How do we build cities for the metropolitan century?

Australia’s cities need a new set of tools to equip them for the metropolitan century, or risk eroding our quality of life and international competitiveness, warns global urbanist Professor Greg Clark CBE.

Clark will be in Australia later this month to launch a series of reports, Creating great Australian cities, commissioned by the Property Council to lift the quality of debate around city growth.

“The whole world is in a conversation about the future of cities,” Clark says.

“Economic, environmental, technological and geopolitical megatrends are changing the way cities operate. Other countries are taking these megatrends very seriously – and they are equipping their cities in new ways.”

Clark works with global organisations including the World Bank, OECD and the Brookings Institution and advises leaders in more than 100 cities on strategy and investment. He says we are facing a period of rapid urbanisation that some analysts are calling the ‘metropolitan century’.

“People are moving to cities. But alongside this is the re-urbanisation of jobs and businesses. Both people and companies are trying to get into cities at the same time,” which is why so many cities are bursting at the seams.

Living through the climate change era, Clark adds, means reducing carbon emissions – something that is a daunting task for all cities.

Clark and his colleague Dr Tim Moonen at the Business of Cities used more than 3 comparative benchmarks to assess Australia’s ‘top five’ cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide – against other cities in Canada, Scandinavia, Germany, Southwest USA and ‘smart’ Asia.

Clark says this analysis has never been undertaken before and uncovers “some significant challenges” for governments, policy makers and people living and working in cities.

While Australian cities fare well in terms of “brand, attractiveness and excitement”, as well as environment, education and tourism, they are falling behind in infrastructure investment, densification, efficiency of land use, commuting times and distance to amenities.

“Our research finds that Australian cities are not yet equipped with the governing institutions required to manage growth.”

Australian cities also don’t perform well when it comes to “translating education into business and jobs” – something that will be essential in the growing global knowledge economy.

Clark says it is “very clear” that Australia needs a new infrastructure investment system, as “government financing won’t be enough”.

“Australian cities will also need to optimise infrastructure investment and get much better place-making and place-management systems,” he says.

Economic diversification that responds to the emerging knowledge economy is also essential, or else we risk losing our “world class talent”, Clark adds.

Our future must be focused on “high amenity, medium density, multi-polar metropolitan living supported by great public transport”. The alternative is to lose out to other cities prepared to invest in amenities and infrastructure that enhances the lifestyles of urban dwellers.

“All the great cities of the 21st century – Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, New York, London and Paris – have all trodden the same basic path of high-capacity public transport with high quality, medium density living,” Clark explains.

While governments have a lot of hard graft ahead, Clark also has a simple and straight-forward message for business.

“Step up and be part of the leadership. It’s not enough for business to wait for government to act. Our research shows that proactive business leadership is the catalytic ingredient that can make change happen.”

The Property Council will be hosting forums around Australia with Professor Clark to unpack the megatrends shaping our cities and how we ready them for the metropolitan century. Register today or download the report at www.propertycouncil.com.au/greatcities