People and Neighbourhoods Policy Discussion Paper (released 23 September 2019)
The State Planning Commission has released a discussion paper that investigates the makeup of South Australia’s population and the structure of our neighbourhoods, and proposes a range of new planning policies to improve residential infill development ahead of public consultation on the Planning and Design Code in October 2019.
The People and Neighbourhoods Policy Discussion Paper (PDF, 5804 KB), written in partnership with Professor Emma Baker and Professor Jon Kellett of the University of Adelaide, looks at the key opportunities and challenges facing South Australia’s housing sector caused by changes in South Australia’s population. It looks at the trends and changes occurring in our suburbs, providing a snapshot in time of where we are now and an indication of what the future will look like.
The Commission’s people and neighbourhoods discussion paper proposes a range of options to improve the planning of our streets and neighbourhoods, including:
- Policies to promote residential infill improvements including tree planting and landscaping requirements; street-facing façade requirements; water sensitive urban design measures; car parking rates that align with demand; and minimum garage widths and maximum driveway widths.
- Flexibility to develop different housing styles in greenfield and master-planned areas to meet South Australia’s needs and preferences.
- Sustainability measures to improve neighbourhood liveability and prosperity in response to the impacts of climate change such as landscaping, tree planting, and rainwater tank requirements to cool our suburban environments and manage stormwater run-off.
The State Planning Commission has identified areas of residential planning that require improvement and is proposing a range of new planning polices to enhance neighbourhood liveability, raise the quality of urban infill and stem the loss of tree canopy in the new Planning and Design Code.
Formal public consultation on the draft code, including the proposed policies in the People and Neighbourhoods Policy Discussion Paper, will run from 1 October 2019 to 28 February 2020 as part of the public consultation on the draft Planning and Design Code.