How Is the Compact City Faring in Australia?

Australia has some of the lowest density cities in the world. However, in recent years the more compact city has become the orthodoxy of state capital city planning. Since 2000, long-range metropolitan strategies have been produced, planning the compact city. But in every state, each has been replaced by another one within a few years, frequently with different provisions. The metropolitan planning process is seen as in transition from the previous task emphasizing urban expansion to planning the compact city. Progress is patchy and uncertain, which in part explains the frequent replacement of plans. But this review suggests there are perhaps more important underlying reasons which may eventually lead to a modified style of metropolitan plan-making.