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URBAN AND PLANNING REPORTS

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DEAN’S WELCOME

DEAN’S WELCOME

Nancy Marshall, Ryan Jones

Urban and Planning Reports

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Urban Report The Urban Report is a substantial project involving research conducted over one semester. It takes the form of a written and illustrated report (between 5,000 and 10,000 words) that is produced in response to a consultancy research brief. The aim of the unit is to build students’ skills and knowledge in conducting research within an urban research consultancy context. Depending on the research brief, the report may be: 1) Practically focused, such as the preparation of an urban design or urban development project; 2) Theoretically focused, such as a review of a conceptual viewpoint; or it may 3) Occupy the middle ground, such as an exploration of a contemporary issue or review/testing of a theoretical method. The Urban Report is an opportunity to build skills and knowledge in a particular area of urbanism within a professional setting. The aim of the Urban Report is to enhance the student’s skills and knowledge in relation to the professional practice of urbanism.

Planning Report The Planning Report is a substantial piece of research conducted over one semester. It takes the form of report (between 10,000 and 12,000 words) on a topical urban and regional planning subject of choice. In some cases, the report is based on a priority thematic topic agreed with a local Council in the Sydney metropolitan area. The Planning Report provides an opportunity to think critically about a planning problem and to develop an appropriate research methodology or analytical approach to address it. It advances knowledge in a real-world planning situation.

Exhibited students have applied intellectual rigour to a diverse range of topics, ranging from creating regional recreational walking links, tactical urbanism as grassroots placemaking, and recreating the Public Spaces Place diagram to suit the rapid changes to our lives since its inception.

Eshita Dutia Supervisor: Nancy Marshall

1. Focus on urban squares

Public space design has been an integral part of city-shaping and planning. While conventionally reserved for practitioners who were entrusted with decision-making on behalf of people, the tide of ‘place-making’ has shifted in favour of expanding place design to prioritise public participation aimed at creating better places for communities. Although there is neither a single mantra for designing successful places nor a ‘one-size fits-all’ approach, guidelines and evaluation criteria have been developed over the years. One such toolkit is the Place Diagram by Project for Public Spaces (PPS). The Place Diagram was first published in the year 2000 and is highly regarded within planning and design industry as a valuable design resource.

The original PPS diagram comprises of four key attributes of Sociability, Access and Linkage, Uses and Activities, and Comfort and Image at its core. The intangibles in the middle ring of the wheel are inspired by the community’s description of places they enjoy; and metrics comprise its outermost ring.

In the two decades since the diagram was originally released, technology has evolved and topical issues concerning climate change, place resilience, and mental and physical health have emerged, which the diagram in its current form does not account for. Besides, it is intended to cater to all typologies of public spaces – urban squares, parks, streets, open marketplaces, in-between spaces and more.

In reality, each type of space differs widely in characteristics, needs, uses and aspirations which makes the diagram a generic resource. This ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach could potentially dilute the essence of a space and diminish its uniqueness. The report, therefore undertook research in order to revisit the Place Diagram through a process of understanding urban spaces and focussing specifically on the urban square; an open space typology that is the need of the hour. urban squares have historically been regarded as public living rooms and community meeting places around which city activities revolved. Be it the bustling Times Square in New York or the traditional Tahrir Square in Cairo, urban squares are increasingly being viewed as places for public protests, mass gatherings, and vigils; symbolising democratic power of the masses.

In the last two decades, the world has witnessed rapid advances in technology and development of complex metrics to evaluate change and progress. There are path-breaking innovations in transport and mobility focused on transit-oriented planning which makes metrics like ‘parking usage patterns’ irrelevant to evaluate success of an urban space. The report attempts to address the gaps in the current Place Diagram by focusing on a specific type of public space: the urban square and proposes a revamped version of the Place Diagram with updated attributes, intangibles and metrics.

Key attributes Intangibles Measurements

2. Add new attributes

3. Delete redundant attributes

The study examines the following questions: • What elements should a contemporary Place

Diagram encompass in relation to urban squares to prolong its relevance into the future? • What characteristics make successful urban squares? • Which existing Place Diagram’s principles apply to urban squares?

The new Place Diagram builds on the PPS toolkit by: 1. Focusing on urban squares: Making the diagram specific to urban squares and understanding the relevance of each attribute with regard to the chosen category of open space. 2. Adding new attributes: Introducing ‘adaptability’ as a key attribute and adding a much-needed section on

‘health’ and associated metrics for evaluation. 3. Deleting redundant attributes: Involves updating the attributes and metrics of the original diagram to suit contemporary people-and-place challenges in the context of urban squares.

Several case studies were analysed, and a literature review was carried out to synthesise new attributes, intangibles and metrics into the existing Place Diagram. The report emphasises that the guide must be used in consultation with community to arrive at place-specific priorities and outcomes. The revamped version of the diagram acknowledges that the diagram needs to adapt according to changing trends and technology and that it would benefit from being regarded as an evolving, dynamic resource.

Jack Storch Supervisor: Ryan Jones

Urban green spaces – ranging in scale from local neighborhood parks to National Parks – provide communities with many health and well-being benefits to create opportunities for recreation and socialising.

However, ongoing pressures of population growth and densification, combined with increased pressures on outdoor spaces for recreation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, imply that there is an opportunity to establish new methods to locate future outdoor recreational networks. This is especially pertinent in Sydney, where the development of the Sydney Green Grid has provided more efficient access to open space and promotion of a green network for different forms of recreation.

This study aims to explore a variety of approaches employed when designing the best location for recreational green links. This provides insights into an understanding of green links methodologies; focusing on the implementation of context and place character through design.

The study considers a method employing a variety of techniques found in literature, both strategic and place based. Broad themes in the literature include quantitative, measuring feasibility through a ‘multi-criteria analysis’, and qualitative, linking significant natural landmarks and character areas of a place. However, this study argues for a method that connects the space between approaches. The study identifies that incorporating an understanding of site attractiveness at a place-based level could provide greater detail when preparing an approach using GIS systems at strategic levels. Combining approaches ensures that place is embedded in strategic design.

The initial method, the multi-criteria analysis, involves the analysis of the relationship between multiple sets of raster and vector GIS data. Data sets are identified in the literature review as having either positive or negative impacts on the location of green links. The data is then mapped in GIS and overlayed onto a grid. Individual data sets are then merged based on their ranking to produce a final suitability map, with more suitable grid hexagons having a more saturated output. Based on the suitability map, hubs of large green areas and trails linking those areas are designed and mapped, and three trail options have been chosen linking these hubs.

The second method involves an exploration of the green links’ unique factors. A series of observational site visits have been undertaken to map, test and evaluate trail segments against criteria established in literature review. A variety of sample trails were chosen at random along each of the three options. Trails were then walked and experiences mapped, considering how the user moves through the space. Photographs have been taken of significant features of the walk to provide a record. Each criterion is ranked and compared to form a final trail option, which is then developed further.

Water Bodies

Slope

Streets and Bike Paths

Planning (Land Use)

Planning (Heritage)

Trails and Campsites

Vegetation and Biodiversity

In order to successfully test this methodology, Sydney was chosen as the laboratory to implement this study’s research from method to outcome. The vision for the study is to create a defined cultural and environmental trail corridor establishing the primary dedicated regional green link from Sydney’s Coast to its Mountains. This vision led to the identification of the trailheads; Circular Quay and the Mt Blaxland (south of Lithgow).

The multi-criteria analysis method identifies three trail options connecting these trailheads, the north, west and south option. Each option connects key green-blue infrastructure within Sydney, such as the Parramatta River, Lane Cover River, Blue Mountains National Park and the Hawkesbury River.

Three observational site visits were undertaken along each trail to determine their proposed experiences. Each segment has been walked and mapped, with notes taken against each of the criteria.

The final trail option has been identified by ranking these experiences against each other. The final trail is identified as the northern trail due to its unique built form and landscape qualitative character. The trail performs marginally better or equal in other criteria including ‘uniqueness’, ‘heritage’, ‘start and finish’ and ‘landmarks’, but performed significantly worse in its accessibility.

The findings suggest that trails through highly vegetated areas and interesting urban landscapes are important. During the observational site visits, several trail segments were identified as weaker due to their locations not being in established green links. The most successful areas relied on natural elements to define them. This includes unique vegetation typologies, proximity to water bodies, rocks, caves and different terrains. Residential areas, especially in Sydney’s west and south-west, were identified as extremely weak due to monotonous built form and lack of vegetation. Stronger areas were in places with a variety of built form, with vibrant spaces and places that created a unique sequence of experiences such as in Pyrmont and Windsor.

End to End Green Connection Urban to Natural Transition Parts of a Whole Range of Experiences

Patrick James Brett Noonan Supervisor: Ryan Jones

The population of Australia is forecast to grow from approximately 25 million people in 2021, to anywhere between 36 and 46 million people by 2061. Greater Sydney alone is forecast to grow between 50% and 90%, while regional NSW is forecast to only grow between 14% and 23% in the same period, from about 2.8 million to somewhere between 3.2 million and 3.5 million people (ABS, 2018).

There is also a significant infrastructure back-log in major cities as a result of long term high-growth, paired with underinvestment in the right type and scale of infrastructure. If these trends continue with no government intervention, regional areas will experience dwindling populations compared to rapidly growing metropolitan populations, affecting the quality of life for people in metropolitan and regional areas. One way of addressing this challenge is to encourage population decentralisation.

Decentralisation has been attempted by numerous governments throughout the 20th Century, with limited success. Recently there have been two major changes which have reignited the potential for successful decentralisation. Firstly, the completion of the National Broadband Network (NBN) has provided broadband internet to a majority of the population of regional Australia, allowing for businesses or workers to relocate to regional areas or people to access e-health and remote learning opportunities. Secondly, we’ve also seen the COVID-19 pandemic significantly shift workplace cultures and allow many workers and industries – mainly tertiary industries – to work remote from an organisation’s office. The former NSW Planning Minister, Rob Stokes, has also been actively pursuing a more detailed long term population strategy to understand ‘how many we can expect, where we want them to live and what their needs and attributes might be’.

This research report seeks to revisit the virtues of decentralisation, reframed as population and settlement strategies, with the contemporary contextual factors noted above. In addition to exploring how population targets might be developed, it explores planning considerations and mechanisms that should be utilised to ensure successful population decentralisation. To better illustrate some impacts and considerations of a population and settlement strategy, the regional city of Goulburn is used as a case study.

The research methodology is mainly qualitative research, with the literature review as a key component, and to a lesser extent, document analysis to focus on particular areas or ideas and draw out common themes. Quantitative elements of research were mainly undertaken by spreadsheet analysis and based on ABS data for the case study of Goulburn. This includes population forecasts, employment and industry data, education data, housing data and environmental data. What was found is that liveability considerations and measures are an effective way to approach and structure a population and settlement strategy that successfully attracts residents away from metropolitan areas. The spatial and built elements of urban planning, such as provision of new housing areas and sustainability aspects, could be managed through existing mechanisms such as LEPs and DCPs, however these are not centrally controlled and coordinated. Similarly, developing a policy framework for the management and implementation of liveability strategies would be impossible to implement through these mechanisms. As a state-level initiative, a population and settlement strategy could likely be best executed through the development of a Population and Settlement State Environmental Planning Policy.

This could codify into a legal act of parliament by: • Identification of growth cities based on a suitability analysis, and their respective population and dwelling targets over time. • Provisions and requirements for different liveability indicators and factors, such as: – Amount of required parkland per person. – A structured approach to providing for leisure, culture and entertainment. – Minimum requirements for access to sustainable transport options, such as bus stop catchments, access to cycleways and parking minimum or maximums for new developments. – Infrastructure requirements, such as telecommunications, intercity travel, schools and universities, and hospitals. • Mechanisms to give effect to the SEPP. • Governance arrangements of the strategy.

Importantly, this report also highlights how a number of areas of liveability need to be strategically managed and monitored as part of a population and settlement strategy. In purely practical terms, it is not a strategy that could be administered and managed by a single government department; it would need a whole-of-government approach with private-sector collaboration to effectively implement and manage.

Core elements of a Population and Settlement Strategy

1

Population and settlement strategy concept

1. Clearly articulated size or growth rate goals, and how this is distributed. 2. Responding to existing and future demographic issues 3. Coordinating of different responsibilities between different levels of government. 4. Ongoing planning and management for new infrastructure to support population growth. 5. Strategic vision and planning for growth cities collectively.

To amount of land required to accomodate Scenario 2 of population growth targets are shown below. Provision must be made for allocation and acquisition of adequate land for social and affordable housing through amendments to Affordable Rental Housing SEPP and SEPP 70 Affordable Housing Revised Schemes.

Attract young people and balancing ageing populations: improving social and leisure, higher education and employment opportunities. Emphasise safety, access to nature and community.

Identity and permanence through built form: Karratha, WA and Gold Coast, QLD were established at similar times but have different population trajectories. This may be partly due to how easy it is for would-be residents to conceptualise these places as ‘cities’.

New, regional-scale transport infrastructure in regional areas encourages economic activity. This could include airports and high-speed rail.

Provision of sustainable urban transport is also required.

Green space: including amount of space per person and average distance to green space. Psychology and physiological benefits for all residents.

Employment: In particular for Goulburn, focus on growing Managerial, Professional and Administrative roles.

Leisure and entertainment: Develop entertainment and leisure precincts to attract residents and tourists. Amend planning controls to support variety of uses.

Education: Diversify and grow existing campuses and provide wider range of student accommodation.

Health: Design of neighbourhoods to encourage exercise, reduce environmental pollution, provide better access to green space, arts and culture with a cumulative positive impact to health.

2

Access to affordable and diverse housing

3

Social cohesion and inclusion

4

Sustainable transport options

5

Employment, leisure, education and health

Table: Potential population growth for Goulburn under various scenarios.

Scenario 2021 2031 2041 2051 2061

Base case (0.44%) 24,382 25,476 26,620 27,814 29,063 Scenario 1 (0.44% plus distributed regional growth) 24,382 30,324 37,714 46,906 58,337 Scenario 2 (0.44% plus high rate, targeted growth) 24,382 32,889 44,031 58,611 77,678 Scenario 3 (0.44% plus growth to ca. 100,000) 24,382 40,476 61,620 82,814 104,063 Figure: Overall suitability analysis map for new urban development. Source: Bolleter, Grace, et al., 2021Housing type Mix . Land required (m2)

2031 2041 2051 2061 Subtotal Separate house 75% 1,311,159 1,768,613 2,367,780 3,151,861 8,599,414 Semi-detached 10% 87,411 117,908 157,852 210,124 573,294 Apartment 15% 32,779 45,066 59,195 78,797 214,985 Total 9,387,693

Surbhi Chhabra Supervisor: Pranita Shrestha

Neoliberalism is often associated with the economy and the ‘free market’. The ideology being least restrictions in terms of government intervention and similar interference to generate profit. The theory of neo-liberalism does not seek to overthrow the state (government) but aims to create a framework through the policy interventions where the institutions, agencies and individuals involved are reorganised or reshaped in ways compatible with aspirations of the market and complaint with economic quantifications.

Over time, the presence of the neo-liberalism phenomenon has been noticed among a wide variety of disciplines globally. The urban development sector is no different and neo-liberalism has been constantly associated with the development of the urban areas. The urban areas are shaped taking into consideration the rationale of the market rather than the needs and necessities of its inhabitants; also, the role of the state is restructured from providing services and shaping cities to pursue profitability. The state rather being the provider of service and social welfare enables conditions that are suitable for the neoliberal urban policies to work through and generate & accumulate capital. This signifies that the role that state played through the traditional urban policies for the welfare of the subaltern group is no longer been addressed by the profit-seeking neoliberal urban policies promoting inequality and imbalance within a city.

A wide literature indicates that the neoliberal cities tend to be an inequitable arena where the goal is to accumulate capital and no observable thought to the concept of welfare is stated. This research is positioned to understand and analyse the impact of such urban policies through a neoliberal urban policy of ecological urban renewal.

The ecological urban renewal is based on the concept of sustainable development which consists of three imperatives associated with it – social, economic and ecological. Under the neoliberal regime, the economic and ecological aspects associated with sustainability are given significance and the social aspect is often neglected and sometimes ignored. Being liveable and desirable the demand for such sustainable developments pushes the vulnerable groups out of the area by the more affluent group engendering the process of gentrification.

By taking the case of Central Park, which is an ecological urban renewal within Sydney, the research seeks to identify the position of equity in neoliberal urban policies. An attempt to produce empirical evidence for gentrification as an impact of neoliberal urban policy is made through the case analysis of Central Park. In this research, the available literature on neoliberalism and gentrification is such positioned it explicitly explains the correlation between them. Further, a detailed analysis of Central Park in terms of its development history and policies employed in its development are elaborated. The case analysis is then followed by the understanding of the current trends prevalent in Central Park and their significance in determining the impact of the neoliberal policies. The impact of the neoliberal urban policies is apparent in the case of Central Park i.e., the data analysed has demonstrated the trend towards gentrification, increased segregation and class-based exclusion within the suburb of Chippendale.

The development has nationally and internationally won several awards for its extraordinary ecological sustainable features and for improving the economic viability at the city’s fringe. However, the concept of sustainability is not just about environmental & economic imperatives but there exists a social imperative to it as well. If sustainable developments are to be planned it is essential to consider the social aspect which is not only about the liveability of the area as developers of Central Park boasts about it by providing few social spaces for the community, but the social imperative of sustainability also includes the factor of equity without which the process of eco-gentrification is engendered. It is essential for the state to take hold of such projects so that the negative impacts of these policies such as inequality and segregation can be minimised. As said in previous research, the development should be sustainable for all and not for those who can afford it.

Akshaisankar Sabu Supervisor: Pranita Shrestha

There has been a growing interest in citizen-driven, small-scale urban interventions recently around the world. Whether it is a travelling food truck or a pop-up market, tactical urbanism is opening up new ways of thinking in city-making. Having roots in pre-modern history, these types of micro-projects were brought under the umbrella term of ‘tactical urbanism’ and only started getting attention from urbanists and scholars within last decade. Tactical urbanism seeks local solutions for local issues for those who are the primary beneficiaries of the project. Many of the tactical urbanism projects are remarkably successful in providing sophisticated, creative, and low-cost solutions to unaddressed urban issues.

Tactical urbanism emerged as a grassroots level placemaking approach led by urban activists as a reaction to the rigid bureaucratic process of planning and slower delivery of social infrastructure. It has often been portrayed as the ‘voice of the people'. Since then, tactical urbanism interventions have received immense popularity across the globe through popular media and started to get attention from the planning authorities. These tactics are now widely being adopted by the planning agencies as an incremental development approach, creating a new spectrum of sanctioned tactical urbanism.

In that context, this paper primarily tries to understand the potential position of tactical urbanism in the wider planning spectrum. With questions such as how these short-term, grassroots approaches of tactical urbanism can be integrated into the planning process to create equitable and vibrant urban spaces, and how long-term planning visions can be achieved for the city? With this incorporation to formal planning practice, are the original intentions and rebellious character of tactical urbanism being lost? Or does it signal a gradual power shift in urban politics?

To answer these questions, the paper studies some of the best practices of state-initiated tactical urbanism programs around the world and evaluates them against the principles of placemaking and citizen participation, employing a qualitative lens. The implementation framework is studied in detail and the role of the actors are identified to understand the balance between and formal and informal sectors in these practices. The discussion touches upon various aspects of tactical urbanism including the vision, social capital, subversive nature and its implications at the city level. The study revealed that the state-initiated tactical urbanism movements succeed to an extent in blurring the line between the top-down and bottom-up city-making approaches by building meaningful partnerships with the formal planning system and community groups. However, this formalisation creates an institutionalised barrier that restricts the active participation of citizens. Overall, this paper aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of tactical urbanism strategies and their opportunities and challenges in urban design and planning. This study is part of a growing body of research on post-modern and contemporary urbanism movements.

ShiftSpace Design. (2013). 40th St and Walnut St Parklet. A seasonal parklet in Philadelphia. https://www.shiftspacedesign.com/portfolio/parklet/

Case Study 1: New York Plaza Project Case Study 2: San Francisco Parklet Program

Case Study 1: New York Plaza Project

Case Study 2: San Francisco Parklet Program

Case Study 3: London Play Streets

Devika Devdas Shetty Supervisor: Pranita Shrestha

Streets have multifaceted qualities that shape urban place and play an important role in people’s daily lives and experiences. With the ever-increasing dominance of vehicles on streets, the quality and experience of pedestrianised spaces often seems to be neglected. This report tries to unfold the power, qualities and experiences that streets as spaces hold for its users. The efficiency of urban streets must be improved in ways that sustain the urban context and ensure that the public realm is preserved and enhanced as that of excellent quality. Streets are closely connected to other urban structures and designing them well gives cities and their inhabitants numerous benefits. It is now time for urban planners, designers and policymakers to take the opportunity to reclaim and empower streets. How can planning and design help evolve streets for people? This report analyses the NSW ‘Practitioner’s Guide to Movement and Place’ to identify gaps and help inform and recommend indicators to achieve successful future streets.

There is no ‘thumb-rule’ or ‘one size fits all’ approach to creating vibrant and safe streets. This research is an attempt to help city-makers gain an understanding of certain principles while analysing and implementing street interventions from user’s perspective. Although tangible and intangible elements like street widths, signposts, traffic signals, vegetation, etc. are crucial aspects to be considered, this research primarily aims at the missing gaps that future streets could potentially adapt.

To know what present streets lack and what future streets could look like, it is important to dive into analysing the historical evolution of streets. The literature review will look back at the 13th and 14th century towns working on a grid pattern evolving into 16th century urban cores, where social and economic factors played an important role in shaping the town streets and waterways. Increased convenience of transport transformed carriageways as cities evolved (socially and economically) leading to increasing vehicular traffic and the need for street bifurcation in the 19th century giving rise to ‘sidewalks’. Standardised dimensions for streets were adopted to respond to the changing demands and increased vehicle use of streets. In the US street standards emerged in the 1930s (before WW2). Modern architecture separated streets for people and roads for vehicles. With the evolutions of streets and shift to a predominant use for automobiles, the vision of designing streets as per user experience has taken a back-seat and the gap is evident.

To further understand the role of streets, nine street typologies are showcased and a case study analysis on three primary typologies are provided. The report provides a framework with themed criteria and indicators for evaluating successful streets further informing the NSW ‘Practitioner’s Guide to Movement and Place’. policy framework. Today, accepting that vehicular and pedestrian movement must co-exist within streets, this study will provide insights and suggestions for a different planning approach to integrate vehicular and pedestrian movement into streets, while creating vibrant experiences for its users. In conclusion, this report focuses on understanding streets in context of pedestrians, however, not eliminating the presence of automobiles from the context of streets. The goal of this report is to understand and achieve successful streets for people by considering the presence of issues co-existing in the present and managing to evolve with a well-planned and designed street environment for the future. This report is thus an effort to emphasise the need to reclaim streets for people.

How can planning and design help evolve streets for people?

Congested sidewalks Few opportunities to stop

Obstacles on sidewalks Difficult navigation

Streets without seats Closed facades

WHY? - Issues

EVOLUTION OF STREETS Looking back into the past

STREETS FOR AUTOMOBILE What went wrong?

STREETS FOR PEOPLE Need of the hour!

LITERATURE REVIEW

4 seconds 4 seconds 4 seconds 4 seconds 4 seconds 4 seconds

1000 stimulus per hour Starting point to consider - Size: human scale + speed + senses

1 every 4 seconds

GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING AND DESIGN FRAMEWORK - FUTURE STREETS Planning and designing to help evolve streets for people

Maintenance and operations Distribution of space and assets Social inclusion and access Sustainability and resilience Street edges and buildings

TECHNOLOGY

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Planning controls Boost business on streets Parklets Street closures Pop-up strategies Safety and security Consider human senses Environmental benefits Effective use of space Sustainable development Respond to context Varied land use

PHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH

PLANNING & DESIGN

Policy documents Impact of land use on streets Urban quality criteria Vision, benefit, strategy and action

Permeability (walking, cycling) Mode share Journey time reliability (freight, public transport) CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING MOVEMENT AND PLACE: INDICATORS Safe system assessment Casualty crash rate Environmental quality

WHAT IS MISSING? Integrating Planning + Design + Technology for future streets Tree canopy Public space Mixed use

Shikha Swaroop Supervisor: Matthew Devine

Cities are complex spaces where built fabric acts as a backdrop for chaotic human interactions. Cities comprise tangible aspects like buildings, roads and parks while intangible aspects include community, culture and human experience.

Heritage is among the elements that bind the tangible and intangible aspects of a city together. Built heritage, particularly those with strong ties to the community, help create social cohesion amongst those who have shared identity and values forming homogenous groups based on nationality, race, religion and ethnicity.

However, conflict arises when there is uncertainty of continuity of one group over the other. In shared regions of conflicting identities and values, aggravated by volatile political climate, heritage has often been weaponised to further political agendas. Thus, built heritage has often been a deliberate target during war and conflict to diminish the achievements and identity of the targeted society. In post-conflict cities, it is important to conserve the affected heritage to restore lost identity of a community and foster social cohesion.

This report critically examines heritage conservation practices which have been implemented to rebuild post-conflict cities in historic light to the present day. Examples assessed include post-war Europe in the 20th century, Beirut in the late 1990s and Mali in the 21st century.

Following the 2nd World War, there was a need to rebuild historic town centres in Europe. However, the heritage approach varied across Europe. In Coventry, England, the town centre, almost completely ruinous after the war, was seen as a blank slate and testing grounds for post-war Modernist principles rather than reconstructing or restoring the historic town centre. The Polish capital Warsaw, another city devastated by the war, adopted an approach based on nostalgia for Warsaw’s glorious past. Historic sites were rebuilt based on 18th century paintings. The German city Dresden employed a more strategic approach and rebuilt its iconic Baroque buildings while still embracing Modernism.

The varied, and what appeared to be arbitrary at the time, heritage practices adopted in post-war Europe drew the attention of prominent patrons of art and architecture, eventually playing a formative role in the drafting of the Venice Charter in 1964 to allow for a uniform conservation approach.

While well intended, the Charter largely focused on monumentality and physical conservation of historic sites but failed to adequately address the social aspects tied to heritage buildings. Towards the end of the 20th century, Beirut, following decades of civil war, was ready to rebuild. Adopting the material-based approach endorsed by the Venice Charter, the historic buildings in the town centre were restored to celebrate Beirut’s past. However, this led to gentrification of the pristine town centre and adversely impacted the local community.

By the 21st century, the heritage field had evolved to incorporate intangible aspects of heritage and recognise the community as custodians of their heritage. The rebuilding of Mali in the 2010s involved the active participation of the local community. Intangible cultural aspects such as prayer, religious rituals and music were deemed an essential part of the rehabilitation process.

Through these examples, the report examines the political circumstances, its manifestation onto the built form of cities and its repercussions on the social and psychological healing of afflicted cities have been analysed to understand whether heritage conservation approaches are well-equipped for rehabilitation of post-conflict cities.

Ankita Powale Supervisor: Jacqui Goddard

Conservation of old precincts of high cultural, social as well as architectural significance has been undertaken on a large- scale by the efforts of community action groups in the 1960s and 70s in Australia. Australia’s inner city areas like Paddington & Balmain in Sydney; Carlton & Fitzroy in Melbourne and North Adelaide in Adelaide faced major changes in the 1960s and 70s where community action groups undertook massive efforts against large scale development to save the significant inner city suburbs that they valued.1

The following research report focuses on understanding the intent and the objectives of an early example of community action group to protect the heritage precinct of Paddington in Sydney and the key objectives that were detrimental for designating it as an urban conservation area. Several alterations and additions, especially at the rear to the wing extensions, interiors of the terraces and to the rear of the dwellings along the laneways, have taken place in the last twenty years to the terrace houses which are the key assets and characteristic features of the Paddington conservation area.2

The study focuses on understanding how the authenticity and integrity of the urban conservation area of Paddington has been affected by these recent alterations and additions taking place at the rear and in the interiors of the terrace houses in Paddington. The report is an effort to understand how the changes in the needs of the community bring about contemporary development in the suburb leading to the loss of the original character of the suburb with just the external front façade retained in the terrace houses. Contemporary development to the rear of the terraces, though being guided by the strict controls of the Woollahra Development Control Plan 2015 has not been effective and the additions using modern materials has led to a change in the character of the laneways of Paddington. The amalgamation of terraces retaining just the front facades intact of the terrace houses has led to ‘facadism’ - retention of only the external facades. As a result of ‘facadism’, the streetscapes and the primary presentation of the terraces along the street have been retained, however, there have been drastic changes undertaken within the interiors and to the rear of the terraces. The alterations and additions have led to the loss of the social significance of the Paddington urban conservation area as the modern interiors do not reflect the history of the workers’ residences which was essentially why the Victorian terraces were developed in the precinct.

1 Howe, Renate, David Nichols, and Graeme Davison. 2014. Trendyville- A Battle for Australia’s Inner Cities. Melbourne: Monash University Publishing. 2 Young, Greg. February 2019. Paddington- A History. Sydney: The Paddington Society. Image 1 84 Paddington Street, Paddington. (2021). Domain. https://www. domain.com.au/property-profile/84-paddington-street-paddington-nsw-2021 Image 2 Ibid. Image 3 Forest, F. (2021). A Paddington Terrace. Est Living. https://www. estliving.com/a-paddington-terrace/ Image 4 Ibid. Image 5 Ruscoe, P. (2021). Hargrave House. Est Living. https://www.estliving. com/hargrave-house-cm-studio/ Image 6 Pereira, R. (2021). Lena Residence. Est Living. https://www.estliving. com/lena-residence-smart-design-studio/ Image 7 Ibid. Image 8 Gardiner, R. (2021). Concert Hall House. Est Living. https://www. estliving.com/concert-hall-house-pandolfini-architects/ Image 9 Ibid.

Sagar Chauhan Supervisor: Nancy Marshall

Indigenous people have been granted land and water rights through the development of various legal acts in Australia since the late twentieth century. Under the purview of the present legislation, there is a continued effort by Indigenous people to have a better representation of Indigenous rights and better representation of Indigenous concerns within the decision-making processes sanctioned by the law.

This report seeks to understand the representation of Indigenous water rights in the Murray Darling Basin. Under the Water Act 2007, the Murray Darling Basin Plan is the largest water sharing plan of its kind in the world that aims to recognise Indigenous water rights. Ergo, the analysis of the Basin Plan will present the state of representation of Indigenous water rights in Australia.

Firstly, the analysis of the Basin Plan will be directed by understanding the various means of engaging the Indigenous people within the Plan. Secondly, this report will analyse how Indigenous people were involved during the development of the Draft Basin Plan and how they have been involved in the Plan since it has been in application.

Finally, an analysis of how Indigenous cultural knowledge is integrated within the Basin Plan will reveal the state of representation of Indigenous voices and rights.

UNSW Media, “Twenty percent less water in Murray-Darling rivers than expected under Basin plan: report,” UNSW Newsroom, September 02, 2020, https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/ twenty-cent-less-water-murray-darling-rivers-expected-under-basin-plan-report

A yarn on the river Getting Aboriginal voices into the Basin Plan

Murray Darling Basin Authority, A Yarn on the River: Getting Aboriginal Voices into the Basin Plan, https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/MDBAa-yarn-on-the-river-20120110-web.pdf

Diarmuid O’Reilly Supervisor: Neil Sipe

Transport policy has traditionally addressed established and clearly defined modes such as cars, motorcycles, public transport, bicycles and pedestrians. As new forms of transport emerge, existing policy must adapt or be created to incorporate these within the transport line-up. Electric bicycles are one such emerging mode, which have expanded rapidly in a short space of time and have naturally come into conflict with other road users without the necessary infrastructure to support their presence.

The market for electric bicycles in Australia has expanded 844% in the last 4 years, an upward trend that is mirrored internationally. Yet where many countries benefit from established cycling traditions and the infrastructure that accompanies this, the full range of benefits offered by electric bicycles is hobbled in Australia by a lack of infrastructure and a long running hostility among state governments and some sections of the public to what is seen in many developed nations as a practical, healthy, environmentally responsible and enjoyable form of transport. Recent media attention has latched on to tragic deaths among electric bicycle riders and injuries to pedestrians, often in association with other unrelated and prohibited micromobility devices.

This report examines the incorporation of electric bicycles into the transport system in NSW with the objective of establishing their impacts, the barriers to their adoption and the range of government regulations, controls and support that can facilitate and encourage their use. The report reviews the electric bicycle market in NSW and investigates a number of relevant case studies internationally to determine appropriate controls. The transport, environmental and health impacts of electric bicycle use in NSW are discussed alongside identified barriers, and on the basis of these findings recommendations are made.

The report shows that electric bicycles occupy an important niche in the transport system in NSW and offer a number of benefits to both users and the system at large, while any negative impacts are minor in magnitude and can often be overcome with simple mitigation measures. However, current controls do not reflect the demand for electric bicycles in NSW, nor do they align with best practice internationally and a review of the domestic market reveals that certain aspects of the existing regulations are entirely obsolete. It is therefore recommended to update electric bicycle regulations to better serve the needs of the public, align more consistently with existing transport policies and ensure the range of positive impacts that this new mode offers can be realised while ensuring safety for riders and other road users is improved. To compliment this, the report explores promotional initiatives and financial incentives to assist prospective riders in overcoming the initial cost of purchase and educate the public regarding government support for this environmentally responsible mode of transport. be viewed in isolation, but must be seen as part of a wider question of cycle and active transport infrastructure to address the gender and age imbalances among existing riders and ensure all users can enjoy the benefits offered by electric bicycles.

It is suggested that further research on this topic focus on the question of equity regarding the promotion of electric bicycles in regional and disadvantaged areas, those areas identified as having potentially the most to gain from electric bicycle adoption, yet which are underrepresented among current users.

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