This paper takes an adventurous – perhaps idiosyncratic - look at how research might better drive insights into the complexity of the city and shape and illuminate policy options to address problems and issues.

This paper investigates the hypothesis that there is a distinctive Australian approach to metropolitan planning. It does this by examining the major strategies formulated for the mainland state capital cities since the Second World War.

This paper draws upon three projects exploring the social implications of compact cities espoused in the current metropolitan strategies and explores the approaches employed and assess their success and limitations.

A continuing issue in metropolitan strategic plans is how much of them will be implemented. This appears to depend on how far planners are able to understand and shape the future of the city; whether appropriate planning and decision-making frameworks and mechanisms exist or can be put in place for making proposals happen; and what...

In the last five years, planning strategies have been released for the five mainland capital cities in Australia. This paper examines them in conjunction with state strategic plans and infrastructure strategies in South Australia and New South Wales, with which they are linked in most states.