(1) Australian cities are growing rapidly and will double in population by 2050, with most growth occurring in outer suburbs, presenting significant challenges for building and managing these areas. (2) While urban growth is driven by factors like population increase and economic expansion, developers' interests and governments' use of growth to boost economies also contribute to sprawl. (3) Achieving balanced and sustainable urban growth will require an integrated, evidence-based planning approach across sectors and jurisdictions to ensure livable, sustainable cities into the future.

1. Basant Maheshwari, Michael Buxton, Donna Craig,
Brian Davidson, Ashantha Goonetilleke, Kathi HoltDamant, Hector Malano , Kevin Rozzoli and Bruce
Simmons

2. The Urban Growth Dynamics
Outer-urban
Urban

3. Blacktown 4 years ago

4. Blacktown now

5. Penrith 4 years ago

6. Penrith now

7. Australian cities are growing
 Sydney 2025  5.9 million;




Melbourne: 2025: 5.0 million,
Most Australian cities will
double their population by
2050
This growth mainly occurs in
the outer suburbs
Building and managing these
growth areas is a significant
challenge
We need a will to find
sustainable solutions for the
issues facing cities of the future

8. Why Urban Growth?
 The growth of urban land areas occurs as the result of four
obvious factors:
(1) population growth,
(2) increase in the number of households,
(3) increasing affluence and
(4) commercial expansion.
The less obvious but real reasons for the growth are developers’
vested interests, government’s addiction to use urban growth as
a means to keep the economy going and greed of speculators.

9. What are we faced with?
 Urbanisation is everywhere around Australia and
globally;
 It is a looming crisis and the future liveability of our
urban areas is at risk;
 We need to do something about it before it is too late
to retrofit things at a great cost later;
 We need to understand what we are trying to do and
how it is going to affect us into the future and what can
we do better now;

10. Peri-urban issues fall between the
cracks
 It is neither looked after by urban nor by rural policies
and actions.

11. Balancing Urban Growth
No development;
Status quo
Build more houses;
Developer driven

12. Urban Growth – Land use is the
main driver

13. So, the key questions are…
 How do we achieve balanced urban growth so that our
urban and outer-urban areas are liveable and
sustainable into the future (in >20 years)?
 While urban growth is happening, how do we keep
our waterways and ecosystem healthy?
 Do we need to grow some food around our cities in the
future?

14. We need balanced urban growth so that our
cities and towns will be liveable into the future.

15. So, What Is Balanced Urban
Growth?

16. How can we achieve balanced
urban growth?
 The
know-how to achieve sustainable and
liveable cities is now available

But….

Current policies and planning for urban expansion do not
often use technical, economic and social aspects together
 A way
forward is:
 Integrated and trans-disciplinary approach and evidence-based
planning and decision making
 Research and industry groups and government agencies working
together

17. Balanced Urban Growth Planning –
It needs right and succinct
information.
 Policy makers need clear and
concise information (often a
one-pager) to make quick
decisions and policy
formulations.
 We need to facilitate
cooperative research,
development and capacity
building for sound evidencebased planning that will
continuously maintain and
improve land within outer
urban developments

18. Transdisciplinary Research is
needed

19. Urban Growth – A Myth or Reality
Myth
Reality
We can control urban growth.
Urban growth is practically
unstoppable.
Food production in peri-urban areas is
insignificant and not economically
viable.
Food produced in peri-urban areas has
values beyond just $ value. It has social
and other values, and therefore it can be
made viable.
Peri-urban is distinct and defined.
Peri-urban boundary is dynamic and
can not be defined easily. It is a fuzzy
and a complex area.
Everyone needs to do their bit to get the This is not adequate. There needs to be
urban growth right.
integrated planning and development
for a common goal.

20. In concluding - how do we achieve
balanced urban growth?
 We need to work on interconnectivity of
environmental, social and economic aspirations;
 We need to connect to players in all relevant sectors to
bridge policy, industry and research divides and seek
solutions that are integrated and deliver mutually
beneficial outcomes.
 We can no longer afford isolated solutions aimed at
just one sector. Decisions on land use, water, energy
and food production can and do have direct impacts
and often unintended consequences on each other and
on other related sectors.

21. Thank you!