Local Planning in Victoria

The topic of this week's class was local planning in Victoria, particularly focusing on the city of Melbourne as an example. Local governments play a key role in the planning process, making the majority of planning decisions that affect their jurisdiction.


Although Melbourne has been nominated as one of the world's most liveable and Australia's favourite cities, it still faces many challenges, particularly in relation to population growth and climate change. The main strategic planning documents that address such issues include: Melbourne @ 5 Million and Delivering Melbourne's Newest Sustainable Communities- both of which have a heavy emphasis on connected transport options and green design.

Population Growth Poses a Problem for Melbourne
Source: The Age 2011

A presentation by Rob Adams (Director of City Design for Melbourne) discussing the steps that transformed the city into the vibrant city with a thriving public life that we know and enjoy today was watched in the second half of the lesson. One of the key aspects of the revitalising of Melbourne was the focus on the public spaces. Many of the ideas outlined by Adams corresponded to those of Jane Jacobs- the creation of good streets to make a good city and taking into account the natural landscape and assets of the city and capitalising on them. One of the first projects undertaken was reconnecting the city with the Yarra River, which now a vital part of the city, providing a variety of public spaces enjoyed by locals and tourists.

Southbank Melbourne
Source: DJB World Photography

As an aspiring planner, many tips were taken from this presentation. In particular the idea of embracing the natural assets and history of a city, recognising the importance of smaller scale projects (like public art) to enhance sense of place and encouraging developers to consider active frontages and architectural diversity for lively streets. But perhaps most importantly, the idea that through the use of seemingly simple planning, design and development guidelines, wonderful cities like Melbourne can be created.