Unplanned Settlements Jeddah // Saudi Aramco + JSDP [Current]

As the gateway to the two Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah, Jeddah is emerging as an important world city. The success of Jeddah, however, is recognised as hinging upon its ability to address some fifty unplanned settlements entwined within the fabric of the city itself. These localities are severely overcrowded and accommodate as much as a third of Jeddah’s population in predominantly substandard housing. Within the unplanned settlements reside the city’s underprivileged and migrant populations - they lack adequate access to safe water and sanitation and are devoid of those essential urban services necessary to meet the needs of residents. They are the root of many of the city’s social problems. The redevelopment of these settlements is seen as the beacon of a new beginning for Jeddah. Under the auspice of the JSDP (a USD 10 billion investment in the planning, engineering, and construction of sustainable infrastructure for Jeddah) – AECOM have been engaged to resolve the challenge of the unplanned settlements. In doing so, AECOM are carrying out a range of planning, design and engineering exercises aimed at transforming the unplanned settlements into revitalized, safe and complete communities and neighbourhoods – whose central concern is livability. A primary focus of the undertaking is the development of a series of discrete Concept Master Plans for each of the unplanned settlements. These plans aim to guide their transformation – whilst avoiding unnecessary intervention, property expropriation and disruption to the existing urban fabric and the every-day-lives of residents. Beyond this, a range of ‘priority interventions’ are to be distilled from each the Concept Master Plans and translated into detailed infrastructure design documents (and supporting capital cost estimate) for Engineer, Procure and Construct tenders. This approach is considered paramount and is a key step in ensuring those aspirations around public betterment are fully realised.

Dubai 2020 Urban Master

Plan // Dubai Municipality [2011]

In the wake if the global financial climate, AECOM was appointed to prepare a new strategic city plan for Dubai to assist in directing the Government’s strategic approach to economic recovery and city governance. Underpinning the plan is the vision of Dubai as a modern Arab city and regional gateway to the world. Key to the project was defining a preferred spatial direction and structural form that responds to the city’s long-term needs, while enabling immediate priorities for public and private investment to achieve sustainable long term growth. The Dubai 2020 Plan seeks to optimize existing government infrastructure investments, protect key economic assets, and respond to environmental constraints while identifying a desired staging, scale and character of future urban development as the city seeks to refocus on targets for economic growth and sustainability. Following an assessment of previous documents, existing conditions and projections of further population growth and land use programming, a number of urban development scenarios and spatial/ structural planning options were identified taking into consideration those key challenges, opportunities and constraints identified within the Emirate. Through a series of workshops with Dubai Municipality senior staff and key stakeholders a preferred option was identified for further refinement. The key outcome is an agreed Spatial Structure Plan that provides the basis for continuing the implementation of public and private sector projects and urban development up to and beyond 2020.

The Plan provides recommendations and tools for legislative implementation that includes a governance framework and the regulatory process covering both the Strategic and the Statutory planning aspects including policies, plan making and development controls for both public and private sector parties.

National Tourism Planning

Guide // Tourism and Transport Forum [2010]

It is recognised that investment in tourism development is pivotal to both attracting and accommodating visitors to an area. Although tourism investors face a range of challenges, navigating the disconnect of Australia’s different town planning systems is emerging as a key concern that might otherwise might otherwise stifle the industry’s potential if not effectively addressed. Funded through a TQUAL grant - the Tourism and Transport Forum engaged Urbis to prepare the National Tourism Planning Guide. The Guide established the rationale for the delivery of a long-term and consistent platform that will foster the strategic alignment of tourism policy across the nation. In particular the Guide addresses the planning and approval barriers that currently inhibit tourism investment. In its simplest form the Guide:

Explores the range of issues and impacts (from an economic, social and environmental perspective) associated with tourism activities;

Outlines the potential for tourism activities to be integrated with other land uses within both an urban and non-urban context;

Identifies those land use zones within the existing planning and legislative framework that have the capacity to effectively support and accommodate tourism activities; and

Establishes a series of provisions, standards and guidelines as they relate to the use and development of land for tourism purposes.

The National Tourism Planning Guide represents a paradigm shift in how industry and all levels of government engage on tourism and it is intended that the Guide be utilised by a range of proponents including policy makers, approvals authorities and the advocates of tourism developments themselves. The Tourism Ministers’ Council is now taking steps to facilitate the successful implementation of the Guide as a key focus of the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy in enhancing the supply of tourism products in Australia in an increasingly competitive global market.

http://minister.ret.gov.au/MediaCentre/MediaReleases/Pages/NewNationalTourismPlanningGuidetoStreamlineInvestment.aspx

Wadi Hanifa Development Control Plan // Arriyadh Development Authority [November 09 – March 10]

Urbis was engaged by the Arriyadh Development Authority to prepare the Wadi Hanifa Development Control Plan. The intent of the project was to build and deliver a new and fully integrated development control framework to meet the complex and competing demands for protection and progress within a system recognised as the most significant and valuable natural attribute within the city of Riyadh. The Development Control Plan is intended to set out regulation s relating to all development within the boundary of Wadi Hanifa. It includes the rules, provisions and guidelines as they relate to the use of land, built form outcomes, subdivision and both environmental and amenity standards. It is informed by the premise that ‘protection’ and ‘progress’ are not necessarily mutually exclusive concepts. The key elements that were developed as part of the project include:

Development of the strategic direction and rationale for the development controls via the establishment of a Vision, overarching planning objectives and a series of spatial policies from which all other provisions of the Plan flow.

Preparation of a detailed zoning plan and associated provisions that set out the out the desired end state for each zone, outline the type of assessment required for different uses (and development) in each zone and further specify requirements that apply to land use, built form and subdivision.

Development of additional layers of control that reflect the physical characteristics, features, capabilities or constraints of a particular location.

Preparation of technical provisions and codes that specify mandatory obligations for various types of development.

Creation of detailed guidance on the preferred development outcomes in particular localities that are identified as having significant potential to influence the ongoing management of Wadi Hanifa.

River City Blueprint // Brisbane City Council [October 09 – March 10]

Brisbane City Council, through Urban Futures Brisbane engaged Urbis to undertake background research and scoping for the River City Blueprint project. The River City Blueprint is intended to be an over-arching, non-statutory, integrated plan to shape the future of the Queensland State capital. The blueprint will draw together all existing plans, studies and strategies for suburbs within a 5 kilometre radius of the CBD to generate a single, consolidated vision for the area. It is intended to provide clear strategic direction and coordination of land use, economic, social, and cultural and infrastructure activities across all levels of government. It endeavours to broaden and deepen contemporary the thinking around planning for the living, working and lifestyle needs of the inner city. As the first stage of the project Urbis was engaged to undertake background research and scoping work to inform the development of the River City Blueprint. Through this work Urbis:

Defined the study area boundary and relationships to other key areas outside the study area;

Identified the broad urban character of the neighbourhoods within the study area and the policies or projects that generated the outcomes;

Undertaken an analysis of key constraints and recommend areas unsuitable for development;

Prepared ‘AS IS’ and ‘TO BE’ scenarios to test and analyse all existing forecasts, policies, plans and projects to provide an understanding of the historical performance of the urban area over time and identify areas that the blueprint must influence in the next phases of the project; and

Collaborated with Local Government and State Government employees and other consultants in undertaking work on the River City Blueprint.

When finalised, the River City Blueprint will provide a cohesive framework for managing future growth and infrastructure delivery in inner Brisbane.

Dubai Urban Development Framework // Dubai Government - Executive Council [November 07 – March 09]

Urbis was engaged by the Dubai Government (via the Executive Council) to prepare the Dubai Urban Development Framework. The Dubai Urban Development Framework project represents one of the most significant urban management undertakings in the Middle East to date. The Framework presents Dubai with a strategic plan to determine and define its future and to maintain its position as one of the world’s leading cities. The Dubai Urban Development Framework addresses current and longer term issues and aims to capitalise on opportunities via the creation of an innovative, flexible and fully integrated development planning and management framework for the city to the year 2020 and beyond. In particular the Dubai Urban Development Framework project encompassed the development of:

A Vision for Dubai;

An Integrated Development Planning Framework; and

A Legal and Institutional Framework. The scope of the project included the range of elements as they relate to the functioning and growth of a city including social and housing infrastructure, economic development, metropolitan growth, the public realm, activity centres, transport, utilities infrastructure and environmental sustainability. The project culminated in the delivery of a series of strategies, one for each of the elements within the project scope. These strategies provided a comprehensive set of policies to support the overall vision for the city and achievement of a range of technical benchmarks and where supported by an implementation plan for the roll out of the policies according to strategic importance.

North South Bypass Tunnel + Airport Link // Macquarie Bank [July 05 + July 07]

Urbis was engaged by the BrisConnections Consortium (spearheaded by Macquarie Bank) to provide advice in respect of urban planning and property development issues associated with both the now completed Clem7 Tunnel and the Airport Link. Regard was given to existing and emerging government planning policies, as were the views of key players from both government agencies and the private sector in order to:

Form a contemporary understanding of property and planning in Brisbane; and

Develop views towards predicted policy change within the city over a 25 year period.

The emerging policy context was subsequently translated from a property perspective into quantifiable Gross Floor Area on a travel zone basis. The overall purpose of the exercise was to provide a sensibility to population and employment forecasts in order to develop robust and appropriate inputs for patronage modelling. Beyond this – and within the context of the evolving planning framework, a number of alternative, value generating development strategies were explored for potential inclusion in the BrisConnections bids. As part of a rigorous planning, market economics, design and feasibility analysis, a concept was developed geared towards facilitating major regeneration within the precincts surrounding the tunnel portals as a catalyst for commercial development. BrisConnections were ultimately successful in tendering for the delivery of the Airport Link.