Master Plan Developers

Abstract

The foci of this article are the actors and entities that are responsible for the development of master planned residential estates. Master planning represents a comprehensive, integrated approach to new suburban developments whereby a private property developer – sometimes in coalition with government partners – plans and develops a new suburb that incorporates extensive landscaping and design, commercial, recreational, and social services, and attempts to foster a sense of community among local residents. Such visions are not new but have their roots in the utopian ideals of the Garden City movement of the nineteenth century. Since then, master plan developers have drawn on the garden city vision, albeit with varying degrees of commitment to its social and political ambitions. Today, master plan developers tend to be large commercial entities which market and sell the master planned experience as part of an overall corporate brand, offering lifestyle, leisure, and community in a highly aestheticised landscape. Concerned with protecting the value of their investment, master plan developers often stay involved in the governing of new estates for several decades, which can lead to difficult relations with local residents.