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Towards an urban policy contract for Australia

By Bryan Moulds - posted Tuesday, 15 May 2001


Cities are at the hub of human existence, especially in the developed world because they provide the economies of scale and the interchange of knowledge that leads to innovation, social and cultural advancement and the wealth generation that ultimately feeds growth.

As one of the most urbanised nations in the world, Australia needs a committed strategy for building greater liveable cities, designed to compete globally, encourage innovation and creativity, and sustain wealth creation.

Carnegie Mellon University (USA), Professor Richard Florida studied the most currently successful US cities and found…"the rise of the new economy has radically altered the ways that cities and regions establish and maintain their competitive advantage. In the new economy, regions develop advantage based on their ability to quickly mobilize the best people, resources, and capabilities required to turn innovations into new business ideas and commercial products".

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Our cities and regions face major challenges from the pressures of growing urbanization, regional competition and the harsh consequences of the impacts of social downsizing. The integration of urban and regional Australia into the national and international economy through policy commitment is the pathway for meeting these challenges.

To meet these challenges our cities will require

  • a massive commitment to education and skills development;
  • upgraded leading practice infrastructure in both traditional and emerging technologies;
  • re-assessment of the traditional federal, state and local government hierarchies;
  • a renewed focus on people;
  • strong leadership and communication;
  • environmental responsibility and
  • brand power.

Why a Strategy?

The message for Australia is that successful cities - cities that thrive economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally - will provide the future prosperity for the nation.

The Property Council believe that the Federal government has both the capacity and the responsibility, in consultation with States and local government, to plan for the long term with respect to industry and workforce development, the provision and maintenance of infrastructure and services, and environmental sustainability. All of which underlay where and how people live, work and prosper.

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Competitive strategies for cities begin with investment in the institutions that build a knowledge base and enhance cultural assets. Successful cities are magnets for talent and capital. Strong capital growth maintains a growing economic base, sustainable environments and underpins the social capital of a community, region and nation.

Successful cities need new civic models and forms of governance. The outcomes for successful cities are greater life opportunities for all their citizens, the ability to retain their talented youth and attract new talents, through the growth of jobs and an increased and sustainable demand for products and services.

What is needed?

"Planning… is the basis by which governments try to balance the two most important things that make a place worth living in - beauty and economic growth" the Economist April 2001.

The Property Council has an optimistic vision for the future of Australia's cities. It believes that both economic and social capital growth will drive our cities, however sustainability will only come from the development of public infrastructure, not just better 'hard' infrastructure in terms of pipes, wires, roads and bridges but in the development of the 'soft' infrastructure to foster higher quality in education (creativity and innovation), health, culture and art and design.

Not a one-size-fits-all or opportunistic political giveaway, but Infrastructure that will more than ever rely on the identification and implementation of coherent strategic urban policy for the nation, integrated across portfolios from national to state to regional and local government.

Cities, like nations and companies need to embrace the "triple bottom line" principles of environmental quality, social health and economic performance.

What will drive cities in the new economy?

The macro drivers of competitive cities are fundamental, indeed are traditional, albeit transformed into the 21st Century, they include:

  • Demography
  • Community values
  • Capital attraction and utilisation
  • Information technology
  • Knowledge management
  • Globalization
  • Management and organizational structures (governance)
  • Regulation and taxing

The nations' cities face growing infrastructure deficits that include:

  • Transport infrastructure
  • Telematics (high speed, low cost, deep penetration broadband connectivity)
  • Multi purpose learning infrastructure and
  • The changes to our sustainable assets

The "superchargers" of the new economy that will underpin the future of our cities will include:

  • Communication
  • IT
  • Software development
  • Health
  • Hospitality
  • Learning
  • Biotechnology
  • Financial services

Leadership and communication provides the impetus for cities to prosper. Co-operation between government, business and the community will be needed to take advantage of these "supercharger" opportunities.

How do we get a national urban policy contract?

Governments need to forge total solutions that focus on the global, regional and neighbourhood interests of all Australians. A more integrated national stratgegy has a much better chance of facilitating the growth that will help support better lifestyles for all Australians.

A national urban policy for Australia would:

  • ·involve the commitment of all governments;
  • relate government policy across all portfolios from communication, education, and capital works to transport, health and research,
  • ameliorate the interaction between the realities of short term politics and the imperatives of rational public policy making.

A national urban policy would transform Australia's competitive future from accidental, ad-hoc vulnerability to strategic design and opportunity. It would:

  • Achieve government commitment to urban and regional strategies, linked to a budget process. Funding spent to a plan.
  • Create completive and sustainable strategies for cities.
  • Develop governance structures that deliver certainty and community credibility.
  • And forge a new and broad coalition of interests

What would be in a National Urban Policy?

A national urban policy plan would address and consider:

  • Drivers and growth horizons
  • Digital cities-Telematics
  • Learning - education, skills, migration, R&D
  • Health and ageing communities
  • Transportation
  • Power/energy
  • Sustainability
  • Livability - place making and design dividends
  • Cultural incubators - innovation, creativity
  • e-leadership
  • Infrastructure asset maintenance and development plan
  • Capital attraction
  • Business environment - tax etc
  • Business mentoring and attraction
  • Brand specialization
  • Governance
  • Funding models

What would a National Urban Policy deliver?

  • New Economy Cities for Australia that are livable, sustainable, competitive and driven by smart growth and demand
  • 21C National Infrastructure for Australia through best practice urban hardware to support new economic growth
  • Cities and regions that are Strategic Centres of Excellence providing the "peoples' software" for creativity and innovation
  • Cities that are Platforms for Growth through harmonized development & business rules

The Property Council has committed to pursue these outcomes through its leadership.

In 2000 the Property Council worked with the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors to produce "The Capital Cities and Australia's Future" and has held two national conferences on the subject, featuring speakers of international repute.

The Property Council is part of a national coalition of bodies as diverse as the Australian Conservation Foundation, ACOSS, the RAPI and the Australian Local Government Association in preparing a joint communiqué seeking a national commitment to urban and regional strategy and policy for Australia.

The Property Council is committed to a three-year investment of over $100,000 per annum into urban policy development, soliciting the best ideas of local and international experience. A brief to seek the highest level of expertise to work on these outcomes will be released during June 2001.

A workshop of the nation's leading investment and development company CEOs, economists and political leaders. will be established as part of this process

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About the Author

Bryan Moulds is Executive Director of the Property Council of South Australia.

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