New national urban management plan for resilient cities of the future

Researchers from The University of Queensland have helped to develop a four-point plan to create more sustainable, liveable, prosperous and resilient cities.

The national urban management plan – which is also a bid for a new CRC to build on the work of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities beyond its current term of June 2021– aims to embed water-sensitive approaches into future urban planning for Australian cities and towns.

CEO of the CRCWSC Professor Tony Wong said Australia’s population was expected to nearly double by 2066 and 80 per cent of these people would choose to live in cities and towns, putting water resources and communities at risk.

“We need around $1.7 trillion of infrastructure investment over the next 20 years, including $80 billion of urban water infrastructure,” Professor Wong said.

“Government, private sector and research organisations have worked with us to develop the plan, to help cities ensure water-sensitive approaches become standard practice and allow them to adapt to climatic extremes in ways that support attractive, healthy environments and community wellbeing.”

UQ Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) Executive Dean Professor Vicki Chen said innovation was critical to helping the world transition to water sensitive cities and towns.

“Applying research to real life projects, developing tools and utilising innovation will amplify the impact of our research in this area,” Professor Chen said.

“We have the knowledge, the innovation, and the integration of different disciplines to deliver significant impact, both locally and internationally.”

The plan was launched at the 4^th Water Sensitive Cities Conference in Brisbane last night.

The conference involves interactive sessions on 16 topics, including city cooling, flood resilience, ecological and human health and wellbeing, and urban metabolism within a changing climate.

In addition to Professor Chen, who will present at the conference over the coming days, a top-notch line-up of UQ researchers have contributed to the CRCWSC and the conference, including Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Partnerships), Professor Mohan Krishnamoorthy; Director of the Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), Professor Zhiguo Yuan AM; AWMC Research Fellow Dr Tim Hülsen; Deputy Director of the AWMC Professor Jurg Keller, AWMC's Dr Sandra Hall, Conference Chair, AWMC's Associate Professor Steven Kenway, Director of the Centre for Policy Futures Professor Karen Hussey, and the former UQ EAIT Faculty Executive Dean Professor Simon Biggs (now Deputy Vice-Chancellor at The University of Western Australia).

Media: Communications@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 7887.