Shahed Khan

Waste Minimisation in Office Refurbishment Projects: An Australian Perspective

The refurbishment of commercial buildings is growing as a percentage of overall construction activity in Australia and this trend is likely to continue. Refurbishment generates a significant waste stream much of which is potentially reusable or recyclable. Despite this potential, several factors are known to unnecessarily inhibit the amount of recycling that actually occurs on renovation projects. In order to identify the reasons causing this reluctance, a process of project monitoring and expert consultation was carried out. Twenty three experts experienced in commercial refurbishment projects and three waste contractors with specific knowledge of construction waste were interviewed. Records of receipts for waste from a case study project reveal three principal factors inhibiting recycling rates: the presence of asbestos in the building; the continued occupation of the building during construction; and the breaking up of a large project into small separate contracts thereby reducing economies of scale. To ascertain the potential for improvement, current rates for reuse and recycling of materials were collected from the experts. The results revealed a considerable variation in practice between companies and indicated key areas which should be targeted to improve performance.

Evolving Governance Model for Community Building: Collaborative Partnerships in Master Planned Communities

The development and management of master planned communities (MPCs) involve achieving the twin goals of building a sense of community and creating a distinctive place. The roles of private, public and community sectors in realising these goals of MPCs are evolving over time. The article reports on a case study of the MPC of Varsity Lakes in Gold Coast to investigate the role of key stakeholders as well as their collaborative initiatives for community building. It examines the community governance model being introduced by the developer for the management of the development once the developer has completed work on the MPC and moved on. Some of the key initiatives on community building in Varsity Lakes include establishing a community bank, setting up a community intra-net and developing local economic development strategies. The developer has also taken a proactive approach of establishing a not-for-profit company, Varsity Lakes Community Limited (VLCL), with representation from residents, business, community groups and education providers in the area. The VLCL provides a basis for a community governance model to be applied for the management of the development after the developer exits the scene. The case study provides important lessons for effective governance of MPCs with greater community leadership and community ownership and engagement.

Integrating sustainability and principles of Local Agenda 21: A study of four local governments in NSW and QLD

Abstract Local Agenda 21(LA21) under the 1992 Earth Summit charter highlighted the important role of local governments in promoting sustainable development by working with local communities. By ratifying the charter. Australia has em‐braced the principles of Local Agenda 21 (LA21) and is therefore required to include it into local strategies and planning. The basic elements of LA21 include the creation of a community vision that brings together‐the aspirations of ail stakeholders; the establishment of a partnership between local authorities, communities, and businesses; the engagement in a community‐based, inclusive process of issue analysis; the preparation of action plans based on formalised objectives; and processes for implementation, monitoring, evaluation and feedback. How well does the Agenda 21 as a policy sit within the context of the local governments in Australia? How do different planning systems in Queensland and New South Wales have an influence in adoption by local councils? What are some of the challenges facing the councils in implementing the Local Agenda 21 ? These are some of the questions that the paper seeks to address. The paper reports on an ongoing study of four local governments, two in Sydney and : two in Queensland, to determine the extent of adoption of Agenda 21. The major aim of this paper is to review and assess the sustainability initiatives undertaken by the four under the different planning systems in two states. As part of the study, the paper reviews council strategic planning documents and bring out examples of community‐led sustainability projects in the two councils. It discusses how sustainability has been integrated into the council strategic planning documents and identifies the major barriers and opportunities for sustainable development in the two councils. The paper examines how adoption of the Agenda is influenced by a number of factors such as the nature of the planning systems in the two states, a commitment on the part of the staff to embrace changes, and the level of community participation. There is a strong need for systematic assessment of local councils performance against Local Agenda 21 to understand how ecologically sustainable development goals are being achieved.

From authoritarian transplantation to prescriptive imposition of good governance: tracing the diffusion of western planning concepts in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Mobility of international policy and ideas play a critical role in shaping planning practices within urban contexts. Both policy mobility and policy transfer literature are mostly focused on voluntary policy choice and relatively inattentive to coercive policy transfer or mobility. Moreover, little attention has been paid on post-colonial countries where imposition has been occurred through the conduits of colonial legacy and foreign aid packages. This paper applies Ward’s typology of diffusion to investigate how western planning ideas have come to spread within Bangladeshi context. The paper aims to trace how imported knowledge was operationalized in the local context by presenting a storyline of major planning episodes. The retrospective analysis exposes the influence of political factors and external knowledge on urban fabric and planning policies in Bangladesh. A shift from more authoritarian to prescriptive imposition of planning ideas has been observed which is mostly characterized by colonial legacy and aid-dependency. While recent transformations in development strategies aim to foster democratic and transparent planning to facilitate development of a home-grown approach to planning, careful attention is required to effectively implement such agenda. The paper concludes by identifying the constraints and challenges of promoting local planning efforts within the current development milieu.

Community Bus in Tokyo: Promoting Community Initiative through Decentralisation

Public transport can be justified as a public good. Its delivery, however, often proves problematic as it relies on significant government subsidies, especially in the context of low-density urban sprawls. Even in cities with extensive and efficient mass transit systems, coverage of local feeder bus services is often limited. ‘Community bus’ initiatives in Japan represent a major decentralisation of public transport service provision, whereby decision-making authority shifts to the local government at the city/ward level. A community bus initiative typically involves innovative and effective partnerships between local government, the local community and private operators. Focusing on the decentralisation of authority to enable city/ward governments to initiate innovation in local public transport plans and services through partnerships with the community, this paper describes community bus initiatives being tried out in Japan. Through a review of recent legislative changes and the literature coupled with a study of various community bus schemes in and around Tokyo, the study seeks to describe the roles assumed by main actors, the means adopted to mobilise community resources and the type and level of services provided by local authorities. The paper attempts to draw out models of governance, community engagement and the operationalisation of public–private and community partnerships in the inception and implementation of local transport solutions as part of local area improvement planning. The paper draws conclusions on the strengths and weaknesses of the evolving model and makes recommendation on improving its effectiveness.