In Australia, governments are looking at new precinct models such as Special Activation Precincts (SAPs) in areas such as Parkes, Wagga Wagga, Moree, Williamtown, the Snowy Mountains and Narrabri, or Regional Job Precincts, like Albury, Richmond Valley and South Jerrabomberra, and State Significant Precincts, such as Waterloo, Redfern and The Bays in Sydney, to stimulate growth in regional and urban areas respectively.
City Deals, like Western Sydney, are one of the largest planning and investment partnerships in Australian history, and in New Zealand, local governments and private developers are playing their part by facilitating the rezoning of suitable land for urban development and promoting the densification of existing urban areas.
Melbourne’s 480 hectare Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project, consisting of five precincts that by 2050 will incorporate parks, schools, a university campus, transport, community hospital and leisure facilities and house and provide employment for up to 80 000 people.
In Asia, the rapid growth of cities has seen precinct development occur on a massive scale, mostly addressing social and population demands in order to achieve economic returns.
Singapore itself is a large cluster of precincts. The Singapore Land Transport Master Plan 2040 envisions a 24-minute town and a 45-minute city.
In Vietnam, the 400 hectare Waterpoint Precinct in Ho Chi Minh City is being developed to support a decentralised population and provide a vibrant new township for 25 000 residents, as well as a university, retail, commercial and leisure facilities.
Countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam have adopted ‘smart city’ ecosystems that focus on relationships between data, assets, users and systems. These can be scaled down to a precinct or district level. A smart precinct approach provides a defined pilot area to test and measure ideas for scaling up and makes it easier for private sector developers to participate in developing alongside government.
