A three-week study aimed at making central Perth a more attractive place for people to live, work and relax will begin next week.
Premier Carmen Lawrence said the study would examine how public space in Perth city could be better used to bring a more vibrant and friendly atmosphere to the city.
The study had been commissioned by the State Government and the Perth City Council and would be undertaken by Professor Jan Gehl, professor of urban design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Dr Lawrence said statical data would be gathered on the use of public spaces such as streets, footpaths and parks within the city.
The information would be made available to planners, commercial associations and other groups involved in shaping the future of Perth.
"The Government is committed to ensuring that the city is an attractive, safe and inviting place for people who want to use it for a whole range of activities," Dr Lawrence said.
"Planning decisions in the future must ensure that Perth remains attractive not only to international or interstate tourists, but to the hundreds of thousands of Western Australians who rely on it for a whole range of commercial and cultural activities."
Professor Gehl, who was in Perth earlier this year for the `City Challenge' conference, will include Joondalup and Bunbury in his study.
The study would cost $40,000 with the Perth City Council contributing $14,000 and the remainder coming from various government departments and agencies.
