RCI Planning is a town planning consultancy run by Stephen Rowley, an urban planner with two decades of experience at local and state government. Stephen is the Planning Editor of the Victorian Planning Reports, an experienced VCAT advocate, and a planning educator. He is the author of The Victorian Planning System: Practice, Problems and Prospects, the standard introductory text about Victoria’s planning system.
Town planning is about building great places, and creating a sustainable and socially just future. Yet in practice, day-to-day planning practice is characterised by complex and frequently frustrating bureaucracy. A planning consultant needs to be able to see and communicate the big-picture vision of polices and projects, while having the technical knowledge to navigate the detail. Stephen has the ideal blend of experience to achieve that balance.
Stephen is one of the profession’s leading voices on the operation of the Victorian planning system. His critical insights into the structure of the VPPs and their intersection with planning practice are highly valued across the sector.
Planning News, February 2022
His comprehension of complex matters and his representation skills before VCAT are often sought by communities, colleagues and clients. Stephen has a reputation as a skilled critical thinker, with an ability to cut through traditional planning issues.
Key areas of practice include:
- Expert witness work before VCAT (for panels work find him at SGS Economics and Planning).
- Statutory planning, including overflow work.
- Training, with a focus on statutory planning practice.
You can click any of the key practice areas above for more details of the services RCI Planning provides. For more about Stephen’s background in the industry and the unique skill-set he brings to urban planning work, click here.
Stephen’s strategic planning services, including expert witness work at planning panels, are available in his role as a Senior Associate at SGS Economics and Planning.