Migration, Urban Diversity and Planning in Australian Cities

Abstract

Continuous waves of migrants have shaped Australia and its cities in the last 200 years since White settlement, as most migrants have settled in urban centres. Although Australia has always had an official migration policy, it has never had an urban migration policy directing migrants to settle in specific places. Despite this, Australia's non-explicit urban settlement policy, together with other policy factors, resulted in promoting migrant choice and created an exemplary migrant settlement. Yet we argue that although the lack of an urban migration policy has resulted in positive outcomes regarding the distribution of migrants within the urban space, Australia must implement urban policies that allow for the planning system to accommodate the needs of diverse social groups, including migrants, in the built environment. The chapter first examines the extent of migration to Australian cities over the years, and the effect of migration on the urbanisation of Australian cities, with some international context for comparison. This is followed by a discussion of the geographic concentrations of migrants in Australian cities. The chapter discusses some case studies regarding local government practices and programs that respond to the growing demands of diverse communities in Australian cities of the twenty-first century, concluding with policy and practice implications for the planning system regarding migration and urban diversity.