Whilst convenient from a planning and development assessment perspective, standards approaches to urban open space provision do not have any strong evidence base for their existence. Despite being embedded in many statutory mechanisms throughout Australia, urban open space provision standards have little relevance to what actually exists. Increasing urban density will force more creative solutions, than a standards approach to open space provision.
Likewise, a number of factors have contributed to a large variation in open space utilisation. There are many underutilised public open spaces in Australia’s urban settings, despite growing pressures to provide social, environmental and financial “value” for communities.
The workshop aimed to explore contemporary solutions to the planning and management urban open space within Australia including:
- Densification. Unlike cities in Europe, North America & Asia, Australia does not have a collective tradition of high density urban living. A neighbourhood park is not seen as a safe as an urban backyard for young children to creatively play with minimal supervision. Creative play leads to creative societies. If the backyard disappears where will the children play?
- Biophylia. The deep affiliation humans have with nature is part of our genetic framework and removal of the ability to refresh the spirit through connecting with nature adversely affects the human race. What are the consequences of the removal of nature from our living environments?
- Asset Management. What are the interdependencies between open space provision, open space development, and open space maintenance? How effectively do we plan and manage our assets from their cradle to their grave?
- Statutory Mechanisms. A pragmatic approach aiming to balance open space provision with other societal requirements is needed. What should be contained in statutory mechanisms to plan & manage our urban open space systems better?