THE UDIA NATIONAL CONGRESS WAS HELD IN SYDNEY EARLIER THIS WEEK AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS THE NUMBER OF CRANES ON THE SKYLINE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS IS THE MASSIVE BARANGAROO DEVELOPMENT. LOCAL PRESS CALLED FOR LEADERSHIP EARLY IN THE PROJECT SAYING THAT “ALREADY BARANGAROO IS WAY TOO POLITE. WHAT’S NEEDED IS NOT LESS BOLDNESS BUT MORE. DRAMA. COURAGE. AUDACITY. BRING IT ON.”
The call to be bold is being heard in Perth as well. Recently I was joined on a panel by the Lord Mayor of Perth, along with the heads of the WA Local Government Association, Committee for Perth, Tourism Council of WA, and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority to discuss the future of our city.
The panel discussed who should drive the change; should government take control, should industry take the lead, or is there a way that the community itself can effectively show the way? Being bold is always a challenge for government due to the electoral cycle and challenging for industry as the market is the ultimate umpire on project success.
Communities have historically been effective in stopping projects but people power has rarely been transformational at city level. That is not to say that it doesn’t happen. Friends of the High Line in New York is a good example, we just need to actively encourage more positive participation.
Transformational projects are often born out of crisis; Melbourne is a case in point where a dying manufacturing hub was transformed into one of the world’s most liveable cities. In Western Australia we are not facing a crisis, indeed we have been described as being comfortably apathetic, so how do we galvanise people into action? Interestingly overseas experience is that participatory planning is not all about the “big stuff”, it is about making cities more liveable every day and empowering the community on an ongoing basis.
New York routinely collects online street safety information to help with the planning of upgrades to the road network, from pot holes to major projects. Miami is using online technology to identify the best ideas to activate public open spaces and Chicago is using it to locate bike parking area to meet community needs.
By having an ongoing participation strategy, governments can develop a large, diverse and interested consultation network whose views can be sought when transformational projects are contemplated. We may be surprised just how interested the silent majority are in the future of our cities and the value they can add.