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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-28 Daily Xml
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THINKER IN RESIDENCE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:14): My question is to the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. Laura Lee recently concluded her term as Thinker in Residence. Is the minister aware of any implications for the future of urban development and planning in this state arising from her residency?

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:14): I can listen to the honourable member and deal with interjections as well—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! We all know that the minister is capable of doing three or four things at once.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Thank you, Mr President. Laura Lee is Professor of Architecture at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, and is highly regarded internationally as a leader in integrated design education practice and research in architecture. Carnegie Mellon University is one of the leading universities in the United States for architecture, and its peers have rated Professor Lee's faculty number one in the United States for its work on sustainable design.

Professor Lee has extensive experience working across a range of disciplines. In addition to her teaching experience at Carnegie Mellon University, Professor Lee has taught at the Higher Institute of Architecture in Antwerp, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. She has won numerous prizes for teaching excellence and for the development of intercultural and interdisciplinary programs, including Carnegie Mellon University's highest teaching honour, the Ryan Award. In 2008 Professor Lee was elected senior fellow of the Design Futures Council in recognition of significant contributions towards the understanding of changing trends, new research and applied knowledge in design and architecture.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Professor Lee on several occasions during her term as Thinker In Residence, and attended her final public address in Adelaide earlier this month. Professor Lee's residency focused on the value of design and the impact of the built environment on the quality of life for South Australians. As Minister for Urban Development and Planning, I am extremely aware of the growing importance of urban design, particularly as this government pursues the objectives of the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.

That forward-looking document, and the roll-out of the state government's $11 billion infrastructure spending program, particularly electrification of our metropolitan rail lines, provides an opportunity to showcase modern urban design in areas such as transit-oriented developments. The way urban design is applied will be a key element in the implementation of that 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, which is the spatial expression of the state government's Strategic Plan, aiming to make Adelaide a competitive, liveable and sustainable place in which to live and work. It is a vital piece of planning for South Australia, with the state's population growing faster than earlier projections.

Much of the new metropolitan housing, commercial and industrial development will be concentrated along our major transport corridors, leaving the majority of Adelaide's suburbs unchanged. It is not a case of starting from scratch: the backbone of the public transport network is already there. It is a question of investing to upgrade and modernise infrastructure that is already there and then make the best use of that investment through greenways and transit-oriented developments, allowing them to become a strong magnet to attract even more investment, both public and private. This creates an opportunity to harness the best features of urban design to create developments that provide a renewed sense of community in Adelaide. We are talking about walkable neighbourhoods, close to shops and transport, and design will help us integrate these elements into a new built form.

Professor Lee is yet to provide a final report on her residency, but I know that she has given some thought to the issue of intelligent investment in design, planning and development in our state, and why it is so important to give design a central focus in plans for Adelaide. I look forward to Professor Lee's final report; I am sure it will make a very significant contribution to the future design of our city.

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