Although they are oceans and landmasses apart, sustainable urban design experts at the University of Calgary are lending their expertise to government leaders from one of the fastest-growing cities in Australia.
The university's environmental design faculty met last week with a delegation of five Australian MPs from Melbourne who visited Calgary to learn how the city is managing rapid urban growth.
While not official "sister cities," looking to Calgary for ideas is a natural fit for Melbourne as there are many similarities between the two, said Nancy Pollock-Elwand, dean of the faculty of environmental design at the University of Calgary.
"They're facing huge problems with the sprawl of their city and how to deal with the cost of it, the sustainability of it, the transportation infrastructure and affordability of it - so all of the things that we are also dealing with here in Calgary," said Pollock-Elwand, who has also worked in Australia.
With a population growth of 12.6 per cent between 2006 and 2011, Calgary is the fastest growing city in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.
Melbourne has also experienced rapid urban growth in a relatively short period of time. The city's infrastructure and housing development is struggling to catch up with its surging population.
The second most populous city in Australia, Melbourne has about four million residents. Over the past decade, the population has boomed.
Between 2004 and 2009, the city added more people to its population than any other city in Australia. Most of the growth has been accommodated by expanding the outer suburbs.
As Melbourne's population is forecasted to exceed five million by 2026, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, officials are looking for innovative ideas on how to better manage growth.
The committee, which will present its findings to parliament later this year, is also looking at improving its management of water resources, an area in which Calgary has experience, Pollock-Elwand said.
Some of the research presented to the group included that of U of C professors Mike Quinn and MaryEllen Tyler, who are researching the links between land use and water, and how that can guide policy-makers in land development.
For the full story by Thandi Fletcher in the Calgary Herald, click here.