ABSTRACT
The goal of economic development of some kind has been central to planning in Australia for several decades. We take this as axiomatic. Yet earlier planning often had different priorities. At the start of the twentieth century, a higher priority was placed on planning for democracy and the city beautiful. Economic development only became dominant in planning at the end of the post-war long boom in the 1970s, and with the rise of global inter-city competition. In the race for competitiveness, city authorities prioritize economic development and related spatial planning policies (Gunder & Hillier 2009: 112). This chapter focuses on this contemporary prioritization in planning processes in Australia, and how this in turn subverts ostensibly balanced planning outcomes.
