Constrained by Order: Challenges to Reform in Victoria’s Planning System

The unpredictability of cities and non-linearity of development trajectories has reduced the efficacy of order-based planning. In the Australian State of Victoria, the government is undertaking planning reforms to address increased uncertainty and complexity. The research examines Victoria's reform in the context of planning models that view cities as complex adaptive systems. It finds that reform is internally constrained by the structures and operations of its existing model, and cannot shift the beliefs and perspectives underpinning order-based planning. The paper identifies transitional pathways between orderly and complex paradigms, demonstrating how order-based systems can become more adaptive, flexible and responsive.