Property, politics and power : a history of city planning in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney since 1900

Abstract

This thesis looks at the process of city planning in Australia in its political, historical, social and intellectual context. It begins by outlining the redistributive possibilities of city planning (Introduction) and then proceeds to analyse why, in practice, these possibilities have not been realised. Chapters 1 and 5 explore the extent to which the intentions of planners themselves have been 'reformist' at different times and on what understanding of society (or social theory) these intentions have been based. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 look at efforts to introduce planning as a function of government in three Australian cities between the turn of the century and the second world war and examine the nature of the opposition. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 look at planning in practice since the second world war and explore the conflicts between planning intentions and political realities. Has planning in practice reinforced or tended to ameliorate inequalities between rich and poor? Which groups benefit most from the metropolitan planning schemes now in operation in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney? Chapter 9 summarises the most important obstacles, particularly the private ownership of property, in the way of a more redistributive approach to city planning and assesses the likelihood of future change.