Since the mid 1980s, so much has been achieved in Australian cities and towns…and yet so much more might have been…. if only.
The UDF book Urban Voices refers to some achievements but rightly makes no attempt to comprehensively document them, were that possible. However, it does reinforce the importance of three things:
- the fundamental role of urban design to Australia’s future sustainability,
- the essentially inter-disciplinary nature of good city-making, and
- the critical need for integrated decision-making and action.
And I can say the same thing about a safety net of social housing for our nation: it is absolutely essential and in need of integrated inter- disciplinary thinking and action, including very good urban design.
We are currently experiencing a debate about the impact of a proposed national Budget on groups in our Australian community, especially on lower incomes, and the focus seems very much on health and education, obviously important issues. The Budget also adopts, it seems, a very different view about critical issues such as climate change, urban public transport and urban design/planning, views that are again seriously and genuinely puzzling...
See the full article at: http://www.udf.org.au/urbandesign/good-work-but-getting-scary/
