Dr Julian Bolleter

Assistant Professor, Australian Urban Design Research Centre

WA, Australia

Abstract: The Australian Bureau of Statistics predicts that Australia’s current population of 22.3 million could grow to 62.2 million by 2101. Of course, many things could change between now and then but for the purposes of planning we think it is prudent to take this figure seriously. So what does this big number mean? It means we would need to house an extra 40 million Australians over the course of the next 87 years. This means building the equivalent of an extra 10 Sydneys – one every 9 years! There is currently no national plan for this growth. Even following consultation of Australia’s entire current city planning frameworks, we found that a sum total of only 5.5 million people are accounted for. This research aimed to address the resettling of the 34.5 million 21st century Australians which are simply missing from the collective intelligence of the nation’s planning. In order to address this lacuna, we initially consulted the ABS forecasts for the mid-century populations of Australia’s major cities. From the total 2100 projection of 62.2 million we subtracted these numbers and were left with 23,061,839 people. We then conducted an analysis of the national landscape to arrive at an answer as to where these people might live so that Australia remains ecologically resilient, socially amenable and economically productive. We don’t claim to have the right answer to the question of Australia’s settlement patterns but we do offer an ideologically neutral exploration of the matter – we offer an environmentally precautious approach but one that is nonetheless optimistic about the prospect of designing and constructing better cities as the century unfolds. The material presented reflects over two years of research work and is to be published in a major new book in 2013.

Biography: Dr Julian Bolleter is an Assistant Professor at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) at the University of Western Australia. His role at the AUDRC includes teaching a master’s program in urban design and conducting urban design research and design projects. Since graduating in 1998 Dr Bolleter has practiced as a landscape architect in Australia and the Middle East on a diverse range of projects. In 2009 he completed a PhD that critically surveyed landscape architectural practice in Dubai and advanced scenarios for Dubai’s proposed public open space system. Julian and his colleague Richard Weller have recently completed a book entitled ‘Made in Australia: The Future of Australian Cities.’ The book scopes the urban implications of Australia’s population reaching 62.2 million by 2101.

Dr Julian Bolleter is an Assistant Professor at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) at the University of Western Australia will speak at…

Two Conferences! Three Days! One Location in 2013

6th Making Cities Liveable Conference, in conjunction with the Sustainable Transformation Conference, is being held from the 17th – 19th June 2013 at Novotel Melbourne St Kilda. The collaboration brings together National, State and Regional delegates to explore, exchange ideas and network.

The joint conference will be a platform for Government, Industry sector professionals and Academics to discuss causes, effects and solutions. Delegates will have access to an extensive range of topics with over 90 presentations across three days including Keynotes, Concurrent Sessions, Case Studies and Posters. www.healthycities.com.au