This paper seeks to contribute to the development of principles for effective sustainability assessment. Drawing upon three sustainability assessments of project proposals conducted recently in Western Australia, three important aspects of good process are identified: the "question" that guides the assessment process; the influence of the assessment process on the development of the final proposal; and the basis for sustainability decision-making. These three aspects are closely inter-related, and also influenced by and related to the prevailing policy context and institutional arrangements guiding the assessment. Recommendations are made for more effective sustainability assessment processes in Western Australia; and the ultimate contribution that effective sustainability assessments of project proposals could make to a more sustainable society is considered. The broader Western Australian political, cultural and social context within which the assessments have been conducted is described, in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of the issues discussed and therefore to maximise the potential for others to learn from these experiences.

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Australia's population is projected to triple by 2101, yet the nation lacks coordinated planning based on systematic regional analysis. This paper documents a novel national-scale suitability analysis of Australia which identifies the most appropriate regions for future urban development. The central research question is 'Where should Australian federal and state governments encourage urban development to maximise climatic liveability, protect natural and cultural heritage, capitalise on previous infrastructure investments, and maximise economic productivity?' The results indicate that the south-east and south-west of the country, and Tasmania, are preferred. The federal government is yet to prepare a national settlement strategy and contemplates large scale urban development in areas to which it is not suited. Regional planning decisions not based on comprehensive, evidence-based analysis are likely to incur significant social, economic and environmental costs.

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Increased heat stress and sea-level rise, associated with climate change could threaten the viability of some cities by the latter part of this century. This paper reviews urban development patterns in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and concludes these cities are highly vulnerable to elevated wet-bulb temperatures and sea level rise. This is predominantly due to the focus of development along the Gulf coastline, where these issues are concentrated. In response, this paper ventures regional planning responses to adapt to these threats through decentralising populations to inland areas.