Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Urban Sprawl or Consolidation: Jordan Springs

1) This is an example of Urban Sprawl because its the expansion of borders and a new suburb near Penrith as it isn't the renovation/renewal of a existing suburb/city but a enlargement of living space for people to become residents of.
2) I think the construction of the town Jordan Springs is actually has a negative effect on the surrounding community for a number of reasons. For example, some people, especially some Aborigine Tribes have complained that their heritage land is being stripped from them forcefully and impacting on their own living space that they have held for thousands of years. Other people have complained because it is depleting the natural beauty of the original woodland and lakes with the building of a town to create a funner 'community' aswell as more jobs and living space. There would be long term advantages in maintaining and preserving the Cumberland Plain Woodland that is the main focal opinion of many people. The creation of Jordan Springs also destroys habitats of animals, this point has probably not even been considered by the government and the removal of these habitats may cause a sudden drop in the population of certain species. For Sydney, the only advantage is that it would create more living space for people. The main disadvantage is the non-conservation of the woodland because if you kept the trees rather than remove them, you would allow CO2 levels to stay lower, rather than increase as there are less trees and more emission creating buildings and vehicles. For Australia, Jordan Springs can also be used as a center for asylum seekers or new (legal) residents rather than having to create more houses in already populated areas. There are many disadvantages such as the rise in pollution levels which Australia doesn't need. Also there is the serious possibility of nobody wanting to move in to Jordan Springs with only temporary jobs in construction and no definite jobs in any other service.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Urban Planning and Development Page 213

1) Urban Sprawl is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density, auto-dependent development on rural land, with associated design features that encourage car dependency.
2) Urban Consolidation is the increase of dwelling densities within established areas over and above that which is already there through infill or redevelopment of existing buildings.
3) A highly urbanized country means its has a high population density, a high proportion of the population working in manufacturing and/or professional or service-related industries. High urbanized countries are also centres of business, trade, tourism, entertainment and finance.
4) The statistics that suggest Australia is high urbanized are that it has over 65% of its population in its capital cities, the availability of flat land and coastal locations are encouraging people to move into those capital cities. The United Nations has also successfully estimated that 92% of Australians live in an urbanized area.
5) The fact that each capital cities location are linked to coastal locations, historical values, transport advantages and a favorable climate aswell as availability of flat ground for building development
6) Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. This is related to urban sprawl as the larger a population is, the more suburbs are created in a city to expand outwards to fit the amount of people in comfortably. The problem with this is the cost of infrastructure and supplies needed to build these new areas and the removal of nature.
7) Australian cities have very low population density in comparison to other cities such as Mumbai and Cairo. There has been a recent shift in Australians wanting to live in small houses and apartments rather than in detached houses. Unlike other countries, Australia's available land to be expanded upon, its quite large compared to London or Paris.
8) Urban consolidation is able to provide a new suburb with the latest technology and equipment needed to allow its population to live comfortably aswell as not having to expand so quickly outwards. The main factor of urban consolidation over urban sprawl is that it allows the population to use features such as public transport, electricity and water supplies can be used more intensely
9) Urban planners have managed to innovate new designs for apartments and new estates to manage the problem of population growth in cities. They have been able to create apartments and estates that are smaller but more comfortable for the person/people living inside.
10A) Melbourne
B) It is measured in the number of people living per square kilometre
C) Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wollongong, Perth, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra, Gosford and Brisbane
D) 80% of Australia's largest 10 cities have more than 1000 people living in a square kilometre
11) Some of the opinions of the detached housing residents would be that the construction of apartments takes too long or that its prices make a suburbs total value decrease. The impacts would be that current residents would be disturbed be construction workers, sound(s) and possible obstructions and time delays on roads and transport.
12) The advantages of living in a detached estate would be that you can choose more specifically where you want to live, you can control the tidiness of your own home, you need to pay less maintenance and service fees, you can use your house as a social area without having to worry so much about other residents in the nearby area, and prices don't change for rent. Disadvantages are the interest on mortgages, cost of the entire area and renovation and the availability of land space and the cost of the land itself

Monday, March 7, 2011

Urban Renew and Decay

Aesthetics - The appreciation of, and sensitivity towards, works of art, designs, products, objects or artifacts. An example is the aesthetics of a building. This example relates to the word as people's feelings and mindset change around the relative looks of a building, inside and outside. If its a warm, colorful and well presented building, people will feel more at home and more comfortable. If its a run-down, rotting building, people will be anxious and uncomfortable

Safety - The condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences. An example is OH&S regulations. OH&S regulations ensure the wellbeing of a person in the outdoors or the workplace. This relates to safety as the person would be safe from most types of harm, especially physical

Slums - A district of a city marked by poverty and inferior living conditions. An example is a third world area or overpopulated city such as Mumbai. Mumbai's living conditions include 55% of people living in a slum within a 6% area of Mumbai's living space. Slum growth rate is much higher than urban growth.

Decay - The organic phenomenon of rotting. A badly maintained house is an example of decay. This relates to the word as a house that isn't maintained properly would have termites, fungus, collapsing supports and items. This would be uncomfortable for the resident

Reconstruction and renewal - Turning an area to become hospitable or able to be cultivated. A slum would be an example as it would have to be renewed of its waste, decay and poor living conditions to be made properly hospitable and cultivated.

Transport - Moving something or somebody around from one place to the other. An example is public transport. This allows people to catch buses, ferries or trains to get from one place to another easily

Suburbanization - A term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. An example is Surry Hills, where the growth of population in that area has increased greatly over the years. In this case, there was no urban sprawl and the area has been increased in value and average income of each resident

Environmental Factors - Factors in the environment that may have an effect on our development or growth eg diet, atmospheric pollutants, cigarette smoke, preservatives, X-rays. These are linked as they would change the way people would consider about living or going to an area. E.g. Going to King's Cross at night or going to Hornsby is clear example as many people would rather Hornsby because of King's Cross' reputation.

Light and Sound - Factors which are technically environmental as they affect the outlook of an area greatly. An example is urbanization and developing of technology. As technology and vehicles such as trains are introduced or used more often, would create much more sound than a regular area with no trains. Light would be a factor as lighting or the brightness (sunlight) of an area would affect people's moods and feelings about that particular place

Sunday, March 6, 2011

7.8 Stuarts Point Revegetation

1) Stuarts Point located on the Mid-North Coast of NSW. 5 kilometers long with a width varying between 200 - 400 metres. Covers an area of 80 hectares and separates the beach from the Macleay River
2) 1893 - Cattle grazing destroys fragile vegetation due to a large flood
1893 - Three more ocean breaches occur on different occasions due to storms
May 1965 - Advice on the vegetation planting is given to the progress association
August 1965 - More cattle grazing destroys attempts at revegetation in the area
1970 - Revegetation is successful which therefore creates the stabilization of sand dunes
1972 - Controlling access to the sand dunes is granted
3) The local community plays a large part in the revegetation of Stuarts Point as they help revegetate by growing near plants aswell as staying away from them so they can't trample them. Also, the can now stop cattle grazing by building fence sand other things to help the sand dunes
4) The people of Stuart's Point are interested and motivated in stabilizing the sand dunes as their income depends on the fishing and tourism industry that motivates foreigners from Australia and overseas to fish at Stuart's Point. Also, many expensive homes are located around the sand dunes and losing them would be millions of dollars lost in property. So losing the sand dunes would impact very much on the locals lost the sand dunes
5) The natural vegetation succession used three dune areas, the Primary (Incipient) , Secondary (Fore) and Tertiary (Hind) Species which all had different types of plants. The Primary dune had grasses and creepers, Secondary had shrubs and short living trees and Tertiary species had long living trees
6) Vegetation is important in stabilizing sand dunes because plants make the sand rigid and allows it to stop water from washing away the plants
7) Cattle grazing destroyed the fragile vegetation on the Incipient dune by either being trampled or eaten whilst the plants were vulnerable
8) The changes to the sand dune area would be that the sand dune would become barren because of constant cattle grazing. There would be no sand dunes because all the sand would of the process of wind deposition which would move sand else where which would create an unprotected sand dune
9) The groups involved in the rehabilitation program were Stuarts Point Association, the Soil Conservation Service of NSW, the locals at Stuarts Point, Department of Land, Department of Public Works and the Macleay Shire Council
10) The first stage in creating a stable coastal vegetated area is to use a tractor to create a foredune, and when this is done, a dune-forming sense is built. Next, Marram grass and coastal spinifex is grown to stabilize the dune. The second stage is to plant trees along the riverbank to stabilize the area. Seedlings native to the area are grown between the riverbank and the fore dune, then rapid growing wattles were then planted just before tertiary vegetation was grown to stabilize the entire dune.
12) Longshore drift and therefore deposition and transportation would've been the reason the river mouth silted up. After many years without prevention, the sand deposited would've completely closed off the river mouth.
13) A) The stabilization of the sand dunes was a success and the sand located in the area rarely moves
B) The Macleay River ecosystem was changed and animals had new habitats and living areas after revegetation but the Bitou Bush is now spreading rapidly and controlling the dunes vegetation
C) This has benefited groups as the fishing and tourism industries has stayed with a positive income aswell as the expensive waterfront homes have been saved.
14)

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

7.6 Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project

1) It became necessary to extend the Tweed River breakwaters because the continual build of sand on the southern side caused the river mouth to silt up again, which meant the entrance wasn't safe to use
2) There wouldn't be any sand to be collected for beach nourishment for the Gold Coast Beaches as there would've been before the breakwaters created as there would be less of a sand buildup. Also, after a severe storm, more sand would be built up along the Southern side of the Tweed River would be a lot more trucking of sand into the Gold Coast which would cost a lot more
3) Due to sandbars constantly forming along the entrance to the Tweed River, ships couldn't enter the River because they would run aground. The natural process is called longshore drift
4) Dredging of the Tweed River was a short term goal as it didn't last long as more and more sand continuously built up and the cost of having to dredge it all out was extremely expensive as it had to be done regularly
5) TRESBP replaced natural longshore drift by shifting the built up sand onto other beaches through pipes so that the sand would nourish other beaches and outlets inside of letting the sand and silt building up on the Tweed River
6) The TRESBP was one of the most successful coastal management schemes because it managed to remove the sand and silt build up on the Tweed River and removed it safely without causing harm to the environment, to other outlets such as West and East Snapper Rocks aswell as dredging to the Gold Coast. It also costs a lot less than constantly dredging to the Gold Coast via massive trucks.
7)
8) Since 1962, the breakwaters at the Tweed River have constantly got larger and larger to prevent the buildup of sand aswell as the money needed to extend breakwaters and maintain the River Entrance.
9) The lengths of breakwaters are roughly 250 metres on the North entrance and 25 metres on the South entrance