TOOL NAME: Liveable Neighbourhoods
OWNED/DEVELOPED BY: West Australian Planning Commission (WAPC)
- Form of the CAT – whether it is a rating tool, strategic framework, guidelines etc. – and capacity to link with other tools.
Liveable Neighbourhoods operates as a development control policy, or code, to facilitate the development of sustainable communities, within the context of an integrated State Planning Strategy. It addresses both strategic and operational aspects of structure planning and subdivision development in a code framework.
- Governance/administration of the CAT – its purpose and the organization behind it, the jurisdiction or scale of influence/application.
Liveable Neighbourhoods is a performance-based, operational policy for the design and assessment of structure plans (regional, district and local) and subdivision, for new urban areas in the metropolitan area and country centres, on greenfield and large urban infill sites.
It was developed by the WA Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DPI), and overseen by a steering committee of industry stakeholders.
- Sector or phase of development to which the CAT is applicable – e.g. planning, design, construction – residential, commercial, infrastructure etc. – including capacity to influence urban renewal and retrofitting outcomes.
Policy applies to design and assessment of structure plans and subdivisions (see above), in the context of an integrated State Planning Strategy.
- Ability to promote systems thinking – how well the CAT encompasses and integrates the component factors and measures of urban sustainability.
As policy has been developed in response to a broader integrated planning strategy, it incorporates some capacity to encourage systems-thinking in deriving design solutions, - including focus on performance-based outcomes - but this concept is not explicitly articulated within the code.
- Capacity to inform design decisions – how well the CAT is able to derive and test alternative design strategies to inform decision-making.
This is not the purpose of the policy.
- Capacity to encourage collaboration – how effectively the CAT integrates input from multiple stakeholders in the context of its implementation and use.
The policy was developed within the context of a consultation process with “stakeholders from relevant state and local government agencies, various representatives of the development industry, DPI officers, specialist interest groups and other relevant organizations”.
The WAPC envisages that the document will be reviewed on a regular basis, and that similar collaborative processes will inform future reviews.
- Adaptability of the CAT to differing local environmental contexts
The planning framework was adapted originally from the Australian Model Code for Residential Development (AMCORD)1995, through a process of testing and amending propositions and standards within that document to suit West Australian conditions. Thus it is very location-specific, although the process could be replicated elsewhere, in response to broader state or regional sustainability frameworks.
- Ability of the CAT to drive innovation in urban planning and development.
One of the stated objectives of the framework is “to move towards a performance approach to structure planning and subdivision to encourage innovation in response to market needs” – (although it is unclear from the documentation whether social, community or environmental needs are considered equally influential drivers for change).
- Flexibility of the CAT to adapt and evolve over time to changing understanding and measures of urban sustainability – including review processes and systems for ongoing monitoring, evaluation and reporting of outcomes.
Structurally, the integrated planning approach appears promising – but processes for ongoing review and evaluation of outcomes against stated aims are unclear.
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