PERTH should grow to more than three million people by 2050, Richard Weller, a professor of landscape architecture at WA University, says.
The author of
Boomtown 2050 - Scenarios for a Rapidly Growing City believes Perth still has the opportunity to plan for its expected population surge and use the energy of growth to make a better city.
‘‘The time is right for Perth to discuss and plan for its future,’’ Prof Weller said. ‘‘Unlike many others, this city is not yet out of control.’’
He said it was important for the community to be involved in a well informed debate about the city’s future, with a focus on alternatives to conventional suburban sprawl.
With a population of only 1.5 million and an urban footprint of 100,000ha, Perth is already one of the most sprawling cities on Earth.
Rather than enter the sprawl versus anti-sprawl debate, Boomtown presents alternative scenarios that can be applied both horizontally and vertically within the existing landscape.
Demographics expert Bernard Salt agrees with the premise of the book, which acknowledges the realities of Perth’s geographic forms and the realities of the city’s culture.
‘‘This is a book that canvasses a number of sensible options, such as a series of networks or regional cities, and I don’t see anything wrong with that,’’Mr Salt said.
‘‘You can have people living out in the boondocks, out in the ’burbs, as long as you have job options locally, and people are not forced to commute from an urban area to the city centre.
‘‘If you decentralise jobs, health and education, people can live and work within an entire region.’’
Boomtown highlights the shortfalls that will exist between the expected population and the land available, should Perth continue its current planning patterns.
‘‘Through showcasing alternatives for Perth’s future, it is hoped we can instigate a debate among community and influential leaders, so Perth may veer away from the ‘business as usual’ approach the city has followed since the 1800s,’’ Prof Weller said.