This project analysed the role of building and planning policy and regulations in delivering sustainable buildings and cities. It reviews policy and best practice, analyses VCAT data and cases, and draws on focus group results.

Urban fringe residential estates continue to dominate the residential development sector in Australia. Several practice based sustainability assessment tools have recently been developed which acknowledge the impacts of such developments and attempt to improve outcomes. This paper examines how sustainability principles and concepts are presented and applied in such assessment tools, focusing on two Australian based examples, the Sustainable Community Rating Tool and EnviroDevelopment.