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Urban planning expert shares research
Does public participation in the town planning process work?
A former British town planner who is now deputy director of the Gold Coast-based Urban Research Program will discuss the hot topic at a public seminar at the University of the Sunshine Coast tomorrow, Thursday 13 May.
Griffith University’s Professor of Urban Management and Planning Dr Paul Burton will draw on his experiences of the processes in both Australia and Britain at the USC seminar from 12 noon to 1.30pm.
USC Urban Design and Planning Course Coordinator Bronwyn Buksh said there was strong interest in the seminar from Sunshine Coast students, staff and industry.
“The Sunshine Coast is trying to establish its own sense of place and design,” Ms Buksh said.
“There is a lot of interest in this, particularly with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council writing its new planning scheme and doing community consultation. We also have the ongoing federal and state population debates.”
She said Professor Burton would share some of his research into planning on the Gold Coast, which had a larger population and “a unique form of urbanism and local connection to ‘place’”.
He is expected to address the costs and benefits of public participation; the emergence of the Gold Coast’s distinctive urbanisation; planning and climate change adaptation; local government and local politics.
Ms Buksh said USC’s Regional and Urban Planning Program was strengthening cross-institutional links which could result in comparative studies of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, for example.
The seminar will be held in Building D, Ground Floor Rooms 48-49.
– Julie Gatehouse