Published by Wiley, October 2012
ISBN 978-0-470-67218-1, Hardback, AUS$140.00, NZ$160.00
The magnitude of investment, the long time-frames involved and the influence of pre-existing infrastructure on urban infrastructure provision make a co-ordinated approach to forward-planning, policy development and implementation essential. There are major challenges in making decisions on urban infrastructure and getting management structures and processes in place. Getting it right generates long-term dividends; getting it wrong involves major costs, often borne by taxpayers.
Urban Infrastructure: finance and management is posited on a strong belief that the physical structure of cities and the efficiency of infrastructure services delivered are driven by efficiencies within individual infrastructure sectors, lessons learnt across these sectors and the ability to co-ordinate and integrate sectors to generate economies of scale. This necessitates an interdisciplinary approach, integrating knowledge from finance, governance, planning and management as well as the characteristics of the individual urban infrastructure sectors involved. Here it is not only about getting the initial decisions and policy settings right, but also ensuring effective implementation. A major theme running through the book is the nature of institutions and the governance structures responsible for delivery and management of urban infrastructure and the decision making processes involved.
The editors have taken a deliberately pragmatic approach to the finance and management of urban infrastructure; chapters are cross-sectorial and present both theory and practice. This book is for students and practitioners in policy, planning, urban management, infrastructure finance and management.
Associate Professor Kath Wellman is Director, Centre for Developing Cities, ANZSOG Institute of Governance, University of Canberra. Her expertise is in environment, landscape architecture and planning, urban design, urban and business management. She has undertaken environment and governance consultancies for the Murray Darling Basin Authority and for the Australian Landscape Trust and was one of the principal authors of the ANU Development Policy Plan 1992. She was involved in establishing and convened the Masters of Urban Management Course (1997-2001) and established the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (2009).
Dr Marcus Spiller is a Director of SGS Economics and Planning Pty Ltd. His consulting experience spans land economics, regional development, housing policy, infrastructure funding and policy co-ordination systems. He has taken up secondments as lecturer in urban economics at Melbourne University, adviser to the Minister for Planning and Housing in Victoria and senior executive in the Queensland Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning. He is an Adjunct Professor of Urban Management at the University of Canberra, a former member of the National Housing Supply Council and a former National President of the Planning Institute of Australia.
A book launch will be held on October 24th from 6.00pm
Executive Lounge (1st Floor above bookshop) - Alan Gilbert Building
161 Grattan Street, Carlton, Vic 3052
Guest Speakers will be
• Jane-Frances Kelly, Cities Program Director at the Grattan Institute, who will launch the book
• Editors, Associate Professor Kath Wellman and Dr Marcus Spiller, who will discuss the book and
what it sets out to achieve
For further information please contact:
Simon Spivak - Marketing Manager (T) 03 9274 3215 (E) sspivak@wiley.com
