Perth: From 'Large Provincial City' to Globalizing City'

Abstract

Perth is often proclaimed to be one of the world’s most remote capital cities. Yet despite its remoteness Perth found itself at the epicentre of a global resources boom in the early 2000s. In fact, Tonts et al. note that Perth enjoyed one of the ‘most rapid economic expansion[s] in Australia’s post-Federation history’ (2016, p. 174). As the economy expanded so too did the population with Western Australia (WA) experiencing the highest rate of state population growth (26 per cent) during 2001-2011. Most of this growth was concentrated in the Perth metropolitan region and was largely underpinned by overseas migration (Maginn and Hamnett, 2016). This level of economic and population growth invariably posed planning challenges for metropolitan Perth. The general preference by consumers for single dwellings on individual lots, fuelled by a development industry dominated by large WA-based developers who specialise in subdividing lots and project home builders, has perpetuated suburban spread as a key policy concern since the 1950s. Relatedly, as the economic boom continued and population growth outstripped the supply of accommodation, housing affordability within the homeowner and rental sectors also became a major problem.

Keywords: Perth, Western Australia, urban planning, metropolitan, housing, suburbia, urban growth, city