How planning limits its concern: a case study of planning for dogs in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

As urban planners focus on creating more sustainable cities, there is an increasing need to plan for other species. Found in around 40% of Australian households, dogs have a growing, legitimate presence in urban culture and society. Dogs however remain a neglected subject of urban planning scholarship and practice. This paper critically examines the practice of strategic planning as it applies to dogs in the urban context of Melbourne, Australia. Through a narrative of the institutional voices of practising strategic planners and other institutional discourse of local government, this paper provides a critical examination of how strategic planners shape–and limit–the concern of urban plannin..