Heart Foundation Wins Pet Friendly Planning Award

A planning and design tool that encourages the consideration of dogs in public open spaces has won the
inaugural 2012 Pet Friendly Planning Award.

The ‘Matrix of Like Design Considerations’ – a tool that can be used to demonstrate synergies between guidelines
that influence design in the built environment was entered by the National Heart Foundation of Australia (SA
Division).

The search for a planning project that best considered the needs of our pets was launched in July by the Planning
Institute of Australia (PIA) and the Petcare Information Advisory Service (PIAS).

Heart Foundation Acting CEO, Wendy Keech said the Heart Foundation was very proud to receive this award as
dog ownership produces considerable health benefits and provides an important form of social support that
encourages dog owners to walk.

“With the high level of dog ownership in Australia, the relationship between dog ownership and physical activity
levels is important,” Ms Keech said.

“With 67% of adults not doing the recommended amount of physical activity, these design considerations will
encourage more people to be active, reducing their risk of heart disease – Australia’s biggest single killer.

Two commendations awarded in the 2012 Pet Friendly Planning Awards went to the Hume City Council at
Broadmeadows in Victoria and the Onkaparinga City Council in South Australia.

The Judges said both local authorities provided good examples of how the provision of pet friendly places could
be advanced. Their entries demonstrated extensive research, community engagement, and thorough
consideration of the design that went into the development of enclosed dog parks.

The judging panel was made up of Melbourne based town planner Virginia Jackson; an international expert in pet
friendly planning and the built environment, Susan Thompson, Associate Professor and Director of the Healthy
Built Environments Program of UNSW and Jason Black, National Board Director of the Planning Institute of
Australia and Director of Insight Planning.

The judges were impressed by the Heart Foundation’s entry in the way that it has presented pet friendly planning
as part of the overall healthy built environment package.

Associate Professor Susan Thompson said planning now needs to consider all members of society, including dog
owners.
“We are dealing with increased urban density and have to refine our strategies,” Professor Thompson said.

“Conflicting and contrasting planning guidelines caused by some organisations pushing their particular design
agendas is often a great frustration. This is something the Heart Foundation seeks to address in their overall
approach toward planning for healthier communities.”

PIA National President Dyan Currie congratulated the Heart Foundation for its on-going interest in planning and
helping to create healthier places.

“The Heart Foundation worked closely with PIA in creating the Healthy Spaces and Places program to ensure
better planned and healthier communities for the future”, Ms Currie said.

“HSP is working with people in local government, urban design and other practitioners engaged is planning,
designing or developing urban environments.

“The planning, layout and design of our towns, cities, neighbourhoods and community spaces have a direct
bearing on healthy communities. It’s nice to see our pets are now being considered in healthy planning
endeavours.”

The 2012 Pet Friendly Planning Award recognises planners whose work encourages the social integration of pets
in city precincts and public spaces.

The value of the award is $8,000 with the announcement made today, World Town Planning Day. The winning
project will be officially launched by the Heart Foundation in December and showcased at the 2013 PIA National
Congress in Canberra.
PIA National President Dyan Currie