Page 4273 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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With regard to the actions under priority 2, the community emphasised with me the need to adopt a place-making approach that focuses on people first when designing and managing public spaces and development. I quote from the not-for-profit Project for Public Spaces organisation, first established in 1975, when I say:
Placemaking is the art of creating public places of the soul that uplift and help us connect to each other.
High quality streets, pathways, parks and publicly accessible open spaces are essential for quality of life in a more compact city. We need to better integrate these spaces in the overall design of our new developments and in our urban renewal projects to make them more user friendly. In our constrained budgetary environment, this will require us to look into alternative delivery and maintenance models, an important action identified under this priority. My statement responds to this important challenge by recommending that a place-making policy be established to guide the delivery of better public spaces and streets across the city.
With regard to the actions under priority 3, many people indicated to me during the community engagement that they thought the current planning system’s reliance on codes and regulations stifled innovation and inhibited good urban outcomes. The community and industry are seeking a more performance-based and outcome-driven planning system. Put plainly and simply, this means more innovation and less regulation. In response, actions in this statement recommend the revision and simplification of some of the territory plan codes. I also take this opportunity to establish a single urban design advisory panel for Canberra to improve the quality of development outcomes and the public realm as well.
The actions under priority 4 include the strong desire from community stakeholders and groups for government to provide early and ongoing engagement through the planning and subsequent development processes. Planning issues are close to the hearts of many Canberrans and many have indicated they would like to see improved planning delivery with better quality, on-the-ground outcomes. We also need to ensure there is a clearer understanding of the ACT planning process, greater transparency and more information made available on planning and development decisions.
This statement of planning intent supports actions to adopt a more interactive and flexible engagement approach, including improved online techniques and an increased use of social media to reach out to broader segments of the community. The statement also recommends an inquiry-by-design approach for significant planning projects to bring together diverse stakeholders and the community in a genuine planning and design process.
In conclusion, Canberrans want to live in a city that is truly sustainable, is underpinned by a prosperous economy and provides an excellent quality of life. With its national institutions, creative entrepreneurs, beautiful landscapes and a highly educated community, Canberra is uniquely placed to deliver this vision. This new statement of planning intent creates innovative pathways for Canberra to further grow
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