Has Canberra's unique planning helped minimise the spread of coronavirus?

Yet key characteristics of his winning design, which borrowed heavily from the city beautiful and garden city concepts of the early 1900s, have eased social-distancing tension in 2020, Canberra Town Planning director Nichelle Jackson says.

Ms Jackson said well-connected green spaces - key features that reflect garden city principles - had no doubt made it less risky for Canberrans to spend time outdoors during coronavirus than more densely populated cities.

"The spacious and careful design of our parks and open spaces allows us to safely practice social distancing," Ms Jackson said.

Professor at the Australian National University Medical School, Dr Louise Stone, said the fact Canberrans tended to spend time outdoors could have contributed to containing ACT coronavirus case numbers.

"We may not know how to treat this virus but our immune systems certainly know how to fight virus off," she said.

"The three most important things you can do to stay healthy is good sleep, diet and exercise. The capacity to get outside and still practice social distancing is a huge bonus."

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Deloitte economist Chris Richardson said the hallmark of a successful city had once been high density, but the pandemic had changed that.

"Density hurts," Mr Richardson said. "It comes with health risks."

Ms Jackson said Canberra's shared density through self-sufficient town centres, group centres and local centres had developed with varied success from suburb to suburb.

"The structure is intended to make sure suburbs have everything locals need and some are operating and thriving around those bustling centres," Ms Jackson said, pointing to Lyneham and Ainslie

"If you happen to be a bit further out from these centres you could be at a disadvantage."

Former ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia, Catherine Carter, said older suburbs tended to be less well-connected to work and shopping precincts than more recent developments.

The Salon Canberra director said while it was easy to get outside to exercise, the "neighbourhood principles" which established places like Woden or Belconnen discouraged traffic and made services less accessible without a car.

"It's extremely easy for people in Canberra to get fresh air and exercise. It's not necessarily as easy for everyone to get to work or the shops if you're going to walk there," she said.

Coordinator at the Heart Foundation in Canberra, Meg Ryan, said the ACT Planning Strategy of 2018 had detailed changes to increase the city's "walkability".

She said part of the legislation was to ensure newer suburbs were built with adequate footpaths and some older areas which lacked adequate footpaths would be upgraded.

"Overall Canberra is well-connected through its walk and bike paths," she said.

"But there's always room for improvement."

Ms Ryan said the coronavirus had brought more people outdoors to "rediscover the green spaces in their local areas".

ACT president of Australian Institute of Architects, Shannon Battisson, said Canberra's best asset right now was its combination of lower density and meaningful design of green spaces.

"It's something I am passionate about doing better in our newer suburbs to make sure that we don't leave these green spaces behind in our rush to develop new areas," he said.

Setting a vision for future development, community consultation conducted ahead of the ACT Government's City Plan identified a desire for a city centre with a "vitality that draws people to it at all times of the day and night: in effect, to make the city centre the focus of civic, cultural and recreational life".

Ms Carter said despite concerns we may have over the future spread of disease, Canberra needed a primary centre where "highest order uses" were located.

"The community has, over several decades, expressed a strong desire for the renewal of the city centre. I don't believe that will change," Ms Carter said.

"In Canberra we can have the best of both worlds, living close to nature while at the same time becoming a more connected city with real choices about the way we live and move around."

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