Volume 1 • Number 2 • March 2012

News, v iews and trends promoting col laborat ive planning

ISSN 1839-9266 (Online)

URBANSCAN is published quarterly by the Department of Planning

and Western Australian Planning Commission

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URBAN STRATEGY: No one can predict the future but you don’t need a crystal ball to realise that Perth is heading for a period of unprecedented change. Every aspect of the city’s life from climate to population growth is set to change - and quickly. Starting on page 8 Chris Hair and Brendan Tippett describe the new strategy to manage the challenges.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT: There are exceptions, but generally speaking most city buildings look much the same. Some architects would like to be more adventurous - but there are commercial risks. Now a series of developments may start to change matters. Read more on page 10.

POWER TRENDS: Many cities are now reassessing the way they meet their energy needs and at the same time cut greenhouse emissions. Perth-based consultant, Bill Grace of GHD has been working on such projects in Canada. Starting on Page 16 he describes what he found and what WA could learn from the Canadian experience.

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UrbanScan reports a variety of views none of which are necessarily those of the

publisher

Volume 1 • Number 2 • March 2012

UrbanScan is an initiative of Western Australia’s

Department of Planning andWestern Australian Planning Commission.

It is produced by Strategic Scan PO Box 1484

Victoria Park East Perth, WA 6981

Tel/Fax 08 9362 6248

Editorial Advisory Committee Chairman:

John Chortis, Department of Planningjohn.chortis@planning.wa.gov.au

Members:Bryce Bunny, Department of Planning

bryce.bunny@planning.wa.gov.au

Carmel Quin, Department of Planningcarmel.quin@planning.wa.gov.au

Lynda Dorrington, Executive DirectorFORM Contemporary Craft and Design

lynda@form.net.au

Elisha Buttler FORM Contemporary Craft and Design

elisha@form.net.au

Bill GracePrincipal Sustainability Consultant, GHD

wgrace@ghd.com

Professor Fiona McKenzie,Curtin Graduate School of Business

F.McKenzie@curtin.edu.au

Dr Joseph Patroni Department of Commerce

joseph.patroni@commerce.wa.gov.au

Peter Terry, Strategic ScanTel: 9362 6248

scanasia@highway1.com.au

ISSN 1839-9266 (Online)

DISCLAIMER: All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of this document, which represents the

results of scanning, interviews, contributions and analysis from sources listed within. But the

Department of Planning, Western Australian Planning Commission and Strategic Scan accepts no responsibil-ity for any loss that may be sustained by any person or

organisation that relies on information in this document.

WHAT has an 18th Century landscape painter like JMW Turner got to do with regeneration and managing modern high streets? Lots according to a new UK report on retailing woes. The Turner example has shown how a little creative thinking can turn a retailing “ghost town” back into a place people want to visit. The report’s findings and Turner case history start on page 4.

Turner’s “Self-Portrait” (detail) circa 1799 / Public Domain / Wikimedia/ Source: Wilton, Andrew (2006). Turner in his time (New ed.).

Thames & Hudson.

NEW forecasts of Perth’s population growth (See page 20) show how vital it is that we prepare now in building a larger, more concentrated city. The population of Perth and the adjacent Peel region is increasing faster than predicted and the city itself could have many thousands more inhabitants than expected by 2026. Decisions we take now will be significant in shaping the urban environment in which those people live and work. Our cover feature starting on page 12 looks at the Perth Waterfront project. In combination with other projects like the Perth City Link, Riverside and the revitalisation of the Perth Cultural Centre, the new Waterfront precinct will do much to accommodate the expansion. We also believe that the revitalisation these projects will bring will help secure Perth’s place as one of the world’s most liveable cities - and thus do much to ensure the city’s globally competitive future. The new projects will showcase collaborative planning - the process that encourages the direct involvement of stakeholders. In the case of the Perth Waterfront project, collaborative planning will play an important role in determining the entire atmosphere of the new precinct. For example it will enable us to merge significant areas of public and private space - and so give the precinct a feeling of vitality. This merging of space will mean that people visiting the Perth Waterfront will find a noticeable lack of barriers as they pass seamlessly from public walkways through to hotels, shops and cafes. The new precinct will also help reconnect Perth people with the Swan River and through a newly created inlet return to the river a portion of the area it lost when land was reclaimed in the late 1950s to build the Narrows Bridge. This reconnection will almost certainly change the way people respond to the city. It will give the city a much livelier centre. It will attract thousands of visitors, open Perth to new forms of water transport and most importantly create a bright new face for the growing city of the future.

Gary Prattley, Chairman,

Western Australian Planning Commission

4IT’S one of the largest urban development project Perth has seen and when completed, it will “totally change the way people see and use the city”. Gary Prattley, chairman of the Western Australian Planning Commission talks about some of the reasoning behind the Perth Waterfront project starting on page 12.

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WHY the bemused look? It’s a member of Honda’s staff getting to know the behavior patterns of a new office recruit - a robot, programmed for basic etiquette. In fact the machine’s abilities to navigate the human environment could speed the day of its entry to a pedestrian way near you. Read more on page 20.

Also on page 20, WA’s latest population trends: the State is destined to become a lot bigger.

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Can high streets cope with the Internet?

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JUST how quickly a new idea can transform a high street can be found in the English “seaside”

town of Margate. Two years ago local shops were shutting down fast and nowhere was retailing worse than the lower end of Margate’s High Street. (The area was being described as Britain’s “ghost town” having a record 37% of its shops boarded up.) Then someone thought of celebrating Margate’s links with the famed Victorian landscape painter, JMW Turner. And so “Turner Contemporary”* was born - a new visual arts venue overlooking the

sea right next to lower High Street. As Mary Portas says in her report: “I have seen how real vision can secure new investment. Turner Contemporary . . . is bringing new business and footfall to the lower end of this seaside town.” In fact the gallery has been so successful that its operators # have just won an award for the best use of art and culture in town regeneration. Between April last year and September when the award was presented, the gallery had attracted 240,000 new visitors to lower High Street who in turn were welcomed by no less than

Left: Margate’s new art gallery - Turner Contemporary. Photo: © Richard Bryant/Arcaidimages.com

How art breathed new life into a ‘ghost town’

25 new businesses. Southeastern Railways also reported a 30% jump in passengers buying tickets to Margate. (The gallery hoping to improve on its record with a major exhibition of Turner’s works between now and 13th May 2012.)

* Turner Contemporary home page <http://www.turnercontemporary.org/>

# The gallery received seed funding from local authorities, the South East England Development Agency, Arts Council England and the European Union.

4 / UrbanScan

* Footnote: Simultaneous with the Portas Review, the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has published a report “Understanding High Street Perfor-mance” which estimates that by 2014 less than 40% of the country’s retail spending will be made in high street shops. <http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/u/11-1402-understanding-high-street-performance.pdf>

WHETHER or not the Internet totally changes the face of retailing,

there is growing concern about the impact it is having on the “High Street”. In Britain, where the effect of online shopping has been compounded by the severe economic downturn, a government review is recommending a major intervention before too many shops disappear beneath an avalanche of “for lease” signs. The review, headed by local retail consultant and TV personality Mary Portas, is recommending that high streets have promotional management teams and

collaborative planning. (1) * Since 2000, Britain has seen 25,000 high street shops close and as Ms Portas puts it: “unless urgent action is taken, much of Britain will lose, irretrievably, something that is fundamental to our society.” Although Australia has not experienced so many closures there is no doubt local retailing is experiencing a shakeout - particularly among clothing, footwear and bookshops. Last year saw Angus & Robertson, Borders, Ed Harry and Colorado go - all victims to a greater or lesser degree to the growth in online purchasing. (2) While Australian high streets are still in

a far more healthy position than their UK counterparts, the most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows retail turnover fell 0.1% last December. (3) Even if Australian consumers do start spending more, online retailers could still be the main beneficiaries. The Christmas period showed the trend clearly enough. Australia Post handled a record three million extra parcels in December and AP attributes the growth almost exclusively to online purchases. (4) It is against this background that Mary Portas’ review takes on added interest. Her investigative team found that although online purchases made up less than 10% of Britain’s retail sales, e-commerce accounted for half of all retail sales growth between 2003 and 2010. Even more dramatic was the growth in

“m-commerce” - purchases made using a mobile. In the last two years they rose 500%. The Portas solution is not to discourage online purchases but to give high streets a new function in community life. She wants to “re-imagine” the high street as a “destination for socialising, culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning.” (See below: “How art breathed new life into a ghost town”) “The new high street won’t just be about selling goods,” she writes. “The mix will include shops but could also include housing, offices, sport, schools or other social, commercial and cultural enterprises and meeting places. They should become places we go to engage with other people in our communities, where shopping is just one small part of a rich mix of activities.” To achieve the change Ms Portas wants to set up “high street management teams”

ILLUSTRATION from the new Portas Review: “High streets of the future

must be a hub of the community that local people are proud of and want to

protect,” says Mary Portas.

C I T Y M A N A G E M E N T

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drawn from landlords, large and small shopkeepers, council representatives, the Mayor or local parliamentarian, other local business and service providers plus local residents. The teams would “inherit powers” from local authorities - and be given “rights to try new ways of working on the high street”. No team would work in the same way, instead each would “spearhead a clear local vision for retailing and apply professional management” to their own high street. Their individual high street would be treated as a brand to be “nurtured and communicated”. And they would also have the power to decide the “appropriate mix of shops and services”. References:(1) “Portas Review” UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Dec 2011 <http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2011/Dec/portas-review>(2) “Retailers’ hopes lift for 2012” Adelaide Now 18 Jan 2012 <http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/retailers-hopes-lift-for-2012/story-e6frede3-1226234980388> (3)“Retail turnover falls 0.1% in December 2011” Australian Bureau of Statistics media statement 6 Feb 2012 <http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/676AC4CC578D6559CA25773400204519?OpenDocument>(4) “Online commerce experts forecast biggest ever online shopping week” Australia Post media statement 5 Dec 2011 <http://auspost.com.au/about-us/biggest-ever-online-shopping-week.html>

IS the private sector an untapped source for funding new areas of public open space? If a

report published in the UK is any indication, there would apparently be few real estate investors not willing to put money into parks and open space “if the right vehicle for investment was made available”. The report, “Open Space: an asset without a champion”, is the work of design firm Gensler and London’s Urban Land Institute. (1) It is based on the findings from a selective survey to discover what value European city-dwellers put on open space. All told 350 real estate developers, investors, consultants and “public sector workers” across the Europe were asked for comments. The survey found that 95% of respondents not only believed “good open space” added value to commercial property but said they

on the liveability agenda, many occupiers also see outside space as an amenity that can contribute to the wellbeing of their workforce, as well as aiding in the attraction and retention of employees.” Those surveyed also came up with some ideas for creating more space. About 60% favoured creating open space from derelict land; about 58% suggested “pedestrianisation through road closure; about 47% suggested “demolition of obsolete buildings”; about 45% wanted to “re-plan transit hubs”; 43% suggested creating rooftop gardens; 25% constructing taller buildings; and 15% favoured constructing fewer buildings.

Reference:(1) “Open Space: an asset without a champion” Gensler and ULI <http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/Open_Space_03_08_2011.pdf>

would be willing to pay “at least 3% more” to have their buildings close to it. The report says with government funds scarce yet the real estate industry so supportive, it should be possible to create more open space by establishing appropriate investment vehicles that both created it and maintained it. In a preface to the report, Roger Madelin, joint CEO of development company Argent writes: “The presence of high quality open spaces in a new development has a number of benefits for investors and developers. “Good quality open spaces, not only increase the attractiveness of a place but are also key to placemaking, which in turn can help to attract prospective tenants – with cafes, bars and restaurants especially willing to pay a premium for access to open spaces. As cities place increasingly greater importance

HOW do you build a kilometre-long park in the centre of London? Answer: Float it on the Thames. At least that was the answer until the developers ran into a few planning obstacles earlier this year. (1) The

Port of London Authority felt the park could present a hazard for river traffic especially barges and some local residents were worried about a loss of views. (2) Matters were not helped when organisers of a Thames Diamond Jubilee pageant said they would need to cut the “3000 boat flotilla” by a third - if the floating park were built. Nonetheless even though the project will no longer be ready in time for the jubilee and Olympic Games, the private proponents still say they hope to press ahead and will present a “redesign” of their $89 million project to the city’s planning authorities later this year. Under the original plan the park was to be floated on pontoons and be anchored between Millennium Bridge and the Tower of London. As well as providing a tree-lined walkway, it was to have a swimming pool, ferry stations, and a series of “spherical pavilions” featuring displays of “green energy, leisure, innovation, culture and performance”.

References:(1) Home page for the London River Park project < http://www.londonriverpark.org/>(2) “London 2012: Thames River Park will not be ready for Olympic Games” BBC Online 5 Jan 2012 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16431083>

TAKING a stroll on water - an artist’s impression of how London’s proposed floating park (above) might look. See story right. Illustration by London River Park.

Investment markets for open space?

Floating park idea hits heavy weather

C I T Y M A N A G E M E N T

IF there are to be floating parks for people (See above) should there be floating parks for animals too? Dutch architect Koen Olthuis* thinks so and has come up with the “Sea Tree” pictured above. His idea is to have such structures anchored in the waterways of major cities to provide sanctuary and breeding areas for birds and fish and thus replace some of the lost habitat caused by urban development. The typical Sea Tree would have about a dozen platform layers above water and a similar number below. Over time, the structure would take on the aspect of a giant hanging garden, he says. * <http://waterstudio.nl/

Strictly for the birds - plus a few fish . . .

Illustration: Koen Olthuis - Waterstudio NL

U R B A N P L A N N I N G

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Planning a city thatcopes with changePERTH’S new planning “framework”* is very different from previous ways of looking at the city. But as CHRIS HAIR and BRENDAN TIPPETT explain in this article, a more holistic approach is vital if Perth is to effectively handle the myriad of changes expected in the coming decades.

THE next 25 years are likely to see Perth experience more change than at any other period

in its history. The people, economy, built form and urban systems will all be affected. Some things may be predictable - like technical evolution and the influence Asia’s economic growth may have on the local economy. But there will also be other forces at play that have not been encountered

before. These will include a tightening and change in the forms of energy supply. Natural resources like water may face restrictions and there could be new events occurring associated with a changing climate. Together they require a rethink about the meaning of stability and patterns in which urban systems operate. Part of that rethink is the new planning framework drawn up for Central Perth. It aims to respond to the changes and the longer-term opportunities and challenges they create. The framework is also designed to build resilience and provide a collective direction for change.

The Capital City Planning Framework as it is known, sets out Western Australia’s ambitions for the 12km by 12km heart of its capital. (See map next page) It covers broad planning themes of identity, built form and movement, the inner city’s role as State capital and key centre for commerce, knowledge and culture. “Central Perth” takes in the iconic natural features of Kings Park, the main estuaries of the Swan and Canning rivers, and the major wetlands at Lake Monger and Herdsman Lake. What is different is that the framework views these areas as a single natural system in which urban areas interweave and rely upon for their health and amenity. This is a reversal of hierarchy found in normal planning practice and has repercussions in terms of sense-of-place, sustainability and maturing of the city’s form. For example, 30 years ago Perth’s central areas were mostly considered a collection of places to arrive, work and depart. Now inner-urban areas are fast evolving and seen as much more rounded places for all of life’s activities. From the framework perspective

the aim is to capture and build on this economic and cultural maturity to make the patchwork of places grow to accommodate an increasing proportion of the larger city’s residential population. One of central Perth’s characteristics is highly fragmented local governance. The 144km2 cover parts of twelve local governments. While this governance pattern works to help build local community identity, it can result in cross boundary inconsistencies in planning. A key role of the framework is therefore to help knit these areas into a cohesive whole. Therefore, while the document leaves fine-grained planning to local governments, the framework defines a broad spatial plan that guides how growth can be accommodated to create an integrated inner city. The framework’s spatial proposals revolve around building on the city’s natural setting and historic places to create environments with distinctly urban characteristics. At the same time it focus on quality design to exhibit the best attributes of sustainability, beauty, liveability and robustness.

Today Perth is preoccupied with creating adequate capacity to service WA’s fast-growing primary industries. But the city is also seeing major expansion in its knowledge and cultural economy. In the long term it is recognised that these industries are likely to be major drivers in the city’s future economy - both for employment and quality of life. Because of this, the framework focuses on building these sectors still further by prioritising the key inner-urban centres that have a university and other major institutions within them. They will be developed as key places for highly diversified town centres - places like Bentley, Nedlands-Crawley and Mt Lawley. Currently Perth’s city centre is embarking on a massive renewal program with the State Government starting construction on three major projects on its edges. On its northern rail corridor is “Perth City Link”, on its southern river frontage is “Perth Waterfront”, and on its eastern edge is “Riverside”. These projects are likely to be the focus of much of the city’s growth and renewed identity

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Left: Expect a focus on good design. This area of Central Perth is already popular with pedestrians. In years to come, the trees will also turn it into an important place for shade. Photo by the Western Australian Planning Commission.

Left: Perth’s new State Theatre Centre is already winning prizes for good design. It also fits well with WA’s efforts to build its cultural and knowledge sectors. Photo by the Western Australian Planning Commission.

* A pdf of the “Capital City Planning Framework” is available from the De-partment of Planning’s website: <http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/>

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over the next generation. Each project will see the city reaching out to the water or adjacent neighbourhoods and in the process creating a new city precinct. The framework puts these projects into the context of the larger city. The framework also foresees where the next generation of major city centre projects are likely to focus. These also relate to making new urban places and improving connectivity with the city centre. Two such places are the precincts around McIvor Station, where Royal Perth Hospital is due to be restructured, and the land around the Mitchell Freeway where Perth’s three main visitor focuses meet (the Swan River, Kings Park and the city centre) but currently remain separate from each other. Central Perth has already seen a significant shift away from car dependence.

LEFT: The area of Perth covered by the framework.

The framework works to build on this shift by defined movement networks that ensure that streets are not just considered as routes for private motor vehicles, but also as places where public transport, walking and cycling are given equal importance. The framework seeks to ensure streets

are designed as much for activity along their edges as they are for movement. The framework is being coordinated with the State’s Public Transport 2031 plan <http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/ABOUT_P_PT_Plan2031.pdf > to ensure that the city’s overall accessibility is enhanced while this rebalancing takes place. A key initiative of both the framework and transport documents is to set out the first legs of a new light rail system for metropolitan Perth. The first three lines are proposed to radiate out from the city centre and service each of the three inner-city university based activity centres. This will ensure each is accessible from the entire metro area by public transport. Now that there is a major State policy on Central Perth, it is intended that the Framework will be reviewed regularly to ensuring State and local government activities continued to build a thriving, liveable city.

Continued from previous page

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WITH few exceptions it is usually buildings of conservative design that shape the modern

urban skyline. As one observer explains it: “Developers resist ‘visionary’ concepts, and because of the financial risks involved few architects allow themselves the luxury of experimentation.” Yet despite such obstacles, change could be on the way. The Swiss have come up with an idea to reduce the risk of experimentation; the Germans have developed a new process that could radically alter the look and shape of future high-rise facades; and another German group has found a way to turn office ceilings into “virtual skies”. The Swiss idea involves constructing the bare bones of a “universal building” and then letting architects and developers use it to try new ideas for facades and internal layouts. (1) (See illustration above, right.) Moreover, the experimental spaces will be open for practical use. For example, people will be able to rent the building’s experimental apartments while companies will be able to test the building’s experimental offices. Each test “module” is expected to have a life of about two years and any modules that clearly do not work will

be “replaced”. The organisation behind the idea is the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology or “Empa” (Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt). It wants to construct the five-storey structure in Dübendorf - a town about 4km northeast of Zurich. Empa hopes to have planning proposals before the local authority by the end of the year and in the meantime is seeking partners - including possible foreign interests. At the same time, German researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials believe their new methods of bending glass will lead to a radical change in building facades. (2) They say today’s office buildings are usually built using panels of flat glass. Curved glass can be used but the process is expensive. What the researchers have done is create a multiple use mould that actually changes to the desired shape inside the furnace. The new mould is apparently similar to a pin-art gadget that alters its shape when, for example, you press your

hand into the pins. Initially the new “pin” mould holds a sheet of glass perfectly straight. Then when the furnace reaches a critical temperature, the mould’s “pins” take on their pre-set shape, extra heat is applied and the glass bends into the mould. According to the researchers, the mould will adopt any desired geometry at the touch of a button. They say the process is six times faster than conventional glass bending, creates fewer distortions, and no warping. The researchers have not done it yet, but they believe the process will ultimately allow hemispherical structures to be made and aspherical forms too - something that certainly would change the shape of the skyline. Another group at the Fraunhofer Institute of Industrial Engineering have been looking

at ways to radically change the appearance of offices - and have come up with the concept of a “virtual sky”. (3) Their “dynamic luminous ceilings” create the effect of clouds passing overhead. (See photo above.) As the “clouds” pass by, the level of light in the office also changes. The result, according to the researchers, causes people to feel as if they are working outdoors. The “skies” are made with coloured LEDs that can generate no less than 16 million hues. The Institute is now testing the ceilings in actual office environments and say results so far suggest the fluctuating light is “promoting concentration and heightening alertness”. The ceiling was given its first public display at the CeBIT trade fair in Hannover in March.

GERMANY’S new curved glass panel. In mass production they could change the shape of future buildings. (See below)

THE Swiss “building for building experiments”. It will provide core infrastructure like water, heating, and power - but nothing else. (See below)

WHO needs a window seat when they are working under a constantly changing virtual sky? The new look office ceiling is said to enhance concentration and alertness. (See below)New shapes made easier

References: (1) “Planning of Empa’s building laboratory in full swing” Empa media statement 10 Jan 2012 <http://www.empa.ch/plugin/template/empa/3/116077/---/l=2>(2) “Custom glass bending” Fraunhofer Research News Nov 2011<http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2011/november/glass-bending.html>(3) “Sky light sky bright - in the office” Fraunhofer Institute media statement Jan 2012 <http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/january/sky-light-sky-bright.html>

Photo by Fraunhofer IMM Illustration by Empa / Gramazio & Kohler)

Photo by Fraunhofer IAO

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WITHIN ten years today’s familiar postcard views of central Perth will have all-but disappeared and instead of a foreshore

dominant by office buildings, the CBD will be fronted by a new precinct of international hotels, apartments, shops, bars and cafes built around a new 2.8 hectare man-made inlet opening onto the Swan River. The multi-billion dollar Perth Waterfront project will cover almost 10 hectares of prime land and be one of the largest redevelopments in the city’s history. It will allow more people to live centrally, provide much needed hotel rooms and apartments for short-term visitors, and open up innumerable commercial opportunities. Much of the design will be unique. On the northern side, timbered terraces will lead down to the water’s edge. There will be an aboriginal cultural centre

Footnotes:* “WA fastest growing population in the country” ABS media statement 19 Dec 2011 <http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/CA1999BAEAA1A86ACA25765100098A47?OpenDocument>** MRA <http://www.mra.wa.gov.au># “Western Australian resources industry delivers a record $101 billion in sales in 2010–11” Department of Mines and Petroleum Sept 2011 <http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/1525.aspx>

Back to the water’s edge . . .

C O V E R F E A T U R E

of “national significance” and possibly a cable car to take visitors up to near-by King’s Park. The whole project is expected to spark a renaissance in the use of the Swan River with both public ferries and private river craft will have direct access to the inlet. As a result, new ferry services are expected to be developed. The precinct will face onto a unique man-made island with access by bridge and after 200 years of planning Perth along an east-west corridor, the central city will be re-oriented on a north-south axis to encourage a flow of pedestrians between the Waterfront and the city’s northern cultural district. “Why we are doing it is primarily to enliven the city,” says Gary Prattley, chairman of the Western Australian Planning Commission and board member of the new Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA)** which is managing the project.

“Perth Waterfront is all about creating a very special environment that will totally change the way people see and use the city.” Mr Prattley believes that being so people-orientated, the redevelopment will go a long way in helping Perth meet the growing competition posed by the world’s leading international cities. While Perth’s status as Australia’s natural resources capital# is now attracting a steady flow of corporate headquarters, it is the lifestyle Perth can offer that will determine whether the city attracts - and keeps - a viable pool of professional and creative talent. The city’s lifestyle and its cultural offerings are also crucial in attracting tourists. For example, cultural events alone can now shape international tourist traffic - particularly in an age of cut-price airfares. Today some airlines even promote travel packages

to international events like music festivals, art shows and sports fixtures and treat the air travel and accommodation component as incidental add-ons. Giving Perth a lively new waterfront will not only enhances the city’s lifestyle but also strengthens it

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AN artist’s impression of the Promenade - a distinctive, kilometre-long pedestrian way that will wind past the cafes, bars and restaurants fronting the new Perth Waterfront precinct. Groundwork on the $2.6 billion precinct starts in April. Ultimately its man-made inlet and central island will transform the city’s foreshore giving Perth a lively new tourist area as well as a new residential and commercial district. The redevelopment is one of a series being rolled out as Perth prepares for a much larger population.* Illustration by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority.

C O V E R F E A T U R E C O V E R F E A T U R E

as a tourist destination. In fact the Perth Waterfront precinct will have the capacity to host between 15,000 and 20,000 people during a major event. Precinct planners are also giving considerable emphasis to “interconnectedness” - the ability of a visitor to pass seamlessly from public to private space. “Such ideas are very evident these days in Asia where you now see new hotels being built that merge into the public space,” Mr Prattley says. (See photos below) “Traditionally you would enter a hotel through the foyer and be immediately surrounded by private space and hotel services. “Now you see this private space merging with public space. You can walk from a pedestrian-way into a café or restaurant and not know you are actually walking into a hotel area. But the arrangement creates a lot more business for the hotels and a lot more services for the public.” Mr Prattley also believes it may be possible to use the Perth

Waterfront as a test area for a new type of advanced cable car. The current proposal - still to be finalised - is to build a cable car to carry people from the Waterfront to King’s Park. No decision has yet been made about the type of vehicle to be

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used but recent developments in cable car design suggest there may be an opportunity to introduce a much more advanced transport system. Such a vehicle would be able to travel on routes around the Waterfront collecting passengers from different points before

BUILDING the infrastructure for the Perth Waterfront is due to start in April and

the main components like roads, the water basin and bridges are due for completion by the end of 2015. “It’s a tight timetable but in that same time frame we are likely to see work beginning on the new hotels and one may even be nearing completion by the end of 2015,” says Gary Prattley, chairman of the Western Australian Planning Commission. The plan now is to have the entire 10-hectare project with its 2.7-hectare river inlet completed within ten years - half the time originally envisaged. By 2022 there will be potentially 150,000m2 of new offices, retail areas covering 39,000 m2, 1700 new apartments, hotels and serviced apartments, an indigenous cultural centre and a 0.7 hectare man-made island. Much time is being saved

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New approach to infrastructure

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ASIA has been adopting some interesting approaches to urban designs - not least in the way some recent projects have merged public and private space. Where possible, the Perth Waterfront project will be taking similar initiatives. The photos here were taken by the chairman of the Western Australian Planning Commission, Gary Prattley on a visit to Singapore and Shanghai. The photo left shows the street level arcade of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, the new triple-tower resort that now dominates the city skyline. Pictured right is the waterfront of Shanghai’s “Suzhou Sino Singapore Industrial Park” - a high-tech centre promoting creativity.

Design influences

journeying up to King’s Park. More certain is the effect the Waterfront is likely to have on bringing people closer to the river. Part of the development includes provision for ferries and this will open up opportunities for a major expansion in commuter

ferry services. The master plan does include provision for a new TransPerth ferry terminal. During his 2009 visit to Perth, international urban designer Jan Gehl stressed the need for Perth to make greater use of its river. A WA Government study commissioned in 2000 also suggested that the best time to introduce new ferry services would be when major new foreshore developments were complete. According to Mr Prattley it is those findings that have put the ferry terminal at the centre of the Waterfront - and adjacent to a new transport hub that will bring together rail and bus services. “We’ll have a high level of commuter services on the river,” he says. “It will develop like Sydney’s Circular Quay, or the ferry services of Copenhagen - and perhaps with CityCats like you see on the Brisbane River. It’s inevitable.”

ONE feature of the Perth Waterfront will be a paddling area for children. As can be seen from this illustration, the emphasis is on pedestrian access.

Illustration by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority

FOR regular updates on the Perth Waterfront, visit the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority’s website: <http://www.mra.wa.gov.au>

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by the government’s decision to take full responsibility for building and paying for the infrastructure. “This will be one of the few projects of its size in the world where a government has told developers they don’t have to carry the infrastructure costs,” Mr Prattley says. Consequently private developers just buy a serviced site from the master plan. The approach is working particularly well with international hotels, which are showing high interest in joining the project. The cost of the public infrastructure will be about $440 million but more than half will be recoverable. The projected land sales to private developers will generate about $170 million reducing the State Government’s overall cost to about $270 million. With private investment added, the total cost of the new precinct is expected to be around $2.6 billion. The project is being managed by the new Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority which since January has also taken responsibility for the city’s other major redevelopment projects including Perth City Link, Riverside, and the revitalisation of the Perth Cultural Centre. Particular attention is being focused on the look of the Waterfront precinct. “We are putting in a lot of effort into seeing that the design doesn’t become dated,” Mr Prattley says. “We are going for a more ‘classic’ design but at the same time we want it to be ‘out there’. We have to remember that the waterfront will become the focus of Perth for many years to come.”

Continued from previous page

* Bill Grace is an urban sustainability consultant with GHD. He recently spent three months working with the federal agency Natural Resources Canada on furthering community energy planning and governance. He is also a member of UrbanScan’s editorial committee.

Powering future cities

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FOR residents of Canada’s Drake Landing Solar Community* in Alberta, (left) all their hot water and 90% of their winter space-heating needs comes from their shared, garage-mounted solar energy system. Even though winter temperatures can drop to -30 C. the heat the system stored below ground during summer is sufficient to keep the 52 houses cosy when it gets really cold. The solar community is described as the first of its kind in North America.

* <http://www.dlsc.ca>

Garage energyRISING energy costs and emission problems are causing planners to reassess the way cities are powered. In Sydney the city council is negotiating to develop a local network of “low carbon energy systems” to supply 70% of the city centre’s energy needs by 2030. In other parts of the world - notably Canada - cities are taking even more radical steps. Bill Grace* who has just returned from Canada discusses how the developments are changing the way people think about energy.

IF greenhouse emissions are to be brought under control, new approaches will be needed to

plan and power cities. Sydney’s proposals for a low-carbon energy network will bring significant reductions in the city’s greenhouse emissions - but for Australian cities to effectively meet the challenge of significantly reducing emissions, targets will have to be set and land use planning brought into the equation. Such approaches are already occurring in Canada and the Canadian experience could provide a template for future community energy planning in Australia. Although Canada has pulled out of the Kyoto treaty on climate change, it is still committed to major cuts in emissions and community energy planning is playing a major roll in meeting its targets. By 2020 Canada aims to reduce its emissions by 17% of 2005 levels. To achieve such a target all levels of government are

being involved. Canada’s federal system is similar to Australia’s, with its provinces (States) largely responsible for the regulation of energy supply. Ownership of electricity generation, transmission and distribution assets varies from province to province. Provinces differ too in their individual plans for energy efficiency and cutting emissions but taking Ontario as an example, its long-term plans require:

• Coal fired electricity generation to be eliminated by 2014,

• An expansion of hydroelectric generation and more power from renewables like wind, solar and bioenergy - supported by feed-in- tariff programs, • A program for combined heat and power projects, and

• A conservation target of 7100 MW by 2030.

Ontario’s emissions targets are 6%

below 1990 levels by 2014, 15% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. In British Columbia the government’s 2007 legislation puts into law targets for reducing emissions by at least 33% below 2007 levels by 2020 and 80% by 2050. The province also seeking to reduce electricity consumption by:

• Introducing energy efficiency standards for buildings,

• Acquiring energy resources through conservation practices; and

• Supporting public utilities to pursue cost-effective, energy efficient management opportunities.

Canada also has a roadmap for achieving what it calls Integrated Community Energy Solutions or “ICES”. ICES were drawn up by the country’s Council of Energy Ministers and are designed to integrate the energy planning of utilities with land use planning of municipalities.

By taking this more holistic approach to energy supply and demand, ICES can provide a more effective way to manage energy for the benefit of the community. For example, waste heat from industry can be used to heat other buildings. Under the ICES system, urban plans can also be designed to encourage walking, cycling and use of public transit. The results are savings beyond those that would have been possible had each sector worked independently. The economic case for such an approach is also substantial. One investigation found that “for every million dollars invested, an average 36.3 jobs are created in the energy efficiency sector, 12.2 jobs in the renewable energy sector, and only 7.3 jobs in the development of conventional energy.” In their Regional Growth Strategies and Official Community Plans (analogous to Western Australia’s Planning Strategies and Structure Plans) Canada’s municipalities and regional districts are required to establish targets to reduce green house gas

emissions and have policies and actions indicating how they will achieve the targets. For example, the City of North Vancouver has developed a comprehensive Community Energy and Emissions Plan aimed at reducing its total emissions by 50% by 2050. The Plan incorporates policies and actions associated with land use, transportation, buildings, energy supply and solid waste. Similar plans are either in place or being prepared in many other Canadian municipalities. Could it be done in Australia? Sydney has gone part of the way with its “low carbon energy systems”. At the same time, the Western Australian Planning Commission has identified the challenges of energy efficiency and emissions reduction in its Directions 2031 strategy. But as yet no targets exist and there are no formal mechanisms to tie energy planning with land use planning. If Australia is to tackle the problem, Canada’s experience could provide a template.

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IT may not be the first house designed with the help of social media, but a team of Canberra-based designers says that through Twitter and Facebook they have discovered many

potential homebuyers who would be quite happy to forego “unnecessary” features of the modern Australian home - if the end result was affordable and energy efficient. According to the design team, that means buyers are prepared to give up the theatre room, large bedrooms, double garages, separate laundries, formal living and dining rooms, en suites - and even a bath to be greener. Instead these buyers say their prime requirements are “light”, “warmth” and a “connection to the outdoors”. Using those priorities the team at Jigsaw Housing * has come up with the design pictured above and below. Without “unnecessary features” the team has produced what it calls the 8 Stars Energy Efficient house at the “affordable” price of $200,000. According to Jigsaw, many companies now offer affordable houses or energy efficient houses, but none has tried to bring the two concepts together. They say the 8 Stars house will work anywhere in Australia and is ready to service “an important untapped market”.

* <http://jigsawhousing.com.au>

Stripped down for efficiency Living with the sea

A U S T R A L I A N F U T U R E S

WHAT will happen in years to come if the sea really does rise by

many metres? What will Australian cities look like? Will they survive? Some of Australia’s leading architects have put their minds to the challenge and an exhibition of their conclusions - using 3-D imagery and promoted by the Australian Institute of Architects - is currently touring the country. It was in Perth in December and will be in Adelaide in June. (For details see the “Now + When: Australian Urbanism” exhibition <http://www.architecture.com.au/i-cms?page=13495> ) The three illustrations shown here are a small sample from the 17 separate themes that the architects came up with. They have set their focus on 2050 and beyond. The illustration top left is Terra Form Australis and comes from a scenario that considers Australia with a population of 50 million people - precise number that the country currently feeds through its food exports. It is an Australia 100 years hence when sea levels have risen by “three metres” and Australia has given refuge to peoples on low-lying islands around the Asia-Pacific. Terra Forma Australis proposes to create huge new inland

cities around a new inland sea. The sea would be formed by flooding Lake Eyre, which currently sits ten metres below sea level. Pictured top right is another water concept: “Island Proposition 2100”. Here the proponents envision what they call “(inter)urban metabolism”. It would be a “living bridge” that sweeps across Bass Strait linking Melbourne to Hobart via King Island. The bridge or “infrastructure spine” would carry everything from housing to a high-speed magnetic levitation train. The illustration bottom centre is an image from the “Saturation City” scenario. It suggests what might happen if people want to stay in the

flooded environments - and live in “new models of flexible coastal architecture.” We asked two of UrbanScan’s editorial committee members for their reactions to the exhibition. Carmel Quin writes: “The ideas put forward in the exhibition do challenge us to reconsider our existing urban landscapes and how we plan for them. I think cities that utilise increasingly limited resources in innovative and efficient ways are

going to be the key to the future of Australia’s urban environments.” Bryce Bunny writes: “The exhibition is an incredible insight into the creative imagination of some of our leading architects and designers. While some people might have perceived the exhibition as one with interesting ideas and graphics, I think it offers much more than this. Our cities, infrastructure and buildings face many future challenges with climate change induced sea level rises, redundant ageing infrastructure and an expanding population to name a few. New designs, materials and technologies have been incorporated to present imagined responses to these challenges. Without this kind of imagination and the creative solutions that it helps to implant in our minds, we may well struggle to adapt to the future challenges.”

ABOVE: A new inland sea - image by: HASSELL, Holopoint and The Environment Institute.

A BRIDGE to Tasmania? Image by Scott Lloyd, Aaron Roberts and Katrina Stoll.

LEFT: Saturation City - Image by Ben Statkus (Statkus Architecture), Daniel Agdag, Melanie Etchell, William Golding, Anna Nguyen, Joel Ng.30000

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IN the opening scenes of “I, Robot” - Alex Proyas’ 2004 sci-fi thriller - a thin, man-sized robot is shown dodging through the crowded streets of a future Chicago urgently trying to deliver an inhaler to

its much distressed, asthmatic owner. Although the film is set in 2035, two recent events may have brought such happenings closer to reality. The first is Honda’s announcement that it has achieved a world breakthrough by enabling its ASIMO robots to operate “autonomously” among people. (1) The second is the pressure now on manufacturers to develop robots able to play an active roll in disaster recovery. The need for such machines became evident last year in the aftermath of Japan’s Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. According to The Japan Times (2) many Japanese had expected dexterous ASIMOs to help emergency crews cope with the radiation seeping from the Fukushima No 1 nuclear plant. Instead it was two US-made, mine-clearing Packbots that entered the highly radioactive areas. Why was the ASIMO bypassed? It turns out that while remote-controlled Packbots are built for battlefields, ASIMOs cannot cope with radiation without risking their integrated circuits. Honda has been developing its robots to work in “social environments”. Although it had envisioned them assisting in emergencies, it had not designed them to handle nuclear disasters. The company is now looking at ways to give them such capabilities. Nonetheless, the new ASIMO’s autonomous abilities means it can now walk through a street without colliding with pedestrians - just like the robot in the sci-fi thriller, well almost. See the ASIMO video clip <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA0xLVCb-OA&NR=1&feature=endscreen>

Robots are coming, maybe faster than expected . . .

Photo by Honda

WA prepares for a much larger population

WESTERN Australia’s population is growing at a faster rate than

previously predicted and could now reach 3,061,000 by 2026. (1)(2) As of June last year, the State’s total population had topped 2,346,400. (3) But an increase in national fertility, slightly more overseas migrants, and the expectation that WA’s economic prosperity will continue have all combined to push up future predictions. When releasing the new figures, WA’s Planning Minister John Day said the expected growth was 400,000 higher than when the

References:(1) Honda media statement 8 Nov 2011 <http://world.honda.com/news/2011/c111108All-new-ASIMO/index.html>(2) “Domestic robots failed to ride to rescue after No. 1 plant blew” Japan Times 6 Jan 2012 <http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120106f1.html>

last medium term predictions were made in 2006. Mr Day said the population of the Perth and Peel region was now expected to grow to between 2,275,000 and 2,356,000 by 2026. At the same time, the City of Perth was forecast to be WA’s fastest growing local government area with an annual population increase of 6.7% over the projected period. Mr Day said the new projections for Perth and Peel emphasised the importance of projects like the Perth Waterfront (see page 12), Perth City Link, and Riverside. They would give people more places to live and work while

further urban consolidation would be important in meeting the need for greater housing diversity.

References:(1) “Government plans for faster population growth” WA Government media statement 14 Feb 2012.<http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx?ItemId=148086&>(2) “Western Australia Tomorrow 2012” WA Department of Planning detailed report on population predictions Feb 2012 <http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/publications/6194.asp> (3) ABS media release 19 Dec 2011 <http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/CA1999BAEAA1A86ACA25765100098A47?OpenDocument>