Embracing the future: Communities are open to sustainable urban growth
Australian communities experiencing rapid change have demonstrated a surprising openness to sustainable urban growth.
This insight emerged during Studio THI's Step-Change Cities Partnership practice exchange, a collaborative initiative that unites diverse stakeholders from local and state governments, peak bodies, and the private sector to develop strategies for managing urban growth and change. The partnership aims to gain insights into communities' perspectives on urban growth, improve practitioners' understanding and response to community needs and gain insights into organisational knowledge of urban transformation.
The online session was hosted by Studio THI CEO Jen Miichelmore and attended by more than 60 passionate practitioners from five states and territories.
During the session, Jen revealed the Urban Change Readiness Index results for local government area partners, Cairns Regional Council, Ballarat City Council, Hume City Council, and Penrith City Council.
Key takeaways from the event included:
Communities are receptive to growth: Communities appear more open to urban change due to population growth than initially believed.
"I was surprised by the level of support in the community for growth and change," said Andy Johnson, Manager City Strategy at Hume City Council, during the online session.
The value of preparedness: The Index findings emphasise the importance of education in promoting acceptance of urban development. Just by completing the Index survey, there is a significant shift in positivity towards sustainable growth. As communities become more knowledgeable about urban growth's challenges and opportunities, they generally accept the changes.
Studio THI’s Index findings emphasise the importance of education in promoting acceptance of urban development.
“This is a shift from communicating and testing responses to urban plans to equipping people to explore their values and provide the knowledge to navigate change,’’ said Peter Browning, Urban Transition Lead at Studio THI. “It actually doesn’t need a lot of education for people to develop a deeper understanding and align their values quickly.”
The value of seeking out different voices: Engaging with a wide range of community members provides valuable insights and fosters a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns related to urban growth.
"By surveying a diverse cross-section of the community, we gain not only amazing data insights but also quickly shift participants' understanding of the need for urban consolidation," said Studio THI CEO Jen Michelmore.
Forget a silver-bullet solution: There is no one-size-fits-all solution for preparing communities for sustainable growth.
"I was surprised by the nuanced difference of the perceived challenges and benefits of growth by location," said Nicole Bennetts, Planning Institute of Australia State Manager Qld/NT. "This points to the need for a difference in approach per geography."
Hume’s Andy Johnson added, "It is amazing that across three states and thousands of kilometres, there are such similarities, but enough nuances to show the importance of tailored messaging and engagement required in communicating and messaging urban change."
Need for organisational understanding: The Readiness Index highlighted the need for organisations to understand their own preparedness for change:
"The survey highlighted that even within our organisation, we need to build knowledge, understanding, and awareness around growth. We need to be mindful of this in all our conversations," said Fleur Anderson, Executive Manager Growth and Sustainability at Cairns Regional Council.
Another outcome of implementing the Index is a shift in conversations from managing urban growth to leading urban change, according to Fleur. "There's a recognition that urban change can be as simple as putting a new playground in a neighbourhood park," she said.
After further discussion with our place partners Studio THI will publish a comprehensive report on the Partnership findings.
