DOING IT DIFFERENTLY Rethinking Planning PIA Symposium Melbourne 13 th October 2017
CONTENTS My Background Restructuring Australian Cities The Challenge o What sort of cities do we have and what do we want? o The role of government o The planning methodology Outcomes from Town Planning Outcomes from Spatial Planning The Way Forward The Parramatta Approach
MY BACKGROUND The Oyster Bar
The Challenge for Australian Cities Linley Lutton University of WA we are forcing residents to live with planning failures...higher densities and public transport do not make a city Lutton outlines 3 essential requirements nurture; meaningful respect, culture and physical context ( The Conversation ) What does that mean in terms of physical outcomes? Lutton suggests that we are using models from Asia and Europe but I believe we are doing it our way + that way is to duplicate bits of other places and it is a failure
Australian Cities What are we starting with? Not New York or Hong Kong Not Barcelona - 10 minute walk to schools, markets + work; long lunch; late dinner; every night a Friday or Saturday More like Houston meets Hong Kong: dispersed housing, schools, retail and some employment inter-dispersed with high density bedroom suburbs; some inner city areas, walkable + mixed uses
Australian Cities What do we want? To manage growth or have a beautiful city? To put cars or people first? To have high density bedroom suburbs or urban living? What do we like about our cities? What can we learn? How can we respond to our climate? To put people first so that our cities are o Socially equitable o Environmentally sustainable
The Role of Government Governments build cities developers build widgets Good cities require government to: o Have vision o Intervene at the strategic scale o Provide funding o Use holistic integrated approach o Have bi-partisan agreement on outcome o Care for people
Suggested Objectives for Australian Cities To put people first so that our cities are o Socially equitable o Environmentally sustainable To restructure our cities to a multi-pronged approach o Create new urban places o Retrofit some suburbs o Retain + enhance low density suburbs o Sustainable new suburbs
The Two International Planning Methodologies town planning (anglo saxon) is about rational method; theory of planning as intervention; based on zoning and generic codes = Process or urbanismo (urbanism) design led + related to human behavior is about urban morphology, architecture, project based intervention based on drawings and outcome = Spatial Planning
Planning Methodologies Reflect The Culture Europeans own the city including the public domain in a way that Anglo Saxon cultures don t In Australia, city making reflects growth + real estate + short term The French have one word for city making process
Australia needs to restructure its cities by a multi-pronged approach o Create new urban places o Retrofit some suburbs o Retain + enhance low density suburbs o Sustainable new suburbs Based on a spatial plan for the city
The Spatial Plan Solve issues at a strategic scale; the city holistically + at a range of scales Not zoning based nor engineering led Densities derived from the desired public domain and built form outcome Drawings + words Addresses relationships of buildings to each other + the street and the land Separates the design of the city from the resolution of the architecture Efforts are at the beginning of the process; upfront community, expertise, money + time + commitment Better outcomes + saves money + time in the approval process
Where are we failing? No city wide strategy - Ad hoc development around suburban stations Poor Land Use Transport not integrated Lack of streets, poor street patterns + mean public domain Excessive residential densities Low Density Employment (Innovation Parks + Business Parks) Retrofitting by zoning not typology or subdivision pattern Inadequate Open Space
Outcomes from Town Planning Macquarie Park North Western Business Park Wentworth Point Infill Epping Suburbs South West Sector
Macquarie Park Black: Metro Stations Red: Employment -246 ha Blue: Residential Mixed Use - 11ha Green: Macquarie University-17ha Yellow: Residential-24ha Total 298ha
Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park
Norwest Business Park + Bella Vista Precinct Black: Metro Red: Employment -138.98 ha Blue: (Bella Vista Precinct) - 23.29 ha Yellow : 600 Dwellings- 69.13 ha. Total 231.4ha
Wentworth Point
Town Planning o o o o o No clear outcome No streets Retrofitting Suburbia Epping FSR + heights + subdivision pattern don t relate can t accommodate 6:1 or 4.5:1 Buildings don t have a street address Park has minimal public frontage Spatial Planning o o o o Introduce streets Relate FSR + heights + subdivision pattern All buildings have a street address Park has increased public frontage
Traditional Suburbs Moonee Ponds Bentleigh Toorak
Middleton Grange New Suburbs
New Suburbs New Suburbs: Germany
Outcomes From Spatial Planning Paris Hafen City Hamburg Pyrmont Point Wellington NZ Riverwood
Example: Paris Strategic Spatial Plan 10 diverse teams + community involvement 4 layers government, 1281 councils Provided by: Tim Williams
Hafen City
Wellington 2040 spatial plan strategic to precinct to block Randles Stradtveit + In House
Wellington 2040 Precinct to Block Spatial Plan
Berlin Example Precinct Plan 70 valid alternatives meeting the brief - Meaningful differences
Pyrmont Point Ted Alexander + In House for CWDC
Pyrmont Point
Retrofitting Suburban City Centre Liverpool Simpson Wilson + In-House for Liverpool City Council t
Retrofitting Suburban City Centre Liverpool Fine grain Mid-Rise Tower + Podium
Retrofitting Suburban City Centre Liverpool Fine grain sites: FSR 2.5:1 maximum 4:1 Height 6 storeys Uses: o ground non-residential o commercial/residential No amalgamation required car parking: o not on site and/or o contribution
Retrofitting Suburbia Urban Infill Riverwood Hill Thalis for Hurstville City Council
Retrofitting Suburbia Urban Infill Riverwood
The Way Forward Design excellence starts with the city not with the architecture
City wide spatial plan Addresses key elements of cities in decreasing order of importance: 1. street + open space network 2. subdivision pattern 3. buildings 4. uses Defines: new urban places where suburbs can be retrofitted new suburbs transport + infrastructure + open space + services + capacity
Urban Places Size + connectivity to existing precinct (150-250 ha) Fine grain street network (blocks 80-100m square Streets designed for people not cars generous public domain Mix of uses ( salt +pepper employment, housing) Density appropriate ( 250-300 ppha) Building typologies ( related to street type) Fine grain subdivision pattern - interest, surprise, varied economics Walkable, don t have to get in a car Transport, schools, open space, services
City Plans Barcelona 1859 + Chicago 1909 Embedded + Permanent + Connected + Choice + Sight lines + Economics + Variety Cerda -750ha Burnham
City Plans Re thinking Barcelona superilles to bring back the intent of C19 th Cerda plan Rueda We want these public spaces to be areas where on can exercise all citizen rights: exchange, expression + participation, culture + knowledge, the right to leisure
Melbourne Embedded + Permanent + Connected + Choice + Sight lines + Economics + Variety 292 Ha Walking choices in 92ha 6-18 per block
Fishermans Bend Fisherman s Bend Red : Employment precinct - 238.96 ha Blue : Residental and mixed use o Wirraway - 95.63 ha o Lorimer - 45.21 ha o Sandgate - 83.76 ha o Montage - 43.33 ha Total - 506.89
Urban Street Networks Be public Reveal the land + history Be connected externally + internally Have smaller the street blocks for higher the density eg 80m x100m Have a hierarchy related to people + reinforced by buildings Edge all public parks, open spaces, water bodies
Street Networks
Urban Streets Generous wide footpaths Trees + awnings minimum 4.5m Remove clutter Define streets with buildings Building typologies related to streets On street car parking
Non Negotiable Generous Urban Streets
Non Negotiable Principles Generous Urban Streets
Urban Density Density must relate to: Overall context + capacity + size of precinct Desired built form + Building typologies A generous Public Domain Street network Block pattern Subdivision pattern Transport + services + facilities Open space
Building Typologies Row Apartments 3-6 storeys 4-6m street setback FSR approx 1.5:1@6 storeys Shop Top non-residential at ground 0-2m street setback 4-8 storeys FSR approx 2.5:1 at 8 storeys Perimeter Block residential or mixed use 0-6m street setback 4-8 storeys FSR approx 3:1 at 8 storeys
Building Typologies Courtyard Apartments 4-8 storeys 4-6m street setback optimises views FSR approx 1.5:1@6 storeys Hybrid Apartments 6-15 storeys 0-2m street setback FSR approx 4.5:1@15 storeys Tower Apartments podium 3-6 storeys tower to 40 storeys 0-2m street setback podium 6-10m set back for tower FSR approx up to 10:1@ 40 storeys
The Parramatta Approach City Strategy Unit Structure MANAGER CITY STRATEGY UNIT SERVICE MANAGER URBAN DESIGN SERVICE MANAGER LAND USE PLANNING SERVICE MANAGER ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES SERVICE MANAGER SOCIAL OUTCOMES SERVICE MANAGER TRANSPORT PLANNING SERVICE MANAGER CITY TRANSFORMATION CITY ARCHITECT
Vision Objectives Detailed Analysis of the LGA by mapping and identifying: o Natural and built characteristics o Strengths, Weaknesses o Opportunities, Constraints Written and Drawn Principles Desired Outcome Options based on alternative intervention strategies Test Consultation AGREE DESIRED OUTCOME Strategic Design Framework
Design Initiatives Parramatta Light Rail Working with Richez Associates External Design Excellence Panel Competitions for Buildings Over 55m
Conclusion Cities must have spatial plans Planning should be creative + this means doing it differently I believe in the city of the future it is a place where the fragments of something once broken are recomposed Aldo Rossi