Archived at the Flinders Academic Commons: http://hdl.handle.net/2328/27231 This is a scan of a document number DUN/Speeches/2070 in the http://www.flinders.edu.au/library/info/collections/special/dunstan/ Title: Address at the Lord Mayor's reception to welcome Mr George Clark of Urban Systems Corporation Please acknowledge the source as: Dunstan Collection, Flinders University Library. Identifier: DUN/Speeches/2070 Copyright Estate Donald Allan Dunstan
ADDRESS BY THE PREMIER, MR. DUNSTAN. AT THE LORD MAYOR'S RECEPTION TO WELCOME MR. GEORGE CLARK OF URBAN 5Y5TEMS CORPORATION. 24.1.73 MY LORD MAYOR, MR. CLARK, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; I WAS VERY PLEASED TO RECEIVE THE LORD MAYOR'S INVITATION TO BE HERE TODAY, AND TO SPEAK. THE APPOINTMENT BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PLANNING CONSULTANTS IS A MOVE OF IMMENSE IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY OF ADELAIDE, AND TO THE METROPOLITAN AREA AS A WHOLE. IT INDICATES THE COUNCIL'S DETERMINATION TO PURSUE POLICIES THAT WILL ENSURE ADELAIDE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST ATTRACTIVE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. IT ALSO GIVES THE CITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFRESH ITS VIEW OF ITSELF - AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A CITY THAT IS MUCH MORE THAN SIMPLY A BIGGER OR OLDER VERSION OF ITSELF AS IT IS AT PRESENT. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE, DEVELOP AND INNOVATE. S THE ART OF TOWN PLANNING HAS OVER THE PAST CENTURY BECOME AN INCREASINGLY SPECIALISED ONE, REFLECTING THE COMPLEXITY OF MODERN CITIES AND THE NEW AND UNIQUE DEMANDS BEING MADE UPON THEM BY CITIZENS AND BY THE PR0DUCT5 OF NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT 2. CITIZENS USE. BUT DESPITE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE JOB, AND THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THE EFFECTS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF / A PLANNING POLICY MAY HAVE, IT REMAINS AN AREA IN WHICH PERSONAL - AND EVEN IDIOSYNCRATIC - VISION CAN APPLY. IN SAYING THAT, I AM NOT ENDEAVOURING TO BE HERETICAL IN THE PRESENCE OF SOME OF OUR MORE AUGUST TOWN PLANNERS. I AM SIMPLY STATING THE SELF EVIDENT. IT IS EVIDENT IN THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN CANBERRA, BRASILIA, AND CHANDIGARH; THREE' CITIES WHOSE DEVELOPMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY DETERMINED BY THE ORIGINAL VISION OF THEIR ARCHITECT-DESIGNERS. IT IS EVIDENT IN NEW YORK, LONDON AND PARIS; THREE CITIES WHICH HAVE GROWN ALMOST ORGANICALLY, BUT EACH IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND EACH,OF WHICH IN MANY OF THEIR PARTS DISPLAY THE TASTE OR MISTAKES OF MONARCHS, STATESMEN, ARCHITECTS OR COMMITTEES. 3. AND THE POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IN RELATION TO THIS IS THAT URBAN PLANNING IS NOT A MATTER THAT CAN BE TIED DOWN TO PROJECTIONS OF CURRENT LAND USAGE, VALUES, AND TRAFFIC GROWTH, AND THE WAYS BY WHICH CONFLICTS IN THESE AREAS ARE RESOLVED. IT IS FAR MORE THAN THAT. 4. IN FACT, URBAN PLANNING CONTINUALLY INVOLVES JUDGEMENTS THAT CAN FUNDAMENTALLY AFFECT THE NATURE AND QUALITY OF A CITY'S CIVILIZ- ATION. ITS OBJECTIVE METHODS ARE QUITE OFTEN DETERMINED SUBJECTIVELY. IT IS AS SUSCEPTIBLE TO FASHION AS ARCHITECTURE. AND YET, LIKE ARCHITECTURE, URBAN PLANNING IS REQUIRED TO PERFORM A PUBLIC (OR PERSONAL) FUNCTION. IT HAS TO WORK. A CITY IS THE FRAMEWORK IN WHICH ITS CITIZENS LIVE, AND NO MATTER HOW GRAND THE DESIGN, OR SPECTACULAR THE VISION, ITS PRACTICALITY WILL BE THEIR FIRST CONCERN. AND SO A BALANCE HAS TO BE FOUND, AND THE CREATIVE TENSION THAT RESULTS FROM THAT PROCESS IS OFTEN THE WAY BY WHICH THE BEST PLANNING IS ACHIEVED. I THINK WE'LL ACHIEVE IT IN ADELAIDE. WE WILL DO SO BECAUSE THE BASIC MATERIALS ARE THERE: UNIQUE NORTH ADELAIDE; OUR PARKLANDS; THE SQUARES AND TERRACES; OUR FINE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUILDINGS; OUR CAPACITY FOR DEVELOPING PROPER AESTHETIC URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.
WITH THESE BASIC ATTRIBUTES (THE LAST ONE OF WHICH IT BEHOVES US ALL TO CULTIVATE), TOGETHER WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S AND THE CITY COUNCIL'S JOINT DETERMINATION AND CO-OPERATION IN THE TOTAL AREA, I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF ADELAIDE CAN BE A CENTRAL URBAN AREA THAT IS THE ENVY OF AUSTRALIA, AND POSSIBLY MANY OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD. IN FACT, WE HAVE, EVEN NOW, TAKEN STEPS TOWARDS THIS GOAL. ONE OF THE ORGANISATIONS WITH WHICH MR. CLARKE AND URBAN SYSTEMS WILL BE WORKING IS THE CITY OF ADELAIDE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, A STATUTORY BODY UNIQUE TO AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, JOINING AS IT DOES A STATE GOVERNMENT AND ITS PRE-EMINENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION. ITS CHAIRMAN IS THE LORD MAYOR. THE COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED THE BROAD OUTLINES FOR A CITY THAT ESCAPES THE KINDS OF URBAN BLIGHT THAT AFFLICT SIMILAR CITIES THROUGHOUT 6. THE DEMOCRATIC WORLD. ITS ENCOURAGEMENT OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, ITS DISCOURAGEMENT OF UNWARRANTED DEMOLITION, ITS GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS REGULATED PLACEMENT OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, AND ITS OVERALL APPROACH IN THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PROPER URBAN DESIGN AND STREET-SCAPING STANDARDS, IS PROVIDING A STABLE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE CONSULTANTS CAN OPERATE. FURTHER, THE PROVISIONS OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ACT, WILL ENSURE THAT IN ALL THIS ADELAIDE CITY WILL NOT EXIST IN ADMINIS- TRATIVE OR PLANNING ISOLATION FROM THOSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS CONTIGUOUS TO THE CITY BOUNDARIES. I TRUST THAT THE STANDARDS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING WE ACHIEVE HERE WILL DETERMINE STANDARDS RADIATING THROUGHOUT THE METROPOLITAN AREA. THERE IS ONE FINAL POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. IT IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT, AND YET IT IS ONE WHICH GOVERNMENTS AND PLANNERS HAVE IN THE PAST MOST REGULARLY IGNORED. AND IT IS THIS:
IT IS NOT THE PLAN THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW IT. THE HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY TOWN PLANNING IS SWOLLEN WITH SOCIAL TRAGEDIES AND ECONOMIC INJUSTICES DONE UNDER THE NAME OF GOOD PLANNING. THE PLANNERS HAVE FORGOTTEN, OR WALKED OVER, THE PEOPLE THEY WERE PLANNING FOR. 7. I BELIEVE IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION OCCUR IN THE PLANNING PROCESS. AND IN ADELAIDE PLANNING, THE VOICE OF THE RESIDENT PENSIONER OR HOUSEHOLDER SHOULD HAVE THE SAME PENETRATION AND PERSUASIVENESS AS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OR CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT. B. FOR ADELAIDE IS NOT SOME KIND OF EXCLUSIVE COMMERCIAL CLUB, THE MEMBERSHIP OF WHICH IS DETERMINED BY THE POSITION OF ONE'S OFFICE BLOCK. IT IS THE HEART OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA, THE PROPERTY OF ALL ITS PEOPLE, THE CAPITAL OF THE STATE, THE COMMERCIAL CENTRE OF THE REGION, AND THE HOME OF 14,000 PEOPLE. ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT SHORTLY THE HOME OF 40,000 OR SO, GIVING IT LIFE AND VITALITY THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THE WEEK. I BELIEVE THIS WILL HAPPEN WITHIN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD, AND THAT WITHIN AN EVEN SHORTER PERIOD MR. CLARK, URBAN SYSTEMS, COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WILL SET ADELAIDE'S SHAPE FOR ITS NEXT 137 YEARS. THANK YOU.