This study represents a first step in establishing a qualitative understanding of the ways in which planning regulation has impacted on housing developments across 15 local jurisdictions in three Australian states. The findings confirm that planning system complexity and ambiguity is associated with significant costs for housing development in Australia. Image: Andrew Scott / flickr

The residential development industry, both in Australia and in the United States, has made strident protests about the direct and indirect costs associated with the planning process – from complying with building and design controls to the time taken to secure approval and contributions towards local infrastructure.

This research seeks to identify the range of government and planning related costs that arise through the residential development process, and quantify their relative weight as a proportion of the total cost of development. By using a multiple case study methodology that extends across three Australian State jurisdictions and several local planning authority areas, the...

This report presents insight into the complexity and multiplicity of place based experiences of social exclusion. The findings are that social exclusion is an inherently context specific entity. Six dimensions of exclusion are defined: neighbourhood; social and civic engagement; access; crime and security; community identity; and economic characteristics.

The built environment, especially our largest cities, faces substantial change in the next twenty years if it is to meet the increasing demands for carbon neutrality, reduced water consumption and more efficient resource consumption. The industries that design, build, retrofit, manage and maintain the built environment face equally significant changes in organisation, working practices and...