Constructing Suburbs

Examining the debate between activists and professional planners over the vision of the future of a large growth corridor in Sydney, Australia, this case study maps the history of development from the late sixties to the mid-nineties, during which time serious environmental and financial problems arose. The book outlines five major visions of the future development and examines forms of political, economic, and institutional power applied by the parties in the project, with emphasis on the processes of infrastructure privatization and ecological impacts. The conclusion reflects on contemporary dilemmas about pluralism.

Introduction 1 Big Projects in a Time of Uncertainty: Facing the Future in a Contemporary Urban Development 2 Five Images of a Suburb: Competing Perspectives on the Economy, Environment, and Family Life 3 Visual Rhetorics in Growth Debates: Sydney's Future as a Los Angeles, Toronto, or Canberra 4 Formal Planning Processes: The Privileged Language of Professional Planning 5 Hard and Soft Privatization: Unequal Impacts of Government Withdrawal 6 Urban Development and the Power of Ideas