Marcus Butler
30 November 2016: Urban planning experts will challenge government to put social cohesion at the centre of their decision-making processes at the Canberra Urban and Regional Futures (CURF) annual forum at the University of Canberra.
The forum brings together planning experts and researchers with local councillors, general managers, social welfare groups and other government officials.
This year, the focus is on issues around people, prosperity and place, and how future planning for Canberra and the region can have a positive impact on residents’ lives.
The University’s foundation chair of urban and regional planning and director of CURF Professor Barbara Norman, said that with more than 100 participants attending, she is expecting a vigorous exchange of ideas.
“I want to lay down the challenge for government and other decision makers that social cohesion needs to become part of their thinking on urban planning,” Professor Norman said.
“We already know that people with lower incomes find it much harder to buy property close to essential services and so they head for the urban fringes. Planners should concentrate on invigorating these areas, not just for Canberra, but for every city or town, to ensure that everyone has equitable access to the services that they need.”
Other issues to be discussed at the forum include public health, infrastructure and green growth, climate change and sustainability.
Professor Norman, who recently presented at the United Nations conference Habitat III, said the CURF annual forum is an opportunity to bring together new thinking and viewpoints from the past year.
“CURF has been growing its networks widely and is increasingly recognised not just locally, but nationally and internationally for its work on sustainable development.
“I’d like to see local councils and urban planning taking some of our thinking, particularly around green growth and adapting to climate and begin to put it into action in their own communities.
“We’ll also use the forum to set out a fresh research agenda for the coming 12 months and begin looking at issues which are being raised by those working on the front lines building their communities,” she added.
