FACTBase Bulletin 17 - Exploring Understandings of Liveability for Perth

This FACTBase Bulletin has two objectives. It first examines the concept of urban liveability in academic, policy and popular/media circles. It then attempts to show how new knowledge, policy action and, potentially, institutional and investment changes in Perth might be envisaged by way of redefining liveability.

Key Findings

• Liveability as a concept has been increasingly used in recent times in academic debates relating to more people friendly and sustainable environments.
• Buzzwords such as vibrancy, creativity, knowledge economy, compact city, and liveability have become new currency of policy initiatives.
• Perth is being benchmarked on liveability outcomes across other Australian and global cities through indexes such as: The Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Annual Demographic International Housing Affordability Survey (2010), and the Sustainable Cities Index.
• Using the ‘liveability’ concept in Perth to facilitate better urban outcomes can be done through the reinterpretation and readjustment of current policies to incorporate liveability.
• A major challenge for Perth and liveability is how the wins and losses from economic booms are appropriated more evenly