Governmentality and resident experience in an eco‐themed master‐planned estate

Abstract

AbstractMaster‐planned estates are not only new urban spaces for living but also represent new approaches in urban governmentality. They entail systems of private governance not only to encourage self‐regulation of resident behaviour, but also to control how residents “consume” the estate. In middle‐class ethopolitics, acceptance is based on consumption that supports homeownership as an investment, supporting the creation and maintenance of value while achieving a broader social benefit of sustainability. This occurs within the context of a governmental dilemma of how much to control, as well as different ideas of value creation and the attainment of sustainability. Murrays Beach is an eco‐themed master‐planned estate on the east coast of Australia at Newcastle, New South Wales. The production of the estate was achieved partly through discursive practices such as building design covenants that define appropriate consumption. Consumption reflected an interpretation of sustainability based on the integration of ecology and lifestyle. Using a combination of discourse analysis and post‐occupancy evaluation, this article explores the experiences of residents as they rationalise and live with a system of private governance oriented towards a particular interpretation of sustainable consumption. I find evidence to support the conclusion that the lived experiences of residents are entangled with private governance, scripted consumption, commodity value, owner–investor rationalities, and homeowner rationalities.