Guiding Integrated Urban and Water Planning (IRP3)
Overview
Achieving water sensitive city aspirations for liveability, resilience, sustainability and productivity requires greater integration between urban planning and water planning processes. This project seeks to advance water sensitive outcomes by guiding urban growth and renewal at a range of scales and in different contexts through the application of a conceptual framework for integrated urban and water planning. The project will develop this framework, as well as supporting guidance through a number of industry case studies.
The project builds on previous CRCWSC research that explored how to address impediments to the development of policy and governance arrangements for water sensitive urban design innovation and implementation (Project A3.1 Better governance for complex decision making), developed a policy framework for water sensitive urban design (Project B5.1 Statutory planning for water sensitive cities) and an integrated approach to whole-of-catchment planning (Project B1.2 Catchment scale landscape planning for water sensitive city-regions in an age of climate change). It will also draw on and integrate aspects of Tranche 2 research, particularly linking in with IRP4 (Water sensitive outcomes for infill developments).
The project will involve close collaboration between research and industry partners to ensure the project outcomes can directly influence the activities of local stakeholder organisations, and support the development of policies, planning practices and regulatory frameworks to deliver water sensitive urban growth in Australia.
Through the delivery of the following outputs, this project aims to support the application of integrated urban and water planning to advance WSC outcomes:
- A conceptual framework for integrated urban and water planning to guide urban development in different contexts to achieve water sensitive outcomes
- Collaborative principles and tools to support the application of the conceptual framework
- Strategic guidance underpinning the planning activities of the conceptual framework, particularly in relation to the planning mechanisms and governance arrangements required to implement water sensitive approaches
- Research case studies used to develop, test and refine the conceptual framework and supporting guidance
- An evaluation of the effectiveness of the framework and supporting guidance
WP1: Project management and stakeholder engagement
This work package will initially involve recruiting the project team, and establishing a resourcing plan and project schedule. It will then shift to ongoing project management and stakeholder engagement to support the delivery of each work package.
WP2: Framework development
This work package is the core work of the project. It will involve testing, validation and refinement of the integrated urban and water planning framework.
WP3: Case study development
This work package involves three case studies, at a minimum, to test and validate the framework in different planning contexts. Additional case studies may be possible with external funding/co-funding. This work package is a critical part of the project, providing the main dataset to develop the framework and investigate the framework’s applicability in different contexts.
WP4: Framework consolidation
This work package will finalise the framework by integrating the outputs of WP2 and 3. It will monitor and evaluate the framework, to facilitate continuous learning and improvement, and support the framework’s adoption by translating the outputs of WP2 and 3 into user friendly guidance.
Industry advisors include:
- Ryan Brotchie – GHD (VIC) (PSC Chair)
- Sarah Watkins – Melbourne Water (VIC)
- Andrew Chapman – Aurecon (VIC)
- Belinda Smith – Aurecon (VIC)
- Shelley Shepherd – Urbaqua (WA)
- Sadeq Zaman – Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Environment, Energy and Science Group) (NSW)
- Shiroma Maheepala – Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (VIC)
- Martin Allen – Department for Environment and Water (SA)
- Chris Manning – Townsville City Council (QLD)
Research advisors include:
- Peter Newton – Swinburne University (VIC)
- Nigel Bertram – Monash University (VIC)
- Sayed Iftekhar – Griffith University (QLD)
- Christian Urich – Monash University (VIC)