"Urban renewal precinct" might be a catchy term but it's not one that many Canberrans embrace and indeed one they often fight aggressively against.

For it is urban renewal that causes the slow disappearance of green spaces in the community, the high-rise apartments going up in town centres, the redevelopment of local shops into mixed-use precincts.

While some projects are accepted more than others the idea that the national capital needs to change is still abhorrent to many people.

There is no question our population is growing and we can no longer continue to spread towards the NSW boundary in an ever-expanding mass of single residential blocks.

But getting the balance right between greenfield and infill development is a challenge and one the government is arguably not meeting.

The reforms to the planning sector of government may go some way in improving the situation.

The ACT government might not be ready to reveal too much of the precinct plan for the Woden route but there's no doubt it will be a different proposition to what happened along the Gungahlin route.

The Land Development Agency sold 32 sites along the Flemington Road precinct for more than $91 million over a period of about seven years.

Big profits will still remain a factor but redeveloping land in established Canberra will be much more of a challenge.

Any future "urban renewal precinct" will need to meet at least one of the following conditions: that it "facilitate" integrated commercial and residential development; integrate development with public transport or have benefits to the community, economy and environment.

We look forward to knowing more about which criteria this new Woden light rail corridor plan will meet and what it means for the community.