The state opposition plans to shake up planning laws to support the development of community hubs across Perth, creating jobs close to where people live.
WA Labor leader Mark McGowan said smarter thinking was needed for the growing city, where commuters were increasingly frustrated by congested roads.
Speaking to mayors and senior local government representatives today, Mr McGowan said he had a vision for creating community hubs across Perth's suburban sprawl, each of which would include a range of innovative housing options.
He said the hub concept would be aggressively pursued and underpinned by a revolution in planning to provide uniformity, consistency and certainty for local government and business.
Mr McGowan said the hubs would build on existing infrastructure such as universities and hospitals, and be linked to an integrated transport network.
The aim was to create more jobs closer to where people lived, Mr McGowan said.
He said urban centres such as Subiaco, Joondalup and Cockburn Central were successful examples, and Murdoch had potential to be a medical science, research and education-based hub.
"Hubs offer a way to take pressure off the relentless expansion of the metropolitan area," Mr McGowan said.
"We need to seriously consider what limit we should put on the endless sprawl.
"It's not good enough to just whack down a block of units on a quiet suburban street and call it infill."
Hubs would be developed in both new suburbs and in older established areas, he said.
