Example of a multicultural day in a component of NSW health services.
Image obtained from: http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/Concord/cad/mc.html
Australia is a immensely ethnic and culturally diverse nation and will continue to experience such trends of diversity in the future. Consequently multicultural planning has a particularly important and unique role in Australia to help create unique, harmonious and culturally pluralistic communities, suburbs and cities. Multiculturalism is applicable to all persons living in a multicultural society and given it is focused on facilitating and respecting cultural differences, multiculturalism acts as unifying force. Development is predicated on the needs of the surrounding society and since we are a multicultural society, multiculturalism will influence the entire development process, but multiculturalism specifically influences planning development in three unique ways:
1) Additional Rational/ technical component
Differing localised demographics resulting from Australian immigration patterns form significant analytical categories for identifying the need for community services and the social conditions experienced in neighbourhoods. This is already being used in Australian health care planning where the need for health care service provision is partially identified by demographics including race.
Multiculturalism adds to the complexity of society and subsequently the planning field so Planners need to be pay particular attention to understanding the needs of clients, especially when they represent minatory groups to ensure they have adequate representation in the planning process. Such a need is highlighted by the Royal British Town Planning whose study found that in Britain, ethnic and racial minorities suffered comparatively high refusal rates for development “permissions”- assuming this study is accurate this represent an ethical for planners. Additionally the facilitative planner to spend time listening and understanding the needs of ethnic minorities before action is taken.
Planning organisation will need tailor their procedures and policies so that they maximise their accommodation of the needs of the multicultural community. In Vancouver and Toronto this achieved through the establishment substantial consultative procedures within the planning process. This allows ethnic individuals and communities to articulate their needs and visions to planning departments.
Major Metropolitan centres are beginning to accommodate multiculturalism, however these inclusive processes have not yet been widely demonstrated in small cities where ethnic minorities do not typically represent significant political forces. The next major step in strengthening pluralistic planning will be provisions to ensure the inclusion of ethnic/cultural minorities on decision making boards as well as ensuring planning departments employ professionals from diverse backgrounds to ensure appreciation of cultural and racial differences.
Business enclave: Chinatown, Toronto. A paragon of where were planning mechanisms have helped preserve and facilitate an established area of ethnicity and culture.
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