This paper describes the approaches that were used in the initial phases of the Visions and Pathways 2040 project and early research results. A selection of the ‘glimpses’ of possible future low-carbon, resilient city forms and their associated lifestyles are presented.

This paper focuses on telecommunication infrastructure as the backbone of a fast-growing digital economy, and raises important questions about the early National Broadband Network (NBN) in Australia.

Focusing on planning practices at the local and regional levels, this paper investigates how environmental sustainability is pursued from an institutional perspective.

Which participatory practices are most efficacious in capturing local knowledge and incorporating it into plans? This study provides a better understanding of the elements affecting the ability of public participatory practices to enable incorporation of residents’ preferences, ideas, opinions, desires, and needs into plans.

Small cities in Australia are typically home to growing populations and changing economies. Using the example of “20-minute” neighbourhoods, increased urban density and walkability metrics, (concepts drawn from, among others, metropolitan Portland, Oregon) this paper considers their application as planning concepts in Bendigo Australia.