A Model to Identify the Risks to Sustainable Urban Development

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Abstract

The redevelopment of outdated urban infrastructure and the establishment of new infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population is a challenge faced by policy makers and planners in many Australian cities. New tools are required to assess urban developments to ensure that they offer reduced environmental, social and economic impact. The key is to reduce consumption of resources (land, materials, energy and water) and limit environmental impacts without having differential impacts on communities with varying socio-economic capacities. This paper discusses the development of a model to assess the sustainability of new urban developments in South Australia. It addresses the under-researched tensions between the social, economic and environmental impacts on urban development and the implications for assessing sustainable development in urban areas. The paper concludes with a discussion of a model capable of identifying risks to sustainable development early in the urban development process.