After the Rains – thinking about Urban Planning in a future of havoc weather
Dorothea Mackellar’s poem ‘My Country’ is best known for its second verse – “I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains”. As vast tracts of Australia again face the prospect of massive floods I wonder if our Urban Planners ever consider the significance of the observation of Mackellar’s poem? And if they haven’t in the past, should they do so now? One thing we know is happening is the greater focus on weather related phenomenon by the Insurance sector who right now, must be wondering when they can catch a break. As our population grows and demand for land for housing is increasing, it becomes a bit too simple for local governments of all types to open what could arguably stated as ‘precarious development sites’ whilst ignoring the prescience of Mackellar’s words.
We’ve seen around the world the human push for settlements in perhaps the most unlikely of places – at the feet of volcanoes; floating on the oceans; in ‘forever dry’ flood plains and on land below sea level. Let’s not forget the ACT’s past decision to build a housing development in among a pine plantation, London’s great fire enabled through tinder box housing design within arms reach of the next house; and now a days we have the increasing encroachment of suburban development in Australia’s fire friendly eucalypt forests.
After these rains subside and the floods ease, will thought be given to the Urban Planning decisions being made around the country? It may well be a case of ‘Caveat Emptor’ (let the buyer beware) and surely responsibility for development must finally rest on those who are deemed to have the knowledge and forethought to enable housing construction in areas blatantly exposed to events that not only should have been foreseen, but increasingly that we have recent history of experiencing. The Insurance industry are paying attention and premiums of housing insurance are climbing as that Indusry factors in the higher probabilities of weather related damage.
So after these rains are over – what changes if any, will Urban Planners take?
Well as I’ve discovered them! These three questions (and my normal answers) are based on what I get asked consistently when I’m presenting or facilitating a session about Strategic Planning, ‘the future of…’, and how societies might look five, ten or twenty years from now: Question One – ‘What is the most important thing to…
Read More >Every now and again what sounds like a really good idea turns out to be less beneficial than what was hoped for. Strategic Futurist Marcus Barber wonders whether or not the Victorian Government’s ‘4 Minute Shower’ idea is a current example? For those of you that have read my paper ‘A Drop in the Ocean’…
Read More >There’s a lot to like about Mars. For centuries the name given to the Roman God of War (in honour of its blood stained hue) it has given us an opportunity and point of focus to think beyond our own planet. There’s been some vast mythologies about the deep channels (interpreted as canals meant signs…
Read More >Most everything. The various papers, presentations, radio interviews, magazine articles, books and newspaper references have been reformatted in alphabetical order for easier access. Click on the ‘Future Of…’ tab and find what you are looking for under the headings listed, with links to each relevant item. You’ll find the future of Australia, food, technology,…
Read More >I came up with the term Enoughness in late 2008, and early 2009 as a result of some research I was assessing looking at emerging consumer behaviour. The manufacturing companies I presented to at the South East Business Networks session on Managing a Diverse Workplace discovered, Enoughness was a very different approach to the idea…
Read More >Business Insider has a story today of 7 jobs you’ve never heard of and why they’re awesome which is delightfully amusing for two reasons: One – ‘Futurist’ makes the list at number 7; and Two – I’ve been employed in full time futures for over a decade (and part time for about ten years before…
Read More >In this article on the LifeBoat Foundation’s website, Laurence Baines discusses the loss of languages around the world and the increasing shift toward the major five tongues. From a futures perspective we appreciate that a language often contains within it, a way of knowing that is missing in someone who may have learned to speak…
Read More >Few books (and a subsequent film) influenced my desire for knowledge in the way that Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 did. The black and white film adaptation still holds much in my memory almost 30 years later. As a youngster I’d sat up late and seen original The War of the Worlds on TV and a few…
Read More >Ah well, you’d be surprised at how easy it is for someone to steal a piece of you! This info-graphic from Veracode explains in more detail some of the actions you can take and things to be aware of when using WiFi You can go stright to the InfoGraphic and
Read More >Have just spent a few hours discussing the Future of Money, hosted by James Bibby at Microsoft in Sydney and facilitated by Peter Vander Auwera from SWIFT/Innotribe. I’d like to flag that everyone understood that the session was way too short for such a big topic and everyone would agree that we just scratched the…
Read More >