Beyond the station precinct
High-speed rail planning and governance transformation in regional Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22415792 |
|---|---|
| Authors | James Whitten (Monash University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-15 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Australian Planner (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0729-3682 • E-ISSN: 2150-6841 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/07293682.2026.2701083 |
| OpenAlex | W7168370742 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 89 |
Advocates often present high-speed rail (HSR) as a solution to multiple planning challenges by associating it with sustainable mobility, urban regeneration, regional development and productivity growth. However, the uneven effects of HSR can exacerbate socioeconomic and environmental problems if project planning is narrowly construed as a technical challenge for transport engineers and urban economists. While HSR advocates appeal to public concerns about ‘crises’ afflicting Australian cities and regions, urban planning knowledge remains subsidiary and can run contrary to prevailing project visions and governance strategies. This article investigates the challenges inherent in HSR planning by reviewing speakers’ contributions to the Australian High Speed Rail Association 2025 conference. As the Australian Government commences detailed planning for the Newcastle-to-Sydney corridor, the conference serves as a microcosm of advocates’ arguments for HSR development. Although the speakers embrace urban issues, technocratic approaches dominate current thinking, crowding out critical insights that can lead to a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities. The review explores new ways of thinking about HSR by viewing the speakers’ arguments through an urban planning and design lens. The analysis is organised around several urban crises in the sights of advocates: a ‘polycrisis’ of failures in housing, climate, transport and economic policy that HSR is purported to address. Building on international research and examples cited by the speakers, the review finds that success will require more than good project planning and governance – it hinges on transformative regional politics to redress asymmetries in Australia’s federal system that hinder integrated planning.
Corporate governance · Regional planning · Transformation processes · Urban planning · Aviation Industry Analysis and Trends · Transport and Economic Policies · transportation and logistics systems
Survival of the unfittest
Characterizing the Global Polycrisis
Understanding the lived experience and benefits of regional cities
Global polycrisis
High-speed rail new towns and their impacts on urban sustainable development
The impacts of high-speed railway on environmental sustainability
Impact of high-speed rail on road traffic and greenhouse gas emissions
Multi-scalar urban densities
Development Contributions for Regional and State Infrastructure – A Case Study of Melbourne, Australia
High-speed rail, inter-regional accessibility, and regional innovation
Spatial and socioeconomic inequities in liveability in Australia’s 21 largest cities
Transport investment and the promotion of economic growth
The impacts of high-speed trains on British economic geography
High-speed rail and regional development
All Aboard the Neoliberal Bullet Train? The Environmental Political Economy of High-Speed Rail In Canada
Shocking the Suburbs
Upzoning and value capture
Factors driving the regrowth of European cities and the role of local and contextual impacts
Locating the public interest in mega infrastructure planning
Urban Democracy and the Local Trap
Phronetic planning research
Proposing an ethics of care
| Highly cited | No |
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