Creating greater transparency in Melbourne’s planning system would benefit the public, developers and the government, to create better, more inclusive cities.

That was the key message from the recent Collectivity Talks – Ethical Cities panel discussion held as part of Open House Melbourne last week.

The panel brought together four architects and urban planners to discuss some of Melbourne’s biggest challenges, including rapid population growth, densification and sprawl, affordability and ensuring diversity.

The panel featured architects Meaghan Dwyer from John Wardle Architects and Katherine Sundermann of MGS Architects, who were joined by planners Claire Grealy of Urbis and Brighid Sammon from Hansen Partnership. 

Associate director at MGS Architects, Katherine Sundermann highlighted the importance of designing more ethical cities.

“An ethical city is a just and good city, in contrast to the expected and the expedient. It's equitable and equal. So it's really about residents of different backgrounds and ages having equal access to things like jobs and education, and transport and housing,” Sundermann said.

melbourne-2986345_1280.jpg

The panellists put forward constructive proposals for planning guidelines, such as clarifying restrictions and community expectations early on in the development proposal process to give homeowners more certainty when buying property.

Claire Grealy, director of economic and social advisory at Urbis told WILLIAMS MEDIA the government and council would benefit from depoliticising the planning process and be able to plan for more sustainable density.

“Density has equity outcomes – it minimises urban sprawl, it takes the pressure off transport – but we can't have that conversation when it's already 11 metres high and next to your house. We have to have it before then,” Grealy said.

Rapid population growth needs to be addressed

Brighid Sammon, senior urban planner at Hansen Partnership, says the issue of population growth has to be taken into consideration.

“The Victorian planning system was designed in an era of recession when we didn't have population growth. We have to acknowledge that growth is occurring but we need a planning system that can enable us to have a positive conversation about what we would actually like to see," Sammon said.

"The planning system, in my opinion, just hasn't been set up to enable that positive dialogue and conversation,” Sammon told WILLIAMS MEDIA.

weyne-yew-492363-unsplash.jpg

While creativing incentives for densification can be challenging Sundermann says a successful initiative was applied in Vancouver in the early 1990s when, faced with rapid population growth, the city was divided into districts.

The incentive was that neighbourhoods that volunteered for higher density would be rewarded with better public transport, public realm upgrades, amenities and infrastructure.

“Suddenly everyone was saying, ‘Oh, bring it to my neighbourhood! We want to have a vibrant and diverse community. We want to have upgraded public spaces.’ I think elevating the conversation and allowing citizens to be part of it is the answer,” says Sundermann.

Building in binding mechanisms, such as those in place in New South Wales, which allow developers extra development space based on providing public amenity in projects, was another proposal the panel considered at the event. 

However, these measures would need to be more transparent than what Victoria currently has.

John Wardle Architects principal, Meaghan Dwyer said architects themselves could do more to ensure good design outcomes.

“As architects we must assume we have influence – we really need to talk to the clients to suggest good ways forward. Designers providing really good outcomes that balance private and public interests is so important,” Dwyer said.

Innovative initiatives should be considered

The panel also saw many innovative initiatives taking place in Melbourne, discussing the rise of ethical, community focused projects and the shift towards ‘deliberative’ rather than speculative models of development.

A new emphasis on build-to-rent was another way that developers could make a positive social contribution, said Dwyer.

“That's where a developer might hang on to the building for a longer period of time and earn their money through rent, which is a very different market driver than selling apartments."

Related reading: Investors and renters ready for build-to-rent sector in Australia, report finds

Panel moderator Communications Collective director, Genevieve Brannigan asked the panellists if they thought Melbourne’s cooling market could encourage developers to embrace some of the insights from the deliberative model, where consultation with an owner-occupier, rather than an absentee investor-owner, drives the design.

hamzvu_g.jpeg

A build-to-rent hybrid in Melbourne, developed by Kris Daff. Image supplied by Assemble.

Sundermann explained some of the benefits of the deliberative model.

“If you're involved in the design of your future house you might choose things like more sustainable options because you know you’re the one who's going to be paying the amenity bills. You might choose to have more shared spaces because you actually do want to have a vegetable garden on your rooftop,” Sundermann agreed.

Related reading:

Infrastructure will be the focus at REIV 2018 Economic Forecast Lunch

‘Future Cities’ symposium to unveil shortlisted designs for $2b Southbank by Beulah

Famous architects arrive in Melbourne for Southbank by Beulah competition