Lets face it the big problem in Australia is the lack of Decentralization
The USA was specifically and deliberately developed as a decentralized country with their network of railroads
Australia keep pushing more and more people into (mainly) 3 cities. Melbourne is one of the largest cities in the world with the edges being about 100 kms apart, which is crazy from a planning point of view because you have to drag services, schools, hospitals etc. over that enormous distance for a very small population and people travel very time consuming distances to go to work etc.
Look at people in the western outskirts of Sydney who have to go into the centre for work, they have to just about leave the night before to get there in time
The (Ancient) Greeks had the right idea, when the population reached a certain number they had to go and start a new city. We should be doing the same
As to our existing situation we do need more concentrated areas of population but it appears that there is no overall plan, a case once again of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Certainly in Melbourne all the old character homes on big blocks are being redeveloped with squishy little units and the new subdivisions where the blocks are so small so that the ability to build something with some degree of architectural individuality is impossible
It would be nice if there was a viable plan in place that retained some of our history and character but of course Politicians and bureaucrats really don't do anythings do they
