Post 8

Master Planning

Charles M. Haar

For a good master plan to implemented it must follow the frameworks in order for it to be useful for community and city. Good master planning is not left up to a planner deciding what they think is the best for the community, but must involve all stakeholders to participate in the process. A workable master plan is one that can be adapted and easily changed as the city changes and so does its needs.

When looking at the University of Canberra Master plan there is a clear focus on the future of the campus. It includes educated assumptions as to population increase as to cater for the extra students. Planners have to have intuitive and research skills to plan ahead for such changes. An example of this can be seen by Sir Walter Burley Griffin in his plans for Canberra as he understood that the city would grow and designed the city for approximately 250 000-300 000 people. Clearly in 1911 there was not a need for this number of people but Griffin understood that it was crucial to plan for the future.

Master planning is not a perfect system of planning but is the closest we have as it is a workable framework that can be implemented and made into policy. It is a tool used to better a city. Without a Master planning how can a city really develop, if the community is not being consulted and there is not interaction between stakeholders?