Briefs

This Brief addresses the urban governance arrangements for Australian cities, the role of long-term planning strategies and other regulation. The focus is on state and territory level strategies, current Federal government policies and infrastructure bodies.

Disruptive digital technologies are resulting in widespread innovation and transformation across many sectors and industries, requiring rapid reskilling and adaptation. The development of smart cities which integrate physical, digital and human systems in the built environment, is changing the ways that people live and work in cities, re-shaping property markets, and the way our cities are built and governed.

Urban policy frameworks across Australia present an uneven treatment of environmental issues. While some metropolitan planning strategies are explicit about the role of cities policy in addressing climate change, for example through preparing for rising water levels, increasing likelihood of natural disasters and other environmental hazards, others do not account for this in detail.

The planning of transport infrastructure to meet current and future needs is a central objective of urban policies. Metropolitan planning strategies and infrastructure reports highlight the need to invest in transport infrastructure to combat congestion and improve connections between people’s homes, services, employment and social opportunities.

Evaluation of current urban policy frameworks for Australia’s cities identified the provision of infrastructure as a key feature. This Brief focuses on water and energy resources, social infrastructure and funding mechanisms; other forms of infrastructure such as transport and telecommunications are addressed in separate themes.