Discuss the Changing Urban Dynamics of One City Selected from the Developed World.

Barangaroo is an ambitious urban renewal project happening currently in Sydney. Since its approval in 2007, the Barangaroo project has been the focal point for groups such as Lend Lease to reestablish Sydney’s mark in the world. The project embodies urban efficiency and environmental sustainability (named as being “climate positive ”) with world-class architecture/design. Barangaroo is a historically prevalent landmark of Sydney with Aboriginal associations of the Cadigal people. Primarily being used as a loading dock for incoming ships, Barangaroo has and will be further transformed into a multifarious region of Sydney with Residential, Tourism and Recreation as the pivotal points of it. The Site will be divided into 3 main sections: Barangaroo South (tourism and retail); Barangaroo Central (Recreation, entertainment) and Barangaroo Point (Grand harbor Park of Sydney).

The suburb of Pyrmont on the shores of Sydney Harbour has been transformed by the processes of urban renewal into a thriving cosmopolitan residential area, an efficient and sophisticated business centre, and a popular recreational and tourist hub. Through my own observation of the Pyrmont area, I have seen how the painstaking urban planning efforts for the area have come to fruition, and a focal point of the Harbour foreshore created as a result of this.

Prior to urban renewal, Pyrmont-Ultimo had residents with similar incomes. However to achieve the goal of social equity plans were made for a mixed, high-density, medium-rise residential area. Approximately 7500 new dwellings have been constructed plus the renovation of 1400 existing dwellings. The aim was to cater for all household types such as families, couples and singles, provide affordable housing for middle to low income earners, provide residential dwellings with waterfront access and with water and city views, protect existing housing, retain a socially diverse residential population which includes all income groups, provide opportunities to live close to places of work and to create a high quality urban environment. The provision of affordable or public housing was an important aspect to consider in the process. Without some sort of intervention to provide this affordable housing, the attractiveness of living close to Sydney’s CBD would only be reserved for high income earners as dwellings would be too expensive and rent would be too high. From a social equity point of view it was therefore vital to provide

"Urban consolidation is the process of increasing or maintaining the density of housing in established residential areas. The ultimate aim of urban consolidation is to reduce development on the fringe areas of the city. It is often realised by densification, high-rise development and urban renewal." The process of Urban Consolidation involves an increase in the number of houses or apartments within existing areas so that they can have more efficient use of services and reduce the impact on the environment. Urban Consolidation is used as a means to reduce the total amount of land needed to house the population. Ultimately it is through the; demographics and population, changing nature of the built environment, and transport, that a study of urban consolidation in chatswood can be underaken.

Urban regeneration is defined as improving an area that has been experiencing a period of decline due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of employment, lack of investment in the CBD, suburbanisation etc. Ways that this can be resolved include property led regeneration, prestige project developments and partnership development schemes. These have all been carried out in the UK recently due to urban decline in some areas, and some have been more successful in others, in terms of its effectiveness on the location, effectiveness on problems that existed beforehand and the effect on the local community. Most importantly, the

Urban consolidation in Pyrmont will also increase the number of houses within Pyrmont therefore prevented the sizing of the houses. Families commonly look for housing with a backyard and area for their children to run around and play in, however urban consolidation in Pyrmont has made it very rare to find a house that contains a back garden constraining the buyers and residents living in Pyrmont to typically working class professionals, older couples or single wealthy men and women.

With the population of 43,374 (2011 census) and growth rate increasing (average annual rate of 2.2%), Blacktown City is recognised to be the largest and one of the fastest growing in any Local Government Area in NSW. Anticipated to reach 500, 000 by the year 2031 from factors of urban sprawl, birth and migrants, the struggle to uphold Blacktown’s liveability is a crucial aspect in the demands of the futures security of individuals and the general publics ‘contentment which is also significant to sustain the expanding population. Effective management strategies that manage issues in relation to economics, environments and social aspects that ensure the advancements of economic prosperity, social stability, educational opportunities, cultural, entertainment and recreation possibilities must be put to plan so no consequences arise with the suspected increase of the population and managing urban sprawl.

There are many who suggest the solution to the decline of the suburbs is to urbanize the area by densifying and overall making the suburbs more similar to a city. Laura Vaughan argues that the development of a spatial layout similar to that of a city would help the suburbs to become more efficient socially and economically. However, this approach directly contrasts the purpose of the suburbs, which was originally meant to provide a private, quiet environment for single family homes away from loud and busy city life. In his book, “Sprawl: A Compact History,” Robert Bruegmann explains that suburbia is not a bad thing but possesses “benefits that urban planners fail to recognize” and is a natural process of the growth of urbanism. While the suburban landscape does possess much potential, those who support the continued existence of the suburbs as they exist are naive and fail to recognize the environmental, social, and economical impact that the suburbs impose. The suburbs possess many social and political issues that need to be addressed. There is no doubt that there is massive potential in the suburban

With the expansion of Australia urbanization occurred to improve the living conditions as well as providing more opportunities for jobs in factories, but in some cases urbanisation only made things worse specifically the poorer and more vulnerable people in

With new malls and excitements in residential areas, communities started to set their minds on forming larger suburbs to bring in more

The world has been evolving as quickly as the population has grown. As the years progressed, the habitual lifestyle has transformed from spread out house and land living to city and suburban occupation. Along with the living style, cities have progressed from just roads and buildings to multifunctional spaces with copious possibilities. Federation Square in the ‘heart of the city’ is an example of how a space in the city vastly contributes to the visual culture of Melbourne. Times Square in New York also displays how what was previously an intersection of roads, has been transformed into a visual landmark. Melbourne city had always lacked a functional public space ever since its birth.

When the supply of resources can’t keep up with the citizens’ demands, areas are revamped to fit growing needs. Politicians have also chosen to ‘help’ neglected areas when they see a possibility for profit or gain. Throughout the last century, people have been increasingly shifting from rural to urban living. The more people moving into a city increases the need for housing and businesses.

Urban regeneration is at the forefront of government policies, and is the subject of much polemic. There are numerous examples of this in the UK such as Glasgow, Bristol and Liverpool; there are clearly advantages for these cities in terms of improved resources, but this has also depersonalised certain communities. Some of the areas cleared for redevelopment were homes to large numbers of people and the places they were attached to; “the over-writing of historical and cultural identities will alienate and marginalise embedded social groups” (Zukin, cited in Scheffler). Communities are also being dismantled/displaced in the countryside: there is much discussion for example of the proposed HS2 train link which could lead to compulsory purchases and destruction of local habitats. More and more city dwellers are eager to escape the stresses of the urban environment and buy up holiday homes in villages, thus making it increasingly difficult for

A major demographic change impacting Australia is the ageing population, it is expected that this change will accelerate over the coming years. (Corcoranb & Hana, 2014 pp. 2) The process of this begun during the post-war period and has started to impact Australia’s ability to cater to an ageing population. This is a result of the baby boomer generation beginning the transition from their work life into retirement. (Corcoranb & Hana, 2014 pp. 2) The ability to accommodate the ageing population has prompted questions regarding which areas will gain high levels of the ageing population growth and what services need to be provided to sustain this change. Corcoranb’s et al focuses on the spatial distribution in QLD and the impacting factors. The paper discusses reasons as to why ageing Australians may relocate to a new destination; some of these include a change in climate, retirement, deteriorating health and so on. According to Corcoranb et al (2014) a high proportion of ageing Australians move to more coastal regions due to the warmer climates.

What is the impact of unsustainable practices in the development of new cities like Canberra on Global Systems? (Draw on any experiences from your own background)