Birth pangs in Utopia: the plans for an international, high-tech, sustainable city in Australia

Since the joint announcement from the Japanese and Australian governments in 1987 of their intention to establish a putative new form of urban development in Australia, the multifunction polis (MFP), a major debate has taken place over preferred forms of future cities and the role of international investment. This article charts the development of this debate, in particular examining the controversial decision to locate the MFP in what its critics regard as a polluted swamp in the north of Adelaide. This paper outlines the concept of the MFP, looks at the environmental issues which the MFP raises for creating sustainable urban development, and seeks to identify some of the challenges to urban planning and urban governance raised by the MFP. In this respect, some interesting tensions have arisen between the different strands of the MFP debate, where commercial viability and political credibility have become a central issue for investors, whilst environmental issues have emerged as a pivotal theme in gaining community acceptance of the MFP proposal. -from Author