Regional Planning Report: Regional Planning Framework and Case Studies

This report delves into the multifaceted realm of regional planning, encompassing key concepts, frameworks, and real-world examples. It begins with an introduction to regional planning, highlighting its significance in land use, infrastructure development, and settlement organization. The report then explores specific issues through the analysis of an ABC News report, examining debates on regional definitions in Australia. It examines the impact of decentralization on regional planning, particularly within the European Union, and discusses the challenges of integrating metropolitan and regional areas. The report further investigates themes such as government policies, regionalism, and the allocation of resources, referencing various scholarly articles and reports. The analysis extends to the evolution of planning approaches, government strategies, and the importance of regional collaboration, emphasizing the need for effective governance and sustainable development. The report integrates case studies, such as the debate over regional boundaries in New South Wales, and the implementation of strategies like the SEQ strategy in Australia. Ultimately, the report provides a comprehensive overview of regional planning, offering insights into its complexities and the factors that influence its success.

Regional Planning
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................4
Week 2.........................................................................................................................................4
Week 3.........................................................................................................................................8
Week 5.......................................................................................................................................11
Week 7.......................................................................................................................................13
Week 8.......................................................................................................................................16
Week 6.......................................................................................................................................18
Week 11.....................................................................................................................................21
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................24
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INTRODUCTION
Regional planning refers to as planning for efficient placement of the land use activities
and infrastructure and organizing and settling large areas of land for an individual or city and
town. The main aim of regional planning is to integrate available wider area of big size of the
region. By making sound plans as well as strategies rural areas can be integrated in effective
manner by ensuring proper and balanced development of the region. Also, it focuses on
minimizing conflicts as well as competition level among resources in between cities of a
particular region.
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land-use activities, infrastructure,
and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. Regional
planning is a sub-field of urban planning as it relates land use practices on a broader scale.
Report will include ABC News as the media source. ABC News is a public news service in
Australia produced by the News and Current Affairs division of the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation. Report will include the concept of regional planning. The assignment starts with
identifying key issues like regional and metropolitan planning framework of European Union in
week 5 and different issues emerging from regional housing in week 7. Further it will discuss
current example discussed in the media (Jensen, Mandeville and Karunaratne, 2017). At last a
critical analysis of the problem and key ideas and discussions developed in the discussions.
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MAIN BODY
Week 2
Chosen Media: Online news report
Media source: ABC News (online page)
News topic: When is a region 'regional'? Debate over whether Newcastle, Wollongong are in
regional NSW
Author/Editor: ABC Illawarra By Gavin Coote
Date: Updated 8 Mar 2018, 7:21am
The concept of regionalism states that the regional based division of the associated areas
separated from a metropolitan area by a mixture of tangible characteristics that at the same time
distinguishes it from neighboring areas and declares a degree of commonality considering the
“remoteness” and “Firmness” (Henderson, 2018). Alternative views show the increasing nature
of metropolitan areas, as opposed to exposure to city-regions as global economy structure. In this
context, considering a region as 'regional' has become a most debated issue over whether
Newcastle, Wollongong are in regional NSW. Here the term “regional” used to describe
remoteness or “farminess”. A report published in ABC news authored by Gavin Coote
highlighted this issue while arguing the present perspective of regionalism of the government
towards the area of Newcastle, Wollongong. With the help of this issue, one can ascertain current
market scenario and fluctuating trend which has been prevailing in the regional area of
Newcastle, Wollongong.
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The long - running argument of considering Wollongong and Newcastle as metropolitans as
Sydney appears to have been settled when NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said it was clear
Newcastle and Wollongong were not regional (Coote, 2018). Arguably this statement can be
considered as the evolved adaptation in Government's definition of region and regionalism.
Therefore, it can also be said that the intensity of political benefits from external opportunities
from the coherence of city-regions and their management often result confusions and
problematic situation.
The Berejiklian government plans to quarantine the $4.15 billion in proceeds from the
Snowy Hydro Scheme's sale of regional infrastructure outside the three largest cities of the state
(Coote, 2018). By formulating strong business plans and strategies in line with business aims and
objectives, one can seek competitive advantages from the market place in an effective manner. In
this context John Barilaro stated the most controversial sentence. The regional boundaries and
their facilitation associated differences often form the sense of being discriminated among the
associated or extended regional area of metropolitan city (Brown & Deem, 2016). The report
published in ABC also highlighted that this controversial perspective and their deliberate
declaration is not a new phenomenon. Previous year similar issue has been raised when
Shellharbour was considered as 'metropolitan', while Lake Macquarie as 'regional' area. The city
of Shellharbour, south of Wollongong, has long been eligible for regional grants but is now
classified "metropolitan". Adding more complexity in the debate, it has been also highlighted
that whether the satellite centers around Newcastle and Wollongong were supposed to be
considered as regional or not. This complexity has emerged from sub - metropolitan regions, or
sub-regions within city - regions, aimed to make better facilitation for themselves within public-
sector funding allocations and global economic flows (Tomlinson, 2017).
There are many themes that highlighted in this discussion. One of these themes is related to
the involvement of the multi - level government structures with the help of careful assessment
which is required on this place - based factors. Meanwhile this assessment prevailing to inter -
government relations to shape the governance formations in the regional areas and undertaking
their development operation in proper and effective manner (Schofield, 2018). Through this
report another theme has been made which is related to the aspects such as attention directed
towards the particular areas (in this case Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and other associated
area of NSW). It has been reported on the repeatedly basis that the local councils have forgotten
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to forge a regional collaborative approach in the benefit of the whole region. This discussion is
not only highlighting the theme of current alteration of government perspective on regionalism,
but also reflecting upon other themes such as the achievements of other metropolitan and NSW
regions and especially the local and regional experiences. By having focus on different aspects
related to government rules and regulations, regional planning can be made in accordance to it
thereby ensuring proper compliance has been done of all the applicable regional rules and law.
Adherence of government rules and regulation can help in getting easy approval for undertaking
the construction as well as development related activities in smooth as well as effective manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brown, A. J., & Deem, J. (2016). A tale of two regionalisms: improving the measurement of
regionalism in Australia and beyond. Regional Studies. 50(7). 1154-1169.
Coote, G. (2018). Debate erupts over what makes a region 'regional'. Retrieved 12 August 2019,
from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/when-a-region-regional-stoush-erupts-
over-newcastle-wollongong/9524774
Henderson, S. (2018). Competitive sub-metropolitan regionalism: Local government
collaboration and advocacy in northern Melbourne, Australia. Urban Studies. 55(13).
2863-2885.
Schofield, J. A., 2018. Cost-benefit analysis in urban & regional planning. Routledge.
Tomlinson, R. (2017). An argument for metropolitan government in Australia. Cities. 63. 149-
153.
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Week 3
Regional planning has become one of the major issues from the perspective of the
Australian government standards. There are various concepts and standards which has been
involved in relation to it. Beside this, there has been a major shift in the context of applying all
the regional approaches which has been formulated within the given time frame period. With the
evolution in time there has been noticed a continuous changes in all the planning and policies
related aspects. Also, with the change in the political situation, it is also required to make
planning approaches modified as well in accordance with it (Higgins, 2017). With the increase
in the level of pollution, it has been required to formulate sound as well as effective strategy so
as to maintain climatic conditions healthy and environment friendly. However, there must be
development and implementation of a proper governance system as well for keeping record and
control over activities related to regional planning.
By maintaining cities clean and cool, it will doesn't lead to any major changes in the
climatic conditions and thus helps in maintaining level of ecosystem. It includes many other
things which enables in formulation of effective plans and strategies. Similarly, the Australian
government is adopting various types of approaches for the betterment of different region and
areas. Emphasis has been made on development of those areas through which climatic as well as
environmental conditions can be maintained and controlled (Wu, 2015). In this they are allowing
regional societies to take active participation in the decision – making process. Now, integrated
plans are developed that includes each aspect like social, economical, etc. It includes both the
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short as well as long term planning techniques and means. For this, various committees has been
formed but still no desired outcomes has been attained.
In this several themes are included in the discussion. First is related with the regional
approach and how it has changed with the post war consolidation. It shows that how urbanisation
has been developed in the Australia. It has enabled in creating regional councils and committees
(Morrison, Lane and Hibbard, 2015). Another theme discussed is related with SEQ strategy in
which land is divided mainly into 3 categories and on the basis of which regional plan is made
and developed accordingly. At last, it will focus on importance of the regional planning aspects.
Also, it helps in providing benefits in relation to development of metro cities and increasing
sustainability level. Moreover, it allows Australian governance so as to maintain ecosystem and
improving social life of both the local as well as regional communities.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Higgins, B., 2017. Regional development theories and their application. Routledge.
Morrison, T. H., Lane, M. B. and Hibbard, M., 2015. Planning, governance and rural futures in
Australia and the USA: revisiting the case for rural regional planning. Journal of
Environmental Planning and Management. 58(9). pp.1601-1616.
Wu, F., 2015. Planning for growth: Urban and regional planning in China. Routledge.
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Week 5
Decentralisation in Europe has highly created impact on the regional planning as well as on
its related frameworks. Due to change in interpersonal relationship and transfer or power, it is
difficult to connect metro cities and maintain it. Moreover, roles and responsibilities of
government has changed. They are not taking initiative towards development of cities (Carniti
and et.al., 2019). Alongside it, lack of funds is issue due to which states are not connected. So,
long term plans developed are not completed and its results in political conflict.
It is essential to define strategy for growing cities so that regional development occurs.
This require developing a centralised framework rather than for separate cities. This national
cities' partnership provides a much better framework in which all the individual city deals
become more effective and efficient (Singh and et.al., 2017). An agreement includes the national
performance outcomes and helps in driving reforms to the metropolitan governance and
financing.
It provides a platform for the national settlement strategy that finally gets to grip with
where our growing population might live in well conditions. So, issue which has been occurred
was mainly related to the lack of frameworks and rules (Meguid, 2015) which are essential that
needs to adopted. There was no national strategy on the basis of which regional plans are
required to be developed and formed.
From it, several themes has been identified which has been explained as follows. One is
related with the decentralisation that has resulted in arising of the political conflict. Furthermore,
ineffective inter government relation is affecting European Union regional planning. Second
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theme is related with lack of funds due to which all the regional plans and strategies are not
implemented properly like Netherland mainport strategy (Adams, 2016). Likewise, majority of
metro cities are not connected with the strategy which is one of the major concern. It is not only
highlighting the European Union perspectives on the regional planning but also inter
relationship.
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