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PlanningISST - Building and Planning Studies (CBPS)

Mission statement

Working with industry and government to improve the planning, design, construction and development of Australian settlements and communities through research, training and practice.

Key research areas

The research group was established in 1992 to provide resources and opportunities for research into the planning, design and development functions of government, industry and community.  Researchers have developed an expert advisory consultancy service to the building and planning industry.  They are also responding to increasing demands for continuing professional development programs for the planning and building professions, and providing short courses in Urban and Regional Planning and Management, and Building Surveying, for the overseas market.

Key areas of research include:

Research activities

Impacts of the Building Code of Australia
Researchers have undertaken a three stage study into the impacts of the BCA on the SA Cooperative Bulk Handling installations.  The study resulted in a Building Practice Advisory Circular and preparation of a Ministerial Specification to meet the special requirements of bulk handling and storage facilities.

A Bushfire Management Plan for South Australia
The Bushfire Management Plan was prepared to provide the Ministerial Bushfire Plan Amendment Report (PAR) Planning SA (2005) with additional rigour for the bushfire hazard mapping, and review the policy impact of the Lower Eyre Peninsula fires.  The Plan focuses on building and planning issues in bushfire prone areas of South Australia.

Sustainable and affordable housing
This research is about the link between sustainable housing and affordable housing, and is meant to inform government policy on housing choice, housing types and sustainability features.

Corporate and social responsibility
The construction industry has been slow to adopt corporate and social responsibility as a core ethos in its behaviour.  This research focuses on the CSR concept and how it can be incorporated into the construction industry.

Waste avoidance in the construction industry
The construction industry is renowned for the production of non-recyclable waste that is deposited in landfill.  This research focuses on changing the behaviours of the industry in order to develop a waste avoidance culture, thereby avoiding the creation of unnecessary waste and minimising the impact of landfill sites.

Consultancy

Expert services

Researchers are ready to respond immediately to requests for specialist advice and representation.  A planning service provides assistance with policy development and Statements of Effect, representation before council and expert witness support in the ERD court.  Members provide a building certification process for the Department for Building Management and are 'on call' to provide advice on building surveying, planning, traffic and architecture and undertake building inspections, conduct tests on the quality and suitability of building materials and attend referee hearings on building issues.

Continuing professional development

An annual program of workshops and seminars are undertaken in collaboration with the Planning Education Foundation.  Such events are designed to support competency training and meet the requirements for maintaining professional status as required by the Royal Australian Planning Institute, the Australian Institute of Building and Surveyors, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and other associations.

Short courses

Short courses are designed and conducted in Urban and Regional Planning and Management.  These are presented in conjunction with the State Government of South Australia and the Local Government Association of SA.  The courses cover theoretical and applied aspects of planning and examples of best practice in urban development.  Specialised training modules are offered to other universities and industry including the South Australian Housing Trust, the Housing Industry Association, the LGA and local councils.

Research highlights

An important focus of the work of the group is on the planning and construction of sustainable human settlements.  There are several projects under this theme which seek a more holistic understanding of energy consumption in towns and cities.  The focus of one research project is on embodied energy and urban form and has the overall aim of determining optimum configurations for urban development and renewal to minimise resource consumption, this work is contributed to an ARC Linkage Project on Water and energy profiles for Sydney: towards sustainability with the City Futures Centre for Research at the University of New South Wales.  The project derived data on both energy and water consumption from a number of different urban dwelling configurations and embodied energy information was included in the overall analysis to give a clearer picture of total life cycle energy of various residential forms.

In related work, researchers are extending findings into the contribution which different built environments and transport systems make to greenhouse gas emissions.  A methodology for assessing the total life cycle transport and building-related energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from urban development has been developed.  This is being adapted to a series of case studies in the Adelaide city centre to complement earlier case studies undertaken at suburban locations.

Another project was successful in developing an individual and household activity and travel patterns.  This project was successful in establishing a series of databases relating to land use, travel patterns, transport infrastructure, socio-economic characteristics and a variety of other factors relevant to the study of land use transport relationships which can form the basis for further corridor and related studies.

Following the disastrous Eyre Peninsula bushfires in early 2005 researchers were contracted to undertake study of ways of reducing bushfire risks through improved construction and planning approaches.  A key element in the risk mitigation process was to provide policy-makers and decision-makers with the information and decision-support tools that facilitate effective risk management.  A major outcome of this project was the development of a more rigorous approach to bushfire hazard mapping which was incorporated into the Ministerial Bushfire Plan Amendment Report.

A team of researchers is working with RMIT University to examine the opportunities and barriers involved in  transitioning towards carbon neutral communities. This ARC linkage sponsored project has developed methodologies for the assessment of baseline energy and carbon dioxide emissions at the local level   using the City of Playford as a case study. It has also developed techniques for assessing the renewable energy potential for local council areas.  Research on the mechanisms of behaviour change which can enhance this transition as well as  investigation of  the potential role of local government in this process is ongoing.

Housing affordability is a key concern for federal and  state government in Australia. Research is ongoing  into redefining the concept by looking at the full lifecycle costs of housing. This ARC linkage funded  project ,which is shared between RMIT University and UniSA has a number of aspects.   One strand of the research is looking at construction costs and linking these to performance. So the recurrent costs of heating and cooling and running household appliances is set against the cost of constructing houses with varying energy efficiency standards. Similarly the recurrent costs of water efficiency are considered across the life of the building. Another aspect of the work is looking at locational factors and affordability, building in daily transport costs in to the affordability model. Further work is taking place on political and social aspects of housing affordability.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) forms the focus for two ARC linkage funded  projects which are concerned with analysing the efficiency and sustainability of this form of urban development. One project is modelling different scenarios for the northern rail corridor, the other is looking at assessment  tools for measuring urban sustainability, using the concept of TOD as a benchmark for the study

International activities

Researchers have a long involvement in training activities for planning and building professionals in developing countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.  Training courses conducted include:

  • Planning and environmental impact assessment - for the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, Fiji
  • Effective district and provincial planning - for government officers from Indonesia (AusAID/IASTP) (with Monash University)
  • Sustainable settlement planning - training modules for the government of Sarawak, coordinated by Finders University
  • Project management for the Sino Pacific Construction Company in Vietnam

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