Governing urban development for climate risk: What role for public–private partnerships?

Abstract

Urban partnerships are an instrument of urban governance common in major urban development projects. However, the potential for these traditional urban policy instruments to promote climate-adapted greenfield development remains largely untested. This study examines this potential through an analysis of four urban development partnerships for master-planned estates in two rapidly urbanising regions of Australia. We interview private property developers, government land organisations and municipal level actors. The analysis focuses on the convergence, and tensions, between partners' goals of affordability, profitability and sustainability; benefits and risks of partnering; and, the management of assets over time, in light of environmental risks. The partnerships studied contributed to the state's capacity to implement policy efficiently, encourage innovation and de-risk projects for private partners. However, these initiatives also transferred longer term environmental risks to the broader planning system and to non-partners. The central role of the state in coordinating these arrangements presents opportunities to redress these limitations.