Urban design

The Australian Government, in collaboration with peak community and industry organisations and governments at all levels, has developed an Urban Design Protocol for Australian cities, which seeks to ‘create productive sustainable and liveable places for people through leadership and the integration of urban design excellence’. The urban design protocol provides a framework that sets out the principles of good contemporary urban places. The protocol is available from www.urbandesign.org.au

The National Capital Authority (NCA) and the ACT Government are ‘champions’ of the protocol.

The protocol includes the following road user hierarchy, which prioritises designing for sustainable transport modes over that of cars (Figure below). The values expressed in the protocol underpin best practice in urban design, and help guide development in the National Capital.

Urban Design Protocol

Source: Premier’s Council for Active Living NSW (2010) adopted from Dept for Transport UK (2007), Manual for Streets

The role of Canberra as the National Capital, and its development in accordance with an overall design concept, has produced an urban environment of a high quality. The city’s urban design is characterised by its physical form, its functions and its quality, at a variety of scales and perspectives. 

The NCA is seeking to promote high-quality design to achieve a more attractive and sustainable National Capital. Well-designed buildings, infrastructure and landscape projects make a lasting contribution to the public realm, provide more people-friendly streetscapes, and result in a more economically, socially and environmentally resilient city.

Click the links below for more urban design information:

• Awards
• Design Quality