Politics of recollection: examining the rise and fall of DURD and better cities through narrative

Abstract

DURD and Better Cities seemingly bore little resemblance to each other, yet these two urban ‘projects’ set out to transform the politico-culture of institutional urban management. Their approach to how the Commonwealth should be involved in urban management, their respective policies, and strategies that both projects used to gain legitimacy within government differed. This article examines through narrative the ‘politics’ of urban policy within Australian Federal political governance.