Kaya, We’re back with another edition of Urban Scrawl – and Issue 17 has landed!
This month's cover imagery is thanks to our on the ground intel talent, Michael Haluwana – an award-winning cinematographer who has worked with the likes of National Geographic, BBC, and Sir David Attenborough (!), and proudly calls Perth home. The cover image is aptly titled 'Going Home'.
This edition has naturally taken on a theme of kindness, community and mindfullness. We explore Paris' March referendum that voted to pedestrianise 500 streets, and Oslo's leadership in reducing car dependency. In International Bites, we unpack the Future Designs movement in Japan, based on the Iroquois seventh-generation principle, which asks us to consider: how can we be good ancestors? Meanwhile in Oregon, statewide planning goals have been mindfully guiding the growth of its cities since 1973 through Urban Growth Boundaries.
It's always a pleasure to share some of these ideas with our community – a group of
people curious and passionate about the opportunities for the future of the Perth region.
On behalf of the Committee for Perth team, we wish you a joyful and safe Easter break! Happy reading, Francien Boom Committee for Perth |
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INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION |
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How would you vote in a referendum to pedestrianise 500 streets in Perth?
Earlier this year, Parisians said ‘oui’ in favour to such a proposal, aimed at curbing car usage and improving air quality. This initiative will increase the number of ‘green lungs’ in Paris to nearly 700, representing 10% of the capital’s streets. Although Paris has just 26% green infrastructure compared to the European average of 42%, it still lags behind other European capitals, highlighting a clear opportunity for change.
Meanwhile, just 1,700km away in Oslo, the Norwegian capital has become a global leader in reducing car dependency through its ambitious Car-Free Livability Programme. Launched in 2017, the programme gradually removed 700 parking spaces and transformed them into activated public spaces, reimagining the inner city as a place for people, not cars. Instead of banning vehicles outright, Oslo also discouraged driving through congestion tax, road tolls and diverting traffic to ring roads.
Part two of the programme led to expanded cycling infrastructure, created new pedestrian zones and increased investment in public transport. The results have improved the city in numerous ways, the roads are safer, emissions have fallen, and active transport has boosted.
Despite this, Oslo still faces air quality challenges, driven by factors such as tire and road wear, wood-burning stoves, pollution blown in from continental Europe, the city’s valley geography, and emissions from its many tunnels. |
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Oregon is a spectacular American state with mountains, canyons, valleys, coastline, plains and farmland. Since 1973, every Oregon city has been encircled by an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB): a line drawn on planning maps to designate where a city anticipates expanding over a 20-year period (6 years for Portland).
These statewide planning goals encourage cities to offer a variety of housing options close to city services and amenities, focusing development to reduce infrastructure costs and improve urban services. UGBs are not about stopping growth completely, but make each city think about its growth mindfully.
Other cities with UGBs in place include Melbourne, Boulder and Ottawa. Will Perth join their ranks? Imagine thinking about our urban sprawl mindfully!
Stretching an astonishing 152 kilometres, Perth now claims the title of the world’s longest city. Local photographer Harry Cunningham has captured its relentless urban sprawl and endless stretch of suburbia in his new documentary, The World's Longest City. Catch it on the big screen, with tickets available at here.
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Image credit: United Nations University Centre for Policy Research |
| How old will you be in 2050? It’s a question we often ask students from our member schools as a way to spark reflection and remind us of the fast approaching future, especially as we continue our future-focused conversations.
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Japanese economist, Tatsuyoshi Saijo, is leading the “Future Design” movement, which works to find out how to get the world to care more about future generations. His work draws inspiration from the Iroquois seventh-generation principle, Future Design asks us to consider how choices made today will affect a person born seven generations from now.
Saijo directs the Research Institute for Future Design at Kochi University of Technology in Japan, where researchers conduct research, surveys, and real-world experiments in participatory policy making. In these meetings, participants adopt two perspectives: one reflecting the needs and concerns of current residents, and another imagining the interests of people living in 2060, on issues such as water tax rates, childcare and infrastructure. Studies of this model have revealed that when adopting the perspective of 2060 residents, participants recommend city plans which are significantly more transformative.
If researchers can design methods to activate ‘futurability’ - the capacity to find joy in creating happiness for future generations, even at the expense of immediate gains - and Saijo’s research suggests this is possible, it could transform how we approach major issues like the climate crisis.
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Sometimes the best research comes from the people who are living and breathing a city. Videographer and cinematographer Michael Haluwana's has had his work featured by National Geographic, BBC, Australian Antarctic Division, Virgin Galactic, Sony, and Canon. He's even contributed to Planet Earth II and Planet Earth III, collaborating with none other than Sir David Attenborough! This month, we speak with Michael about what it means to call Perth home, creative resets, and his visions for a city where people and nature thrive together.
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How lucky are we to have someone with such immense global talent call Perth home! Explore more of his beautiful work here. |
It’s the weekend… where will we find you? And what will you be listening to? Reading? Watching?
Most weekends, I’ll be at the gym. Occasionally I’ll head out for a bite to eat, coffee with friends, or a walk. Gesha cafe Fremantle, Perth Hills, Matagarup Bridge, South Perth foreshore, WA Museum or any nice open space. I’m at my happiest in open natural environments and amongst wildlife.
My taste in music varies depending on my mood and activity. I love a good upbeat track and ambient instrumental music, sometimes I’ll switch it up with techno or pop.
While I’m not an avid reader, I do enjoy diving into interesting science and space facts, as well as keeping up with world news. I’m regularly following and watching F1 and enjoy a movie with family. What’s your go-to spot in Perth for a creative reset?
My go-to spot for a creative reset is usually the South Perth Foreshore, as it's close to home and offers a beautiful view of the city at different times of the day and night. However, I also enjoy Perth Hills and down south particularly Donnelly Lakes and rural Dunsborough. I enjoy grabbing a coffee, sitting by the water, and taking in the peaceful surroundings and local wildlife. If I have a bit more time, I love heading to City Beach to catch the sunset—especially from a quiet spot where I can unwind and reflect.
You’ve been to the furthest corners of the planet, what keeps you coming back to Perth?
I've been fortunate enough to travel to every continent, including multiple journeys to both the North and South Poles. Experiencing such diverse places and seasons around the world has been truly incredible and humbling. Every time I return to Perth, I’m reminded of how special it is here. Australia and particularly Western Australia is so vast with such diverse natural beauty. Perth’s welcoming people, openness and calm I feel here is a blessing. Being home with my family makes me feel grounded and grateful.
What are your hopes and ambitions for Perth in 2050?
A more integrated, emotionally-intelligent, open, efficient, abundant and flourishing region for its people and nature together, with a larger focus on bringing more nature back into the city and wider regions for a healthier and more peaceful state of being. One last question. If you could do one thing to improve Perth, what would it be?
Through my travels, witnessing and experiencing different ways of life, I feel there’s a lot most populated areas of the world can improve on. In Perth it would be great to enhance more efficient transport infrastructure and easy to access public transport connectivity between rural areas, outer suburbs and key city spots.
Making it easier and more efficient for everyone to get around would not only support more sustainable lifestyles and take traffic pressures off the roads, but also help bring communities closer together and boost local businesses.
I’d love to see more efforts to improve Perth’s culture with encouraging more open-mindedness and open conversations and community-led initiatives with proper funding around inclusivity, respect, and mental well-being. Creating more safe, accessible spaces where people can share their stories, feel heard and receive support. Whether through schools, workplaces, communities and local events, this can go a long way in breaking down poor behaviours and attitudes, bullying and uneducated states of being.
We need more education funded by government and private sectors together focused on emotional intelligence, true health and nutrition, empathy, and mental health starting from a young ages in schools and communities. When people are taught from a young age about proper health, wellbeing and how to be kind to themselves, it naturally extends to how they treat others and themselves as teenagers and adults. Small, consistent efforts promoting kindness in everyday life can help shape a more connected, compassionate Perth.
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STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION |
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| How can we create walkable communities?
Committee for Sydney’s report, 'Putting our best foot forward: a checklist for walkable density', provides a practical framework to lead the way.
The checklist is based on four categories: mixed land use; a transport network where walking, cycling and public transport are the easiest options; streets that are comfortable and captivating; and housing that supports walkability for everyone.
The report highlights walkability begins with how we build. Simply put, higher levels of walking can’t be achieved without higher levels of density.
Analysis by Vivendi of 140 centres across Greater Sydney found that areas with more than 30% of freestanding homes had suppressed levels of walking. |
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"To foster walkable communities, we need to plan for at least 70% of development as townhouses or apartments".
The checklist reinforces the important relationship between walkability and density, and why it matters. It is a valuable tool to help designers, developers and decision-makers stay focused on building neighbourhoods that put people first. |
Image credit: Committee for Sydney |
READ: Extending the discussion about walkable cities, The Conversation explores how African cities, such as Accra in Ghana, are not walk-friendly and how policies and urban planning can help fix the problem. (The Conversation)
LISTEN: 20 years ago, Seoul dismantled a 5.8km highway to uncover and restore the Cheonggyecheon stream. In this podcast, Heart and ’Seoul’: A River Revitalisation, the team over at City Changers ask why this peaceful pocket in the middle of the city is still so beloved. (CityChangers) -
EXPLORE: New London Architecture (NLA)’s The Humanise summit explored thought-provoking ideas about how our built environment, and specifically building facades, affect how we feel, and in turn how we behave. Even babies can teach us what makes buildings interesting: infant gaze patterns correlate with adult aesthetic judgement.(NLA)
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According to new research by the CSIRO, there has been a significant reduction of 39% less plastic pollution in and around Australian coastal cities over the past ten years. |
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Committee for Perth conducts its work on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. We recognise their peoples' ongoing connection to land, culture and community and in doing so, pay our respects to Elders past and present. |
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