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Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series

Challenging policy barriers in sustainable urban design
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Challenging policy barriers in sustainable urban design

Authors

  • Janis Birkeland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2018-0013

Abstract

In built environment design, codes set minimum health and safety requirements, policies set aspirational targets, and incentives such as green building rating schemes set design standards. These approaches have failed to provide universal wellbeing and environmental justice (i.e. intra-generational equity), or increases in the natural life-support system that exceed depletion rates (i.e. inter-generational equity). Governments that do not ensure all citizens can obtain basic needs, life quality and resource security fail to meet their basic responsibilities. Two recent documents, one representing sustainable urban policy and principles, the other representing urban biodiversity standards, are examined against the Positive Development Test (whether the development increases the public estate, ecological base and future public options). The discussion suggests that contemporary policies and incentive schemes, as presently conceived, cannot provide the basic physical preconditions for sustainability, let alone address socio-economic inequities. An alternative design-based approach is presented to address the issues the paper identified. 

Author Biography

Janis Birkeland

University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, VIC 3010, Melbourne

References

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Birkeland, J., 2004: Creating net positive design. Canberra: Frank Fenner Foundation. Available at: http://www.natsoc.org.au/our-projects/biosensitivefutures/part-5-social-change/built-environment/positive-developmen t, DoA: 21.02.2018.

Birkeland, J., 2005: Reversing negative impacts by design. In: Chief Minister’s Sustainability Expert Reference Group, editors, Sustainability for the ACT: The Future’s in our Hands. Canberra: Office of Sustainability of the ACT Government, pp. 17–18.

Birkeland, J., 2007: GEN 4: Positive Development – Designing for Net-positive Impacts. Canberra: BEDP (Built Environment Design Professions) and The Royal Australian Institute of Architects Available at: http://www.environmentdesignguide.com.au/, DoA: 21.02.2018.

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Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series

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Published

2018-06-05

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BIRKELAND, Janis. Challenging policy barriers in sustainable urban design. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series. Online. 5 June 2018. Vol. 40, no. 40, pp. 41-56. [Accessed 18 May 2025]. DOI 10.2478/bog-2018-0013.
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