Planning is not enough. Talk given at the Planning Institute of Australia's 2013 national congress
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Short talk given at the Planning Institute of Australia's national congress in Canberra on 26th March 2013. The topic is implementation really. More doing, less talking. Well, more doing anyway. Includes profound quotes from well known town planning commentators Kevin McCloud and... Nick Cave.
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Planning is not enough. Talk given at the Planning Institute of Australia's 2013 national congress
- 1. Planning is not enough. Michael McKeown Urban planner and designer Brisbane, Queensland
- 2. “I want to be one of (those who) does things rather than just talks about them.” Kevin McCloud, quoted in The Australian 15th September 2012
- 3. “Ideas as such are a little overrated really; it's the work behind the idea that's the important thing.” Nick Cave, ABC TV 26th February 2013
- 4. Brisbane‟s all new „Vomitron‟
- 11. Make no little dusty plans Apologies to Daniel Burnham
- 12. www.mckeownplandesign.com.au Planning is not enough.
Editor's Notes
- Who am I?Short talkTheme is “Achieving effective planning – after the planners – what happens?Making plans was once seen as a brilliant new way to manage competing interests and community concerns. As time has passed, process and procedure has often taken over, and industry and community place less and less importance on planners’ work. Meanwhile, we write more plans, manage more processes. But is this the only way in which planners can make change? Is it the best way? Or the most fun? Perhaps today, planning is simply not enough.
- I say planners should take a lead from TV’s Kevin McCloud, who recently attempted his own Grand Design of 42 homes. “I want to be one of (those who) does things rather than just talks about them. I wanted to build houses. I also don’t want to become one of those people who lives in television-land. I’m scared that I’ll just end up talking in meaningless catchphrases.”Kevin McCloud, quoted in The Australian 15th September 2012Let’s become doers as much as talkers.
- Another well known commentator on urban planning. Well not quite but…You know, an idea is just an idea... I know a lot of people who have way better ideas than I do that - much more frequently than I do that just can't sit down and actually do it. Ideas are such are a little overrated really; it's the work behind the idea that's the important thing.Isn’t a plan (or a design) just an idea unless it is implemented?
- Just as a caveat, I do want to stress that some ideas should never have been implemented.This is Brisbane’s 21st century transport solution, 3km from the centre of the city, the fulcrum of two of Australia’s biggest ever corporate failures, I could go on
- So, about doing and not talking. What does this mean for the way we work?We maybe it means Less Survey, Analysis, Plan and more Guide, Demonstrate, Promote. What is Guide Demonstrate Promote? Phrase my friend the creative urbanist Malcolm Holz came up withIt’s a reminder that it all doesn’t end with the plan (Strategic planning hands the baton over to Development assessment, but where’s the department of Plan implementation?)It’s a hint that building something and shining a light on it is more powerful than describing it – touch and feel, all thatIt reminds us that urban planning and design ideas can and should have an economic basis, and can be an economic tool. G.D.P.So, more Guide Demonstrate PromoteMaybe many successful ‘planners’ of recent times have been doing exactly that. Case studies will be used to contend that as planners we should be prepared to lead from the front. Put the ‘I’ into Implementation. Included will be the author’s recent experience working in Toowoomba, south east Queensland, where an urban design programme is using training, advocacy and demonstration, as well as conventional policy and plan making, to achieve change. The work of urban development authorities as experimenters and demonstrators in planning will also be considered.
- First example of this: GOVERNMENT LAND DEVELOPERSQueensland slow out of the blocks on thisULDA set up 2007/8 Almost abolished in 2013, but instead given a new nameFirst project called Fitzgibbon in the north of brisbaneHousing choice, increased density, well design neighbourhoods and streetsHere it is in a nutshell: GUIDE DEMONSTRATE PROMOTE back lane, 71m2 freehold residential lot, 2 storey house in it, full of town planners taking pictures.Guide: Residential 30Demonstrate: FitzgibbonPromote: tours, guidebookOf course Gov developers don’t have a monopoly on new ideas. Delfin example – But maybe sometimes they can be influential. They can break the rules. To experiment and Try new things. Make a fuss about it.
- 2nd example of GUIDING, DEMONSTRATING (although not building) AND PROMOTING, completely differentTRUDI exists to:Making better places. Make our lives better.Help do this through increased awareness and understanding of urban design amongst council planners and engineers, councillors, local consultants, developers and communityTRUDI came about because:Local council wanted to focus on urban design and qualityNeed to improve design of residential areas and centresNeeded a policy but more importantly skills and encouragementCritically, the council just finished a new planning scheme – full of aspirational planning policy details – but knew they had to do more to MAKE IT HAPPEN
- About Toowoomba:City, and region, atop the Great Dividing Range, gateway between the Darling Downs and south east QueenslandJust under 2 hrs west of Brisbane150,000 popn in region and about 100,000 in the city – set to riseEstablished in mid-19th centuryDarling downs rich agricultural area but the economy and society is quite diversified. Manufacturing, services, education and increasingly energy sectorNew planning scheme 2012 first under Queensland’s new (2009) planning legislationToowoomba is a shade cooler than its subtropical cousin Brisbane and well known for its tree lined streets, grand Queenslander houses and large parks – hence the name Garden City
- Toowoomba’s approachWe worked with TRC to: > Develop an urban design policy > Provide training and capacity building across policy,planning and assessment staff > Implement urban design outcomes and placemakingthrough a broad programme of activities.MENTION DEICKE RICHARDSThese three elements formed the project’s starting point and the basis for a series of tailored services. These included workshops with planning and other technical staff.Training and workshops> Urban design 101: providing a background on the principles and practice of urban design> Design thinking and drawing: a hands on workshop giving staff a basic understanding and appreciation of drawing techniques> Urban design at a regional scale: looking at how regions ␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣> Urban design at a local scale: looking at neighbourhoods, centres and streets> Urban design and development: designing a residential project and undertaking commercial assessments> Speed urban design: applying urban design principles to everyday development applications.
- Urban design in local governmentsAn idea with further application?Got a brochure. If interested come and see me
- Take homeApologies to DanielByrhamWe all shudder at the joke of plans gathering dust on the shelf. Because we acknowledge its truth. Let’s not stop at plans. Planning is not enough.
- Thanks for listening.Enjoy the rest of the conference.