YPConnect and Congress 2013 Experience

The urban environment has an impact on everything, so it goes without saying that it’s within our best interests to produce something that is sustainable and enduring. From a quick glance at our previous attempts, we, as humans, have generally failed – to put it lightly. Our current way of living is not sustainable and all long-term visions generally point to some form of disaster. That could very well be a zombie apocalypse but, more likely, it will be something far less exciting yet still as drastic, such as food shortage or epic air pollution. Something clearly needs to happen.
Putting all that aside just for a short moment, let’s all think about ourselves. Taking a somewhat selfish approach, let’s consider how the urban environment makes our own individual lives less sustainable and, at the same time, less enjoyable. If you can answer yes to just one of these, there was a planner at some point in time who could have chosen a more sustainable option, yet didn’t.

·         Do you live less than five kilometres from work and still drive there?

·         Do you get the jitters walking around your own neighbourhood?

·         Do you have to drive to buy milk, bread or other basics?

·         Do you have to play chicken and ride your bike on the road?

·         Do you have a backyard that’s sole purpose is to grow weeds?

The urban environment can be shaped to support and enhance sustainable living which, as an added bonus, is often a healthier and more pleasurable way of life. Through the promotion of active transport, mixed use development and higher densities, we can tick off all the sustainability options while still providing for the needs of the community – and ourselves.

The 2013 PIA National Congress was an excellent way to showcase the very people who are looking to the future today. These are the people with the ideas and case studies, trying to show the world how the urban environment can encourage a more sustainable outcome.

With the Heart Foundation as a gold partner and speakers throwing around buzz words like ‘healthy’, ‘liveable’, ‘low-carbon’, ‘active transport’ and ‘population health’, creating the best world for ourselves is clearly on everyone’s mind.

As planners, we’re allowed to be selfish. Not only can we promote healthier, more sustainable lives for ourselves but, in our selfishness, we’re ultimately creating a better environment for future generations.

So be sustainable for yourself. Be that planner who looks at a 150 lot subdivision and questions the pathways, the corner stores, the ability to walk to work. Think to yourself, “I don’t want to live in a cruddy suburb with the same houses, filled with SUVs; I want to live somewhere cool with interesting neighbours and a retro bike with a basket on the front and breathe air that won’t give me asthma”. We are the only profession who can think that and actually create it. Whatever we create, we live in – so be selfish.

Monique was the 2013 recipient of the EDGE Land Planning Regional Young Planner’s Traveller’s Cheque. Thank you again to EDGE Land Planning who have been a great supporter of the Young Planners over the past years.

Monique Fenn

Graduate Planner

RPS Mackay