Designing Our Urban Environments: Ecologically Sustainable Development in Residential Master Planning

The purpose of this research is to address the global issue of rapidly increasing urban sprawl and its negative effects on local environments, through the poor implementation of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) within planning policy. Whilst the desire to own property in Australia has not diminished, the effect of the recent COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns has altered buyers’ priorities to include improved access to nature, with many urbanites moving out of the city in search of greener pastures. However, when looking at new developments attempting to accommodate this shift, in this instance identified in the City of Greater Geelong, Victoria, Australia, it is questionable that these desires are being met. As a fast-growing regional city, Geelong has a unique opportunity to design these new environments in a sustainable and ecologically balanced way. This research investigates the requirements for and identifies that ESD principles often applied to public endeavours need also to be considered in planning for large, private residential and mixed-use developments. By using a critical literature review to create an understanding of ESD in the urban context, the methodology creates an assessment matrix to analyse a case study of a newly built residential suburb in Geelong. This matrix used a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and benefits (SWOB) method, which was then compared to current planning policies that affect each element. The findings of this case study showed that there is not enough planning control over private developments at the lot level or specific controls for the quality of vegetated spaces. Market forces drive much of development in the area, therefore shifting public opinion, which may already be occurring, is vitally important. The critical literature review and case study analysis have been used to propose realistic recommendations to local and state planners in the hope of benefitting the development of the Northern & Western Geelong Growth Areas (NWGGA) and improving the liveability of Geelong for current and future generations.