Opinion

The current research led by Victoria University and presented by Professor Gordon Holden in Brisbane is highly relevant to our work. [Ed: to be presented in the next edition of UDF]. However, urban design must not become just another separate discipline in our quest for quality human settlements. Absent from Brisbane were of course the traffic planners, the civil engineers, the surveyors and others who are also involved with bits of urban design every day.

Having worked at Doxiadis' Ekistics Research Centre in the early 1970s, I reflected on the fact that he lived in Brisbane for two years while recovering from his post-war reconstruction effort in Greece, unable to practise, as Australia did not recognise his qualifications or appreciate his unique inter-disciplinary experience. He probably never intended to stay in Australia, but one wonders what contribution he could have made had he been allowed to practise.

A genuinely inter-disciplinary approach to the design and planning of human settlements is yet to be achieved. The contribution of Urban Design Forum and UDAL (Q) towards this goal is substantial.

Barry Rae is Director of Transurban Design and Planning, Auckland, and Adjunct Professor of Urban Design, University of Auckland.