Statutory Implications For A Sustainable Urban Form: Principles And Practice From Australia

This paper examines the sustainability concept and its use in planning policies and regulations to guide future urban development and urban design. It provides a brief historical overview starting with the Rio Declaration and the imperative concerning the need for adapting the urban environment for efficient use of renewable resources. The paper includes an outline of planning and its transition from industrialism to the rational planning process. It refers to the well-known BedZED zero emission projects as an example of a comprehensive sustainable housing estate. Finally, the discussion paper “12 Green Guidelines” is used as a basis to compare the sustainable urban design regulations in the Victorian Planning Provisions (VPPs) for Melbourne, Australia. A cursory evaluation of the VPPs has found them to be vague with little detail and directives on how they can achieve sustainable design outcomes. Consistency in decisions is also rained because of the problem concerning discretion and interpretation. The paper concludes with a proposed research agenda for measuring the effectiveness of sustainable design principles in terms of outcomes that can deliver an environmentally efficient urban form.