Is the brand better than the product? Australian cities not living up to their reputation, says new report

How do we create a great capital for our nation?

This question was posed to a panel of property experts at an ACT Property Council lunch on Wednesday at the National Museum of Australia.

The panel comprised Urbis managing partner Tim Blythe, KDN Group director George Katheklakis, The Business of Cities Ltd director Dr Tim Moonen and Transport Canberra and City Services director general Emma Thomas.

There was a general consensus among the panel that a greater level of trust was needed in Canberra between the government and private sector to allow for more innovative development to propel the city’s liveability.

“Fundamentally, Canberra has a model that works if you give it a chance,” Katheklakis told the crowd.

“We’ve got to have a good relationship between government and the private sector to invest in good designs.”

The event marked the release of research project Creating Great Australian Cities, authored by the Business of Cities Ltd, and commissioned by the Property Council of Australia.

It highlights the challenges facing Australian cities in the “metropolitan century” and looks at lessons learnt from international case studies, including Stockholm, Toronto and Miami.

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ACT Property Council executive director Adina Cirson said the report was designed to stimulate debate among policymakers, businesses and the community on the future of our cities.

“There are important lessons for Canberra from this study, including international case studies on how other cities have managed the transitions which are underway globally in our urban communities,” she said.

One of the main findings of the report was that Australian cities’ brand reputation was stronger than their actual performance in critical areas.

Co-author of the report Professor Greg Clark of Business Cities Ltd said Australian cities needed to match their brand appeal of great lifestyle and opportunity with systems of management, investment and coordination for the century ahead.

“Australians are being challenged to rethink their traditional ideas about their cities, including a future that involves shifting from the low-density sprawl of the past to high quality, medium density living,” he said.

“Addressing the challenges and opportunities of the metropolitan century is not just an agenda for politicians, urbanists, metropolitan elites or city planners.

“It needs to be a national project that touches every aspect of public life and demands the support of every Australian.”