Evidence from other cities suggests world-class educational facilities, a positive outlook, diverse population, strong leadership and co-operation between public and private sectors are all important factors.

But what about design? In an increasingly global world, the unique character of a place is possibly the only factor in creating a competitive advantage.

Unfortunately, the differences between places are disappearing with urban sprawl becoming the dominant trend.

Ballarat cannot continue to rely on the gold rush and its declining stock of Victorian buildings to make it distinctive, while at the same time creating suburban monocultures. Nor do we want to replicate the apartment silos of inner Melbourne.

What we have seen is the encouragement of similar neighbourhoods by adopting particular subdivision design principles.

This conventional neighbourhood is partly a result of the great Australian dream, which reflects the dominant social cultural trend of the past century – living with like-minded people, feeling like everyone has to belong, a sense of conformity.

Aside from the fact this sprawl presents major challenges due to its impacts on agricultural land and infrastructure costs, should we update our lifestyle aspirations?

Firstly, we need to acknowledge the demographic changes taking place in Ballarat.

By 2026, households of couples with dependents will comprise 27.3 per cent of all households, only slightly exceeding those without dependents at 27 per cent and below the 28.9 per cent lone person households group. The implications of these changes are profound.

A distinctive city is one that young (and not so young), well-educated people want to live in, that baby boomers want to retire to and that people want to visit. In other words, an exciting and innovative city.

More diverse housing types and commercial and residential uses will assist in opening up the choices for these groups, as will higher density developments in the inner city. At present, new suburbs are car oriented with most houses dominated by garages and driveways, which reflects not only this “auto” society but a design in which an engineering mentality has prevailed.

Road size has been designed for capacity with little consideration for walkability or neighbourhood scale or, for that matter, attractive design interest.

Even a cursory survey of the inner city reveals many “brown field” sites ideal for mixed use, higher density developments.

For an innovative approach, look across the ditch. Hobsonville Point was formerly a RNZAF base 20 minutes north-west of Auckland. The development, facilitated by the Hobsonville Land Company, is expected to take 10 years and provide 45,000 homes.

The Land Company’s ethos is that “a strong community is a diverse one” and the project includes homes for all ages and life stages. The Land Company has partnered with a master developer for each precinct, then both parties select building companies which will provide a variety of homes.

In this way, varied streetscapes are created and choice provided for a broad crosssection. Hobsonville Point includes 20 per cent of affordable houses designed for people who earn an average wage.

Why can’t we approach new developments with similar foresight?

 Janet Dore is chair of the Committee for Ballarat.