Planning Research Centre
Senate at its meeting on 2nd November 1964 resolved to ratify the Constitution of the Planning Research Centre within the University of Sydney within the Department of Town and Country Planning. The Centre was set up as a University Foundation. The entire control, management and conduct of the Centre was vested in the Council of the Centre with the Professor of Town and Country Planning being the Director of the Centre. The activities of the Centre were financed by its members. The Council of the Centre held its inaugural meeting on 4th November 1964. The Centre was to keep minutes of its meetings and report annually to Senate. Early minutes for the Council of the Centre are kept at G3/221, G3/119.
Its objects were to advise the Senate of the University and the Vice Chancellor on matters associated with research within the department of Town and Country Planning and particularly
a) To collaborate with other Departments within the University of Sydney or other Universities or appropriate institutions, in carrying out fundamental research into problems connected with physical planning and development
b) To further the general understanding of the problems of urban and rural development by bringing together in seminars, sort courses and conferences, members of the business, professional and academic community
c) To make better known through lectures and publications, knowledge of the facts connected with urban and rural development for the assistance of those responsible at all levels of government, business and professional activities
d) To solicit donations, gifts and bequests to the University of Sydney to assist the Centre in its activities
e) To undertake any additional matters in furtherance of the above objectives that the Council may from time to time decide.
(University Calendar 1968 p 389)
The Director's Report for 1976 notes that there were some policy changes during 1976. The Centre attempted to integrate its activities more with those of the Department of Planning and to increase the communication between Centre and Department.
The Senate Minutes of 5 October 2004, item 4.2 note that 'When it was inaugurated in the 1970s [sic] by request of the Foundation Professor of Town and Country Planning Professor Denis Winston, the Planning Research Centre was established as a Foundation. While it has had a Council, a Constitution and members, and while it has charged those members subscription dues to belong to the Centre, it has not functioned as a foundation, in that it has not seen itself primarily involved in fund raising. It has instead functioned as a research centre, as clearly implied in its name. It continues to serve as the arm of the Faculty most concerned with urban and regional planning research and application to professional planning policy'. (see page C1 of the meeting minutes) At that meeting Senate resolved
(i) that the Planning Research Centre be dissolved as a foundation; (ii) noted that the Vice-Chancellor would immediately establish the Planning Research Centre as a research centre under the relevant University policy subject to the recommendation of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research ad Innovation); and (iii) resolved that the Denis Winston Memorial Fund, which had been administered by the Planning Research Centre, be administered by the Faculty of Architecture in the same manner as all other Faculty Capital Preserved Trusts for scholarships and prizes.' (resolution 304/04)
In 2016 the Planning Research Centre (PRC) sought to further fundamental research into the physical planning and development of cities and metropolitan regions. http://sydney.edu.au/architecture/prc/ viewed on 4/3/2016.
Senate 14.12.2017: Resolution SEN_7/15.98
As part of the University's strategic planning 2016-2020, Senate decided in December 2015 to reduce the number of faculties from 16 to six, with three additional schools reporting directly to the Provost to come into effect 1 January 2017. The Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning was one of these schools and became The University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.