog.roughtheory.org/2008/03/06/hiatus-for-the-term/ New Urbanism, an urban design concept that began in the United States over 20 years ago, has created ripples and division of opinions there and in many developed worlds over the years, including Australia. It has also found favour in certain parts of UK, Australia and United States, with New ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/21/new-urbanism-a-salve-or-bane-to-urban-wounds/ The current local government & planning reforms in Queensland are designed to shift planning to a new ‘regional’ level through the amalgamation of many local Councils into regional 'communities of interest' (http://www.strongercouncils.qld.gov.au/Home.aspx), with increased planning controls at state government rather than local government level, & water resources brought under state ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/19/economies-of-scale-what-is-the-appropriate-governance-level-for-effective-planning/ One would have to be living under a rock to not have noticed the incredible shift in public appreciation and understanding of the reality of climate change and push towards sustainability, at both a community and government level. Yet despite this swing in attitudes, getting renewable energy developments “across the ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/19/renewable-energy-developments-and-the-politicisation-of-the-planning-process/ Liveable neighbourhoods are based on new urbanism principles and have innovative design to improve residents' lifestyles and building the community. They promote 'nodal' development; support the use of public transport, and walkable neighbourhood clustering. Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an important component, as are main street commercial and medium ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/18/how-do-we-create-places-where-people-want-to-work-live-and-play/ In a recent international poll as part of the 2007 World Environment review, 86.4% of Australians were concerned about climate change (GMI: 2007). There is now a high level of acceptance that ‘climate change is real’ and to ensure our own survival, we need to do something ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/17/planting-for-climate-change-%e2%80%93-planning-to-protect-the-people/ "The question of possibilities and limitations is logically fundamental and also practically important if discussion of planning is to look toward action and not merely intellectual entertainment, or propaganda.... if those interested in planning mean business, they surely need to have reasonable expectations as well as romantic faith, or dreams"(Knight, ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/17/outcomes-the-dark-side-of-planning/ Australians have had a long history of home ownership, and Berry (1999) estimated that more than 90% of middle-aged and older Australians alive today have owned a dwelling at some stage in there life. But, a concerning trend is that since the 1990’s home owner ship ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/17/housing-affordability-has-planning-contributed-to-the-housing-affordability-crisis/ Australia, it has recently been widely speculated, is facing a housing affordability crisis. So much so that whereas from the post war period to as recently as the early 2000’s the cost of housing was around four times the median household income in recent times this has risen to as ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/14/affordable-housing-theoretical-utopia-or-achievable-reality/ The John Williamson song ‘Give me a home among the gum trees’ is my opening for this weblog dedicated to discussing the implications of the popular rural smallholding set or created amidst the Australian rural landscape. Listen. Bucolical and natural ideals of the countryside are revealed in historical planning theory ... http://blog.roughtheory.org/2007/09/07/accommodating-the-life-styler%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%93-the-planning-implications-associated-with-the-increasing-number-of-rural-small-holdings-to-subdivide-or-not-to-subdivide-that-is-the-question/