tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/liveable-cities-23433/articles
Liveable cities – The Conversation
2023-07-14T14:51:26Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/208262
2023-07-14T14:51:26Z
2023-07-14T14:51:26Z
City liveability rankings tell a biased story – our research in Dhaka explains why
<p>Like many fast-growing megacities in Asia and Africa, Dhaka, in Bangladesh, is often stigmatised as one of the most unliveable cities on earth, due to overcrowding, slums and substandard housing. The Bangladeshi capital boasts around <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/dhaka-population">23 million</a> residents. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/global-liveability-index-2023/">2023 edition</a> of its annual global liveability index, the Economist Intelligence Unit (the research and analysis division of the Economist Group) ranked the Bangladeshi capital 166 out of 173 cities. As Helemul Alam of the Daily Star put it, that ranking makes it the <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/liveability-index-dhaka-seventh-least-liveable-city-world-3055296">“seventh least liveable city in the world”</a>. While such lists tell a compelling story, it is an inherently biased one. </p>
<p>The Economist’s global liveability index is based on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-most-liveable-city-title-isnt-a-measure-of-the-things-most-of-us-actually-care-about-101525">experiences of expats</a> rather than citizens. This kind of ranking inevitably privileges the perspectives of certain urban occupants and workers over others, often overlooking communities <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-most-liveable-city-title-isnt-a-measure-of-the-things-most-of-us-actually-care-about-101525">in urban peripheries</a>. </p>
<p>We have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02637758231168869">shown</a> that people move back and forth between urban and rural places. They shift between jobs, localities and accommodations. </p>
<h2>Translocal lives</h2>
<p>Our research was based on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork that we both conducted between 2015 and 2018. We were examining two kinds of spaces linked to seasonal and labour migration: rickshaw garages and mess dormitories. These are typically located on the margins of the city in neighbourhoods such as Mirpur, Rayerbazar, Kamrangirchar, Shonir Akhra and Badda. We interviewed more than 100 people passing through these spaces in search for work and income, from rickshaw drivers, construction workers and garment workers to small-scale entrepreneurs.</p>
<p>We found that both mess dormitories and rickshaw garages are brimming with movement and business. They accommodate varying numbers of workers throughout the year, depending on the seasons. They blur functions of sleeping, working and entrepreneurship. </p>
<p>In a 2019 paper for the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, Khandoker Abdus Salam and Rezaul Karim <a href="https://www.bilsbd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-Study-of-Rickshaw-Pullers-in-Dhaka-City.pdf">estimated</a> that there are 1.1 million cycle-rickshaws operating on the streets of Dhaka, accommodated in garages across the city. </p>
<p>Rickshaw garages vary significantly, from cramped tin shed storage spaces with a handful of rickshaws to large half-open structures of bamboo and corrugated iron. Some simply consist of an open field with anything from a handful of rickshaws to 200 vehicles. </p>
<p>Rickshaw drivers are almost exclusively men. They rent vehicles by the day. Most do not have a permanent home in the city. Instead, they use the provisional, rent-free accommodation the garages provide. </p>
<p>In their study, Salam and Karim found that only 45% of rickshaw pullers rent a room in the city with their family. Over 80% spend at least a week at their rural home every six months. </p>
<p>One driver we interviewed, Jalal, usually runs a fish farm on the coast and had turned to the rickshaw industry to supplement his earnings: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I do not drive a rickshaw permanently. I only came to Dhaka for four months. I lost my fish stock this rainy season due to heavy flooding.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Every night, Jalal slept on a bamboo platform above the garage in Dhaka along with about 25 other people. He hoped to be able to move back to his home and business in the countryside after the rainy season had ended.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A cycle-rickshaw driver on a Dhaka street." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537296/original/file-20230713-29-vhravo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Drivers operate an estimated 1.1 million cycle-rickshaws in Dhaka.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/MFABGE_IUH8">Alexis Rodriguez/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Multidirectional migration</h2>
<p>Mess dormitories host a much broader segment of the rural–urban migrant population. The men, women and families housed there work across numerous industries: domestic help, construction, garment factories, rickshaw and car garages, small-scale businesses, street food stalls and local restaurants. </p>
<p>Some dormitories are horizontal two-storey buildings. Others are built vertically, rising to four or five storeys. While typically made of permanent materials, these dormitories can seem unfurnished, as the most common living arrangement within them is on the floor. No beds were provided in the dormitories for men that we visited.</p>
<p>Makeshift walls of cardboard sometimes create separate sleeping quarters for women. Since moving to Dhaka, ten years ago, Ishrat, a 38-year-old home-based embroidery worker and a widowed mother of three, has moved eight times, in search of cheap rent and the ability to work from home so she can look after her children. As she explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Every morning I rearrange this room with only one bed into a workshop. I teach embroidery work to women in the neighbourhood and do not mind sleeping on the floor as long as the room had sufficient electricity to continue my work after dark.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dormitories offer flexible rental arrangements, from one-day or weekly rentals to monthly and year-long options. This allows people to move frequently.</p>
<h2>Cities as places of work</h2>
<p>Urbanisation in south Asia is often described in the media <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/mar/21/people-pouring-dhaka-bursting-sewers-overpopulation-bangladesh">in dystopian terms</a>. Cities are said to be overburdened by the pressure of migrants from rural areas, who have no other option than to settle in slums. </p>
<p>Two wrong assumptions underpin this kind of narrative. First, that the city is a bounded and self-contained unit that can somehow overflow. Second, that rural-urban migration is a one-way process, leading to permanent settlement.</p>
<p>Demographers have <a href="https://www.routledge.com/New-Forms-of-Urbanization-Beyond-the-Urban-Rural-Dichotomy/Champion-Hugo/p/book/9781138254831#:%7E:text=This%20book%20brings%20together%20a,ways%20of%20representing%20current%20trends.">long shown</a>, however, that the divide between city and countryside is increasingly blurred. </p>
<p>A primary driver of Dhaka’s rapid urban growth is rural-urban migration triggered by land loss, unemployment and <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i1255b/i1255b03.pdf">river bank erosion</a>. But this kind of move doesn’t happen in a linear fashion, nor is it necessarily permanent. As development studies expert Rita Afsar <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08d16e5274a31e0001632/WP-CP2.pdf">highlights</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Migration involves a spectrum of movement, from commuting or temporary, absence from the home for a couple of days at a time to seasonal or permanent relocation.</p>
</blockquote>
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<img alt="Two people on a rickshaw in the countryside." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537300/original/file-20230713-15-flfrsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Translocal livelihoods see people migrate back and forth between the city and the countryside.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/t0iKsO-RsYQ">Hasib Matiur/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dhaka is not merely a space of arrival or of residence. It is shaped by what the geographer Benjamin Etzold terms <a href="https://www.transient-spaces.org/blog/migrants-turn-cities-at-the-crossroads-into-transient-urban-spaces/">“translocality”</a>: people organising their lives and their livelihoods across different places. Doing so, as Ishrat and Jalal’s stories highlight, requires a monumental effort. </p>
<p>Cities need to be discussed not only in terms of their liveability but also in terms of their workability. What makes a city workable to people like Ishrat and Jalal is access to informal labour markets, cheap travel options, flexible housing and rental arrangements. It is also the possibility of maintaining translocal networks and livelihoods – of continuing to live between places.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208262/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shreyashi Dasgupta received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council ESRC – Cambridge Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant ES/W006391/1.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>The research conducted by Annemiek Prins was completed with the support of a grant from the Rosanna Fund for Women, as well as an Elphinstone Scholarship from the University of Aberdeen.</span></em></p>
What makes a city workable to many people is access to informal labour markets, cheap travel options, flexible housing and rental arrangements.
Shreyashi Dasgupta, Lecturer in Critical Social & Political Geography, University of Liverpool
Annemiek Prins, Postdoctoral researcher and lecturer, Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, Radboud University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/203921
2023-04-26T04:09:33Z
2023-04-26T04:09:33Z
Wanted: family-friendly apartments. But what do families want from apartments?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522514/original/file-20230424-18-hqb686.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C409%2C8054%2C5389&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The family-friendly apartment is an idea whose time has come. In the Liverpool CBD in Sydney, for example, half the apartments are occupied by families with children, our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2023.2197604">newly published study</a> found. This is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1709625">twice the average for metropolitan Sydney</a>. </p>
<p>The high proportion of families living in apartments in town centres like Liverpool is often overlooked when situated within suburbs dominated by detached, lower-density dwellings. </p>
<p>The proportion of families living in apartments challenges many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1709625">assumptions about high-rise living</a>. Apartments are often seen as “stepping stones” for singles and couples on their way to detached houses, or a convenient lifestyle option for downsizers and empty-nesters.</p>
<p>The families in our study prioritise large, centrally located apartments over detached car-dependent dwellings. However, we found there’s a lack of larger apartments designed to meet families’ needs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/quality-of-life-in-high-density-apartments-varies-here-are-6-ways-to-improve-it-139220">Quality of life in high-density apartments varies. Here are 6 ways to improve it</a>
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<h2>Families see benefits in apartment living</h2>
<p>The families we interviewed reported many benefits to apartment living. They valued being close to work, schools and leisure facilities, with easy walking access to diverse shops and services. </p>
<p>These preferences reflect the marketed benefits of compact living. And our research shows a range of households, including families with children, recognise these benefits. This points to a more fundamental shift in housing demand. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Families in a playground in front of high-rise apartments" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522523/original/file-20230424-26-7on2t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Families value the easy access to services and amenities that living in CBD apartments offers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Among our study participants, the birth of a new child did not lead to a detached car-dependent home. Instead, it triggered a search for a larger apartment in the town centre. </p>
<p>These trends are only partly about choice. Participants acknowledged that a detached home would be more spacious but it would also mean they faced the added costs of buying and running a second car. </p>
<p>On balance, participants felt the CBD was the “best place” to live. Their priority was finding suitable high-rise homes within walking distance of schools, shops, public transport and community services – including libraries, health centres and parks. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-need-nature-i-need-space-high-rise-families-rely-on-child-friendly-neighbourhoods-128618">'I need nature, I need space': high-rise families rely on child-friendly neighbourhoods</a>
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<h2>Supply fails to meet family needs</h2>
<p>However, when we compared Liverpool CBD families’ preferences with housing supply, we found an overproduction of one- and two-bedroom apartments. These account for most of the increase in apartment numbers over the past decade, as the table below shows.</p>
<iframe title="Size of occupied apartments in Liverpool CBD" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-JYDrw" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/JYDrw/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="420" data-external="1"></iframe>
<p>Despite half of all apartment occupiers having children, the proportion of family-sized apartments hasn’t increased. In recent years, it actually fell. </p>
<p>Just over 15% of the high-rise housing stock in the CBD comprised three bedrooms or more at the 2011 and 2016 censuses. By 2021, it had fallen below 14%.</p>
<p>Without planning controls, the supply of large, family-friendly apartments is unlikely to increase. Developers, juggling their own material and credit costs, will always seek to maximise the number of dwellings they can build on their lots. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/development/liverpools-planning-controls/liverpool-development-control-plan">Development Control Plan for Liverpool CBD</a> requires 10% of the stock to be three-bedroom apartments. This is on par with the rest of Sydney. An exception is the <a href="https://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/News-and-Publications/More-family-friendly-apartments-now-in-the-mix-for-The-Hills">Hills Shire Council</a>, which has experimented with 20% in development corridors. Increased supply without design and quality controls can nonetheless exacerbate the tensions of raising a family in an apartment. </p>
<h2>Good design matters, as does building quality</h2>
<p>Real estate advertising for apartments emphasises skyline views, open-plan layouts and private balconies. But it is less glamorous aspects – insulation, space and storage – that can be crucial for families to live well in a high-rise home. </p>
<p>Good family-friendly design includes space for children to sleep, play and study, and adequate storage for prams and the belongings of larger households. <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-apartment-living-on-the-rise-how-do-families-and-their-noisy-children-fit-in-88244">Adequate soundproofing</a> is also needed to reduce tensions over children’s noise. </p>
<p>All these features are critical for higher-density dwellings to cater properly for this growing demographic.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/with-apartment-living-on-the-rise-how-do-families-and-their-noisy-children-fit-in-88244">With apartment living on the rise, how do families and their noisy children fit in?</a>
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<p>Construction quality is also important. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14036096.2022.2099460">recent analysis</a> of federal and New South Wales parliamentary inquiries reveals the impacts of public policies of deregulation, self-certification and performance-based construction. The effect has been to shield cost-cutting by developers and construction companies while transferring risks to consumers. </p>
<p>While state governments experiment with <a href="https://thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/david-chandler-on-restoring-confidence-in-nsw-apartment-buildings/">new modes of regulation</a>, consumers <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02673037.2021.1887458">bear the life-time impacts</a>, both financial and emotional, of cut-price construction. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/water-leaks-cracks-and-flawed-fire-safety-systems-sydneys-apartments-are-riddled-with-building-defects-169526">Water leaks, cracks and flawed fire safety systems: Sydney's apartments are riddled with building defects</a>
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<h2>High-rise homes: more than an investment</h2>
<p>Societies in which a shift to higher-density living is part of family life must strike a reasonable balance between quality, affordability and apartment size. Yet these goals seem to be at odds with the reconfiguration of housing in Australia as an investment vehicle. </p>
<p>The protection of owned homes from capital gains tax and lavish subsidies for property investors have led to gains in the value of housing assets <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0308518X19873673">exceeding income earned from work</a>. This sets the scene for finance and construction industries to capitalise on investor-driven demand rather than diverse families’ needs.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/remaking-our-suburbs-1960s-apartment-blocks-a-subtle-and-greener-way-to-increase-housing-density-190908">Remaking our suburbs' 1960s apartment blocks: a subtle and greener way to increase housing density</a>
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<h2>Reforms on three fronts are needed</h2>
<p>Meeting demand for high-rise housing in town centres requires a triple-barrelled approach. Construction quality, planning control and reconfigured financial incentives are all needed to encourage family-friendly products. </p>
<p>There is little doubt high-rise needs a more central place at the national urban policy table. And, at a more local level, there are steps councils can take. These include introducing minimum requirements for three-bedroom apartments in development control plans and negotiating density bonuses for developers that deliver such apartments.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203921/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Cook receives funding from the Global Challenges Program- University of Wollongong.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shanaka Herath has received funding from the Global Challenges Program - University of Wollongong, Landcom NSW, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), NSW Department of Family and Community Services and City of Sydney Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sophie-May Kerr does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
In parts of Sydney, families occupy half the apartments and many value their convenient location. Yet, despite a surge in development, most apartments are one or two bedrooms and not family-friendly.
Nicole Cook, Lecturer, School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, University of Wollongong
Shanaka Herath, Senior Lecturer, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney
Sophie-May Kerr, Research Associate, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/187864
2022-07-28T15:24:36Z
2022-07-28T15:24:36Z
Commonwealth Games 2022: how Birmingham is becoming the UK’s most liveable city
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476497/original/file-20220728-11927-150wk4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Three-time British senior all-around medallist and gymnast Isabella Cesar heralds the advent of the Games in Birmingham.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.alamy.com/rhythmic-gymnast-mimi-isabella-cesar-from-birmingham-uk-three-time-image152673599.html?imageid=5B9652F2-FB68-4B67-8DD5-EB6164AFDC9F&p=89967&pn=1&searchId=3a4f9edc048d65989940853c9c8bff25&searchtype=0">David Warren | Alamy</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city by population, is currently in the international spotlight as the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/28/commonwealth-games-birmingham-opener-will-be-on-par-london-2012-says-director">host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games</a>. To welcome the athletes and stage their events, the city has invested £788 million of public funding, including £594 million from <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/birmingham-ready-to-open-biggest-ever-commonwealth-games-which-will-leave-lasting-legacy-for-region#:%7E:text=Backed%20by%20%C2%A3778%20million,2012%20Olympic%20and%20Paralympic%20Games">central government</a>. </p>
<p>This funding has kickstarted programmes to, among other things, get more people taking up physical exercise, starting businesses and devising tourism experiences. It has seen the city dotted with new infrastructure, a <a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/sandwell-aquatics-centre-birmingham-2022-24251450">new aquatics centre</a> in Sandwell, a <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/entertainment/commonwealth-games-2022-birmingham-excited-wonderful-city-1764554">rejuvenated Alexander Stadium</a> and the launch of the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0cp4ppx/birmingham-2022-festival-inhale-exhale">Birmingham 2022 Festival</a> – a celebration of creativity in the West Midlands. </p>
<p>The Games will thus leave <a href="https://www.birmingham2022.com/about-us/our-purpose/our-legacy/venues-infrastructure/">a permanent legacy</a> of their own. However, research shows how these infrastructural projects represent only a small fraction of the investments that have succeeded in transforming the city over the past decade. Beyond the temporary glow hosting a mega-event can afford a place, my colleagues and I have shown how Birmingham is <a href="https://theconversation.com/birmingham-plans-to-become-a-supersized-low-traffic-neighbourhood-will-it-work-170131">becoming</a> what urban development experts term a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40572-021-00314-8">liveable city</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A poster advertising the Birmingham 2022 commonwealth games, with a photo of a group of young people" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476523/original/file-20220728-14976-dgn0u8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Preparing for the Commonwealth Games.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/birmingham-england-july-26-2022-man-2183059145">hairul_nizam / Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cities are places to live and work. They are simultaneously places for local interactions positioned within ever-evolving national and international flows of people, information, money and products. </p>
<p>Like all cities Birmingham has a history of change and transformation. Research shows how <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-0467.2008.00285.x">deindustrialisation</a> from 1966 led the city to experience a long and painful adaptation, as manufacturing companies closed, downsized or relocated. </p>
<p>The city’s gradual restructuring of its economy has seen major corporate players consider the city as a suitable business location. In 2015, HSBC chose to build the national <a href="https://www.about.hsbc.co.uk/news-and-media/new-green-hsbc-uk-birmingham-hq-opens-its-doors">green headquarters</a> of its UK personal and business bank in Birmingham. </p>
<p>Other major corporate players have followed suit including HS2, Goldman Sachs and Microland, the Indian IT infrastructure company. The city’s central location, the diversity and strength of its local economy and the quality of residential living have been important factors in attracting businesses.</p>
<h2>How Birmingham pioneered a new kind of development</h2>
<p>Birmingham’s recent transformation has roots in Joseph Chamberlain’s stewardship of the city in the 1870s. As mayor between 1873 and 1876, Chamberlain <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cjres/article/10/3/455/4161089">developed</a> a tool for local economic development, that has become known as tax increment financing (TIF). Conventional wisdom holds that this kind of scheme was invented in California in 1955. Our research shows that this was, in fact, a Birmingham innovation.</p>
<p>Introduced in 1875, this financial innovation was designed to enable the development of 93 acres of Birmingham’s city centre, which included creating a brand-new street, Corporation Street. It saw the local authority release development sites on relatively short, 75-year leaseholds to the private sector but retain the freeholds. </p>
<p>This was an extremely clever move. As Chamberlain himself noted at the time, his approach was based on “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cjres/article/10/3/455/4161089">sagacious audacity</a>”. </p>
<p>“The next generation will have cause to bless the Town Council,” he said. And indeed they do. Birmingham City Council still retains the freeholds for most of the land in the city centre today. As a result, and contrary to, say Liverpool or London where <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-enclosure-how-land-commissions-can-lead-the-fight-against-urban-land-grabs-167817">large swathes of public land have been sold off</a>, it can shape what is built and where. This includes the ability to focus on enhancing the quality of the built environment. </p>
<p>Thus, Birmingham’s old Central Library, built in 1971, was <a href="https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/archive/demolition-of-madins-birmingham-central-library-set-to-start">demolished</a> in 2016. This resulted in the release of a 6.8-hectare (17-acre) site at the centre of the city, which has become the on-going Paradise redevelopment. </p>
<p>The city council was behind this £500m, 1.8 million sq foot office-led mixed commercial scheme and stands to benefit from additional business rates and ground rents. Most importantly, this project is creating a landmark office, retail and leisure development that is attracting more major companies to relocate to Birmingham. </p>
<h2>Improving transport and housing makes a city liveable</h2>
<p>Connectivity is central to city living and to unlocking land values, in precisely the way the Paradise project has for that Central Library plot. Birmingham’s economic development strategy thus includes a major focus on improving local transportation. </p>
<p>Extensions to the city’s metro as well as railway network are underway, including the introduction of new stations and major extensions to existing stations. These interventions include the £705 million redevelopment of New Street railway station, completed in 2015.</p>
<p>In April 2022, the UK government allocated £1.05 billion from its <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1070110/crsts-funding-settlement-letter-for-west-midlands-1-april-2022.pdf">City-Region Sustainable Transport Settlements</a> initiative to the West Midlands region. Further funding from the West Midland Combined Authority and Birmingham City Council will top this up to £1.3 billion. </p>
<p>Investing in this way in local infrastructure will only make Birmingham a more attractive place to live and work. Public transport is set to increasingly displace the use of private cars, thereby reducing air pollution and traffic noise. </p>
<p>Birmingham also increasingly provides the kind of urban lifestyle that attracts highly skilled workers and their employers. It provides <a href="https://www.jll.co.uk/en/trends-and-insights/research/uk-residential-forecast-2022-2026">more affordable housing</a> than London. </p>
<p>It has top-class <a href="https://thespoils.huffpost.co.uk/entry/why-brums-food-scene-is-for-everyone-not-just-curry-lovers_spoilsuk_5e468bb5c5b64433c614d7fe">dining</a> and retail amenities, as well as cultural and leisure attractions that arguably rival the best in the capital, from <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40572-021-00314-8">Birmingham Royal Ballet</a> to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. In 2016, concert hall acoustics expert <a href="https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/symphony-hall-29002.html">Leo Beranek</a> ranked the city’s Symphony Hall as having the finest acoustics in the UK and the seventh best in the world. </p>
<p>In 2021, the city council launched a consultation, dubbed <a href="https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ourfuturecityplan">Our Future City Plan</a>, on how to make Birmingham what urban development experts term a “<a href="https://cityterritoryarchitecture.springeropen.com/cityprox">city of proximities</a>”. Based on the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/4/1/6/htm">15-minute city approach</a>, the idea is that access to essential services – including schools, shops, green spaces and public transport – would be within a 15-minute walk or cycle ride, thereby <a href="https://www.eta.co.uk/2021/10/05/is-birmingham-about-to-become-the-uks-flagship-liveable-city/">prioritising</a> local residents’ health and wellbeing.</p>
<p>Birmingham’s role in hosting the Commonwealth Games is exciting. But it should not distract from the city’s innovative and experimental approach to creating healthy neighbourhoods by achieving a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bse.640">new kind of balance</a> between profitability and sustainability. Local planning and policy interventions are focused on making Birmingham one of the UK’s most liveable cities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187864/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Bryson has received funding from ESRC and is currently receiving funding from NERC as part of the WM-Air project - <a href="https://wm-air.org.uk/">https://wm-air.org.uk/</a>. The West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme – WM-Air is a NERC funded initiative, led by the University of Birmingham, working in collaboration with over 20 cross sector partners, to apply environmental science expertise to support the improvement of air quality, and associated health, environmental and economic benefits, across the West Midlands.</span></em></p>
Hosting the Games has seem Birmingham dotted with new infrastructure and amenities. But the city’s pioneering transformation began over a 100 years ago.
John Bryson, Professor of Enterprise and Competitiveness, University of Birmingham
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/187265
2022-07-21T05:14:48Z
2022-07-21T05:14:48Z
State of the Environment report shows our growing cities are under pressure – but we’re seeing positive signs too
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475301/original/file-20220721-20-6lucqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4734%2C3224&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Urban areas are often thought of as concrete jungles, but they encompass much more than that. Nature, people and built structures are interconnected. Together they comprise the urban environment of the cities and towns in which we live. </p>
<p>In the past five years, Australian cities have continued to grow. In fact, the <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">State of the Environment Report</a> released this week revealed most of our major cities have <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">grown faster</a> than many developed cities overseas. </p>
<p>This growth has increased demand for resources such as water and energy. It has increased other impacts, too, including urban heat, congestion, pollution and waste. </p>
<h1>Australian energy consumption by fuel type, 1978–79 to 2018–19</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing Australian energy consumption by fuel type from 1978–79 to 2018–19" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=1">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: DISER 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These pressures are a threat to the liveability and sustainability of urban life in Australia. However, the report assessed the overall <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/introduction">state of the urban environment</a> as good and stable – among the most positive ratings of any category. That’s largely a result of actions across Australia, mostly at the level of states, local councils and communities, that are starting to make progress towards cities that will be more resilient to climate change and remain good places for us to live.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">State of the Environment Report</a> contains fundamental information on how the country’s environment is faring in areas ranging from air quality to urban environments. Western Parkland City Authority CEO Sarah Hill, private consultant and Barkandji woman Zena Cumpston and I collaborated in assessing the state of the <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/introduction">urban environment</a> for this report. </p>
<p>We found state and local governments have responded to some challenges with great initiatives that take us closer to more resilient and sustainable urban environments. However, there is still a need for national approaches and for better collaboration and co-ordination between the private and public sectors.</p>
<h2>What are the pressures on our cities and towns?</h2>
<p>The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines urban as centres with more than 200 people. Australia has over 1,853 urban environments. However, 75% of people in Australia live in just 18 cities with more than 100,000 people each. </p>
<p>The report shows the population of these 18 urban areas grew by 20% in the past ten years. Most of that growth happened in the five years after the last State of the Environment report in 2016. At the same time, remote area populations decreased. </p>
<p>Property developers and the construction sectors have responded by increasing housing production. They have mainly focused on apartment buildings and semi-detached houses.</p>
<h1>Trends in Australian new housing by type as a percentage of the total</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph showing trends in Australian housing from 2002 to 2019" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=304&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=304&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=304&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=0">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: ABS 2021</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unfortunately, at the same time the public sector has greatly reduced its role in housing. Based on <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/building-and-construction/building-activity-australia/jun-2021">ABS data</a>, we calculated that the government now develops only 1% of all new dwellings in Australia.</p>
<p>Residential building and house sizes have slightly increased while lot sizes have shrunk. This means there is less open space. And these smaller backyards and setbacks between buildings are now often paved. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="aerial view of new suburban housing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The trend towards larger homes on smaller blocks is having impacts on the urban environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a result, we are seeing higher temperatures and reduced or endangered biodiversity. These changes have negative impacts on people’s and the environment’s well-being. </p>
<p>Despite local government policies to increase green cover in public areas and protect our urban forests, the changes in private properties have led to an overall loss of green spaces in our cities.</p>
<h1>Trends in percentage of land cover by category across 131 local government areas</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Bar chart showing land cover by category in 2013, 2016 and 2019" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=236&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=236&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=236&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=0">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: Hurley et al, 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These developments are often found in the urban outskirts of expanding cities. Increased travel distances and limited access to jobs, education, food and services are reducing the liveability of these cities.</p>
<p>These pressures are even worse in smaller and more isolated areas. For example, in the report we note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Indigenous communities in smaller urban centres are often far from amenities such as shopping, health care, cultural business, education and social services. In 2014-2015, 75% of Indigenous Australians reported that they could not easily get to the places they needed.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>These areas also have more insecure access to resources such as digital infrastructure, energy and water. On top of this, they have suffered from shocks such as extreme bushfires, floods and mice plagues.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1549569725713502208"}"></div></p>
<p>So, the overall liveability of smaller urban areas with fewer than 10,000 people has been assessed as poor. The liveability of larger cities, on the other hand, has remained good over the past five years. </p>
<p>However, we need to beware of generalisations. Differences in liveability between inner and outer areas of the bigger cities are noticeable. </p>
<p>Inner-city areas have higher levels of liveability based on factors such as walkability, access to green spaces and services. The urban fringes tend to have poorer access to services and longer commute times. Higher socio-economic areas tend to benefit from better tree canopy cover and digital access.</p>
<p>Smaller urban areas have some advantages – mainly shorter commute times – but are disadvantaged by fewer services and job opportunities.</p>
<h2>What are we doing about the challenges we face?</h2>
<p>Population growth and its effects on resource consumption, waste generation, travel and pollution continue to pressure the urban environment. However, our biggest challenge is climate change. </p>
<p>Sea-level rises, more extreme events such as bushfires, drought, extreme rainfall and flooding, and higher urban temperatures are expected to have significant impacts on cities’ biodiversity and people.</p>
<p>Many state and local governments are taking a hands-on approach to some of these challenges and pressures. Through urban planning policies, they are managing urban sprawl and protecting public green areas. </p>
<p>Governments have also been investing in more integrated infrastructure – for example, better co-ordinating the development and use of roads, public transport, cyclepaths and walkways – better waste management and reducing disaster risk. </p>
<p>Commonwealth <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/cities/city-deals">City Deals</a>, the Resilient Cities Framework applied in <a href="https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/governance-decision-making/resilient-sydney">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://resilientmelbourne.com.au/">Melbourne</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/publications/national-waste-policy-action-plan">National Waste Policy Action Plan</a> are just a few of the approaches being adopted in Australia.</p>
<h1>Trends in waste management by category, 2016–17 to 2018–19</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Vertical bar chart showing changes in waste management by category, 2016-2019" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=3">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: ABS 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We are on the right path with great initiatives all over Australia working to achieve more sustainable and resilient urban environments. However, they are in the early stages. </p>
<p>We do need more inter-agency and public-private collaboration. We need more community education, too. Policies can also be better implemented and followed up to continue improving management of the pressures on urban areas, which in turn will improve the well-being of people and the environment.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>I would like to acknowledge Sarah Hill and Zena Cumpston, the co-authors of the State of the Environment Urban chapter. The joint work we did in the writing of the chapter informed this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187265/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabriela Quintana Vigiola was contracted by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water as a researcher in the development of the Urban Environment chapter of the 2021 Australian State of Environment Report. Sarah Hill, CEO of the Western Parkland City Authority, and Zena Cumpston, a private consultant and Barkandji woman, are co-authors of this chapter.
</span></em></p>
Australia’s big cities have grown rapidly and strains are showing. Yet the state of the urban environment has been rated good and stable due to local and state responses to these challenges.
Gabriela Quintana Vigiola, Senior Lecturer in Planning, University of Technology Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/162860
2021-06-18T04:03:37Z
2021-06-18T04:03:37Z
The limits of advocacy: arts sector told to stop worrying and be happy
<p>Most people with an interest in art and culture in Australia believe it is in deep crisis, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t think the crisis predated the pandemic. COVID-19 has smashed every sector involved in live events and on-site attendance. But art and culture stand out as receiving <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/contentassets/33e97267a93046f1987edca85823e7b1/cp3-working-paper-01.pdf">little government sympathy and less support</a>.</p>
<p>This underwhelming response comes off the back of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/federal-arts-funding-in-australia-is-falling-and-local-governments-are-picking-up-the-slack-124160">19% per capita cut in federal funding</a> over the past decade and the declining visibility of the “arts” in its <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/massive-backwards-step-australia-to-no-longer-have-a-federal-arts-department">host ministry</a>. Many in the arts sector are convinced they are in the middle of a “culture war”. </p>
<p>Having tried spruiking economic impact, jobs and growth, AI-resistant “creativity”, all to no avail — what’s next for a sector battling for survival? </p>
<h2>Past failures</h2>
<p>Two recent reports — the <a href="https://newapproach.org.au/imagining-2030-preparing-arts-culture-creativity-plan/">first from the think tank A New Approach (ANA)</a>, the <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/312235">second from John Daley</a>, ex-Director of the Grattan Institute — argue the problem is art and culture’s own failure to effectively “advocate” for their worth as legitimate targets of public funding. </p>
<p>That might come as a shock to a sector that since 1994’s <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/29704">Creative Nation</a> has been pushing the importance of its economic contribution, turbo-charged by the adoption of creative industries rhetoric from the UK after 1998 (think: “the creative economy”).</p>
<p>Clearly, the economic approach hasn’t worked. According to Daley, this was always barking up the wrong tree, with arguments made “by people who don’t believe them to people who don’t believe them”. </p>
<p>It’s a good line, but not quite right. Artists might not work primarily for money (which is lucky), but the belief that art and culture are a crucial part of Australia’s post-industrial economy, and that this should bring government recognition, is deeply ingrained in the sector. Hence the <a href="https://wakeinalarm.blog/2020/06/20/art-as-industry/">consternation</a> when these arguments did not cut through in 2020.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-politics-of-dancing-and-thinking-about-cultural-values-beyond-dollars-139839">Friday essay: the politics of dancing and thinking about cultural values beyond dollars</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Don’t worry, be happy?</h2>
<p>What will convince hard-nosed policymakers in Treasury departments then? Daley’s answer is simple: the arts produce “happiness”. He suggests this is the metric the arts should use to demonstrate their value. It is highly unlikely this will sway policy, where employment metrics have failed. Worse, it simply misdescribes what art is. </p>
<p>Reducing art to “happiness” ignores centuries of debate about its complex purposes going back to Aristotle. </p>
<p>Does “happiness” really describe the dark energies and ecstatic highs of popular culture? The anger and joy that Shakespeare provokes? And “happiness” didn’t drive funding of our biggest contemporary cultural investment — the new War Memorial — with its gravitas, solemnity, and confrontation with the meaning of death. </p>
<p>The problem is not specific to “happiness”, which is just the next word in a chain of key terms leading the sector a merry dance around the abattoir walls to its next funding cut. Rather it is the concept of “advocacy” itself that isn’t right.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1405065720149385221"}"></div></p>
<h2>Building on shared values</h2>
<p>Advocacy works best in situations where basic values are broadly shared. Then issues can be raised and agendas pushed in a melee of healthy civil debate. When that consensus breaks down, when there is no common value ascribed to arts and culture in the first place, advocacy breaks down too. </p>
<p>Health and education need no “advocates” per se (though this consensus too is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/13/australian-universities-brace-for-ugly-2022-after-budget-cuts">showing signs of stress</a>). When art and culture need to advocate for their very existence, they are already in deep trouble.</p>
<p>This problem can be seen in its political dimension in the ANA’s latest report, <a href="https://newapproach.org.au/imagining-2030-preparing-arts-culture-creativity-plan/">Imagining 2030</a>. Taking their cue from sectors like sport, defence and agriculture, they suggest the “cultural and creative industries” need a coherent economic plan as a basis for advocacy to government. </p>
<p>So it’s back to the old approach: framing art and culture as an industrial sub sector, calculating its <a href="https://nationalindustryinsights.aisc.net.au/industries/arts-culture-entertainment-and-design">financial worth</a>, and trying to fit into Australian Bureau of Statistics parameters. The difference is that now the pitch is to be made to “middle Australia”, says the ANA. </p>
<p>Nowhere in this report is middle Australia defined, <a href="https://newapproach.org.au/perceptions-of-arts-culture-report-3/">though elsewhere</a> the sourced “focus group” is described as “middle-aged, middle income swing voters from suburban and regional Australia”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jane-austen-monet-and-phantom-of-the-opera-middlebrow-culture-today-145176">Jane Austen, Monet and Phantom of the Opera – middlebrow culture today</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Call and response</h2>
<p>We all know what this means. From <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-22/tom-switzer-on-75-years-since-menzies-forgotten-people/8546742">Robert Menzies’ campaign slogan</a> of the “forgotten people” in 1942, through <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14443050509388004?journalCode=rjau20">John Howard’s appeal</a> to Australian “battlers” in the 1990s, to the present government’s Trump-like culture war against “<a href="https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/portfolio-speeches/sydney-institute-address-why-do-we-fund-the-arts">the elites</a>” — it is a rhetorical figure in Coalition attacks on those it perceives to be its opponents. </p>
<p>The democratic impulse of opening up the arts to everybody becomes an entreaty to the “<a href="https://www.policyforum.net/the-sensible-centre/">sensible centre</a>”. Those outside it can be ignored.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-when-your-arts-minister-suffers-from-cultural-cringe-158621">What happens when your arts minister suffers from cultural cringe?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In this <a href="https://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/features/covid-19/ben-eltham/creative-industries-inquiry-demonstrates-need-for-national-cultural-policy-as-hearings-continue-261568">call-and-response</a> with the government, ANA shows what can happen to advocacy in an age of political polarisation — you end up where you may not want to go. Deploying the term “middle Australia” aligns ANA with the political territory of the Coalition. But where sport, defence and agriculture play squarely to Coalition constituencies, art and culture does not.</p>
<p>“He found the Archimedean point, but he used it against himself”, as <a href="https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1007&context=honorstheses">Franz Kafka wrote</a> about gaining a truthful perspective. From this vantage, those in art and culture better get used to their worth depending on how many jobs they generate for tradies — with <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2021/06/11/utes-tax-write-offs/">utes getting tax cuts</a>, <a href="https://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/news/policy/david-tiley/alp-goes-ballistic-about-the-arts-in-parliament-signals-trouble-for-the-government-262733">but not TV drama</a> — and whether funding them passes the pub test in the Coalition’s marginal seats.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/artists-shouldnt-have-to-endlessly-demonstrate-their-value-coalition-leaders-used-to-know-it-136608">Artists shouldn't have to endlessly demonstrate their value. Coalition leaders used to know it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Bad advocacy could save the arts</h2>
<p>If we want to avoid walking down an ever-narrowing policy path to a final cull, we need to assert arts and culture’s fundamental value, not play advocacy roulette with government terms <em>du jour.</em> </p>
<p>This means peak bodies saying things governments don’t like to hear, and risking accusations of biting the hand that feeds them. It means robustly maintaining that art and culture are inseparable from social citizenship, and essential to the foundations of our common life. It’s a risk that must be taken. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="outdoor lightshow" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/406952/original/file-20210617-18-alc19m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Wilds, recently cancelled along with the Rising festival in Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rising/Eugene Hyland</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wesley-enoch-the-2021-budget-must-think-big-and-reinvest-in-the-social-capital-of-ideas-160341">Wesley Enoch: the 2021 budget must think big and reinvest in the social capital of ideas</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>And new ideas are out there. <a href="https://www.regen.melbourne">Regen Melbourne</a>, a network of more than 40 organisations and 600 individuals, has added art and culture to its “<a href="https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/">doughnut economics</a>” model of community engagement to create a vision for a liveable sustainable city. </p>
<p>Similarly, the <a href="https://resetartsandculture.wordpress.com">Reset arts and culture collaboration in Adelaide</a> (with which we are involved) places culture at the societal foundation, along with health, education and basic services. </p>
<p>These initiatives might be “bad advocacy” with the current government, but in the long term they are art and culture’s best hope.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162860/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Two reports — from think tank A New Approach and ex-Grattan Institute director John Daley — say Australian art and culture hasn’t advocated for itself effectively. But we need to try something new.
Justin O'Connor, Professor of Cultural Economy, University of South Australia
Julian Meyrick, Professor of Creative Arts, Griffith University
Tully Barnett, Senior lecturer, Flinders University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/162503
2021-06-11T01:05:45Z
2021-06-11T01:05:45Z
Auckland is the world’s ‘most liveable city’? Many Māori might disagree
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405796/original/file-20210610-14-mcxqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C9%2C6211%2C2708&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “<a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/06/08/auckland-has-become-the-worlds-most-liveable-city">most liveable cities</a>” survey left me somewhat flummoxed.</p>
<p>In particular, I would argue that many Māori <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?&keywords=whanau">whānau</a> in Auckland do not enjoy the benefits of this supposed “liveability”.</p>
<p>This is important, given Māori <a href="https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=ab954d1f2e7a446a8a0195ccea440b85">comprised 11.5%</a> of the Auckland population in the 2018 Census. Roughly one in four Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand are living in the greater Auckland region.</p>
<p>The survey was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sister company of The Economist, and looked at 140 world cities. Auckland was ranked 12th in 2019, but took top spot this year for one obvious reason:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Auckland, in New Zealand, is at the top of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Liveability rankings, owing to the city’s ability to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic faster and thus lift restrictions earlier, unlike others around the world.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1402492842623254531"}"></div></p>
<h2>Alternative liveability criteria</h2>
<p>Each city in the survey was rated on “relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure”.</p>
<p>Overall rankings depended on how those factors were rated on a sliding scale: acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, intolerable. Quantitative measurements relied on “external data points”, but the qualitative ratings were “based on the judgment of our team of expert analysts and in-city contributors”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/recession-hits-maori-and-pasifika-harder-they-must-be-part-of-planning-new-zealands-covid-19-recovery-137763">Recession hits Māori and Pasifika harder. They must be part of planning New Zealand's COVID-19 recovery</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The methodology, particularly around culture and environment, seems somewhat subjective. It’s predicated on the judgement of unnamed experts and contributors, and based on similarly undefined “cultural indicators”.</p>
<p>To better understand the living conditions of Māori in Auckland, therefore, we might use more robust “liveability” criteria. The New Zealand Treasury’s <a href="https://www.treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/higher-living-standards/our-living-standards-framework">Living Standards Framework</a> offers a useful model.</p>
<p>This sets out 12 domains of well-being: civic engagement and governance, cultural identity, environment, health, housing, income and consumption, jobs and earnings, knowledge and skills, time use, safety and security, social connections and subjective well-being.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="inner city houses in Auckland with Sky Tower in distance" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405797/original/file-20210610-15-lumotm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Inner-city housing in Auckland: an average price increase of NZ$140,000 in one year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The Māori experience</h2>
<p>Applying a small handful of these measures to Māori, we find the following.</p>
<p><strong>Housing:</strong> According to <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2021/02/housing-crisis-auckland-housing-affordability-among-fastest-deteriorating-in-the-world-report.html">recent reports</a>, Auckland house prices increased by about NZ$140,00 on average in the past year. That contributed to Auckland being the fourth-least-affordable housing market, across New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Hong Kong.</p>
<p>Next to that sobering fact, we can point to <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/389336/maori-make-up-more-than-over-40-percent-of-auckland-homeless-report">estimates</a> that Māori made up more than 40% of the homeless in Auckland in 2019. We can only assume this rapid increase in house prices has made homelessness worse.</p>
<p><strong>Poverty:</strong> Alongside housing affordability is the growing concern about poverty in New Zealand, and particularly child poverty. While there has been an overall decline in child poverty, Māori and Pacific poverty rates remain “<a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/124327740/child-poverty-declines-but-mori-pacific-poverty-rates-profoundly-disturbing">profoundly disturbing</a>”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wage-restraint-aims-to-lift-the-lowest-earning-public-servants-but-it-wont-fix-stubborn-gender-and-ethnic-pay-gaps-160763">Wage restraint aims to lift the lowest-earning public servants, but it won't fix stubborn gender and ethnic pay gaps</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Employment:</strong> As of March 2021, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recorded a Māori <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/employment-and-skills/labour-market-reports-data-and-analysis/other-labour-market-reports/maori-labour-market-trends/">unemployment rate</a> of 10.8%, well above the national rate (4.9%). This is particularly high for Māori youth (20.4%) and women (12.0%).</p>
<p><strong>Health:</strong> Māori life expectancy is considerably lower than for non-Māori, and mortality rates are higher for Māori than non-Māori across nearly all age groups. Māori are also <a href="https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/healthy-living/m/m%C4%81ori-health-overview/">over-represented</a> across a wide range of chronic and infectious diseases, injuries and <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/pages/data-story-overview-suicide-prevention-strategy-april2017newmap.pdf">suicide</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The digital divide:</strong> The <a href="https://www.digital.govt.nz/">Digital Government</a> initiative has found Māori and Pasifika are among those <a href="https://www.digital.govt.nz/dmsdocument/161%7Edigital-inclusion-and-wellbeing-in-new-zealand/html">less likely to have internet access</a>, thus creating a level of digital poverty that may affect jobs and earnings, knowledge and skills, safety and security, and social connections.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-new-zealand-can-radically-reform-its-health-system-why-not-do-the-same-for-welfare-160247">If New Zealand can radically reform its health system, why not do the same for welfare?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Making Auckland liveable for all</h2>
<p>Taken together, these factors show a different and darker picture for far too many Māori than “liveable city” headlines might suggest.</p>
<p>I say this as someone who has lived in Auckland for the majority of the past 60 years. It is a city I love, and I acknowledge the grace and generosity of the <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/3452">mana whenua</a> of Tāmaki Makaurau, with whom I share this beautiful whenua and <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?&keywords=moana">moana</a>.</p>
<p>I am also part of a privileged group of Māori who enjoy job security, a decent income, a secure whānau and strong social networks.</p>
<p>But, until we address and ameliorate the inequities and disadvantages some of our whānau face, we cannot truly celebrate being the “most liveable city in the world”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162503/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ella Henry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Auckland has risen to the top of a global liveable cities survey on the back of the country’s pandemic response. But that’s not the full picture.
Ella Henry, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/162183
2021-06-08T20:06:30Z
2021-06-08T20:06:30Z
Towards the 30-minute city — how Australians’ commutes compare with cities overseas
<p>The ease of reaching urban amenities underpins city life. We led a global research team that compared access to jobs in 117 cities across the globe, including eight capital cities in Australia, and examined strategies that might improve transport in our cities. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">newly published research</a> finds access to jobs increases with population and that our two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, compare favourably with similarly sized cities overseas.</p>
<p>Transport infrastructure and land use patterns form the backbone of a city. It’s the reason so many people choose to live and work with other people in cities – despite the noise, congestion and negatives of city life – because they can easily reach a variety of destinations. Towards this objective, many planning agencies set themselves a “30-minute city” goal, which is behind many planning decisions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="heat map showing number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes across Greater Sydney" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404975/original/file-20210608-136167-cap00p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Heat map showing access to jobs across Greater Sydney. Red denotes more jobs and green fewer jobs within 30 minutes’ travel time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/access-across-australia-mapping-30-minute-cities-how-do-our-capitals-compare-117498">Access across Australia: mapping 30-minute cities, how do our capitals compare?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did the study find?</h2>
<p>The ease of reaching destinations can be measured by the number of jobs reachable within 30 minutes. Job locations offer both employment opportunities and amenities; restaurants, schools, hospitals, shopping centres and so on are also job clusters. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">research</a> measured how many jobs were accessible within 30 minutes (travelling one way) for four different modes of transport – cars, public transport, cycling and walking. The 117 cities studied are in 16 countries on six continents. The research finds cities really differ in the convenience of transport, but also finds significant similarities between cities from the same country. </p>
<p>Australian and Canadian cities have poorer car access than US, European and Chinese cities. They have better public transport, walking and cycling access than US cities, but access via these modes is generally not as good as in Europe and China.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-city-workers-average-commute-has-blown-out-to-66-minutes-a-day-how-does-yours-compare-120598">Australian city workers' average commute has blown out to 66 minutes a day. How does yours compare?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Cities in the United States have reasonable car access, but lag behind globally in public transport, walking and cycling access. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing numbers of jobs accessible within 30 minutes' cycling plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405235/original/file-20210609-23-sztbig.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes’ cycling plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Chinese and European cities, compact development combined with an intensive network produces the highest access globally across all modes of transport. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes’ walking plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405238/original/file-20210609-17-17b0500.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes’ walking plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One surprising finding is the middling car access in US cities. Despite the reputation of US cities being built around the car, urban sprawl has made it difficult to reach destinations even by car. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing numbers of jobs accessible within 30 minutes' drive by car plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405231/original/file-20210609-23-1gnc78a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=691&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes by car plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This sprawl also exposes the Achilles heel in mass transit and non-motorised modes. Immense spatial separation makes for worse access by public transport and active modes of transport such as cycling and walking. US cities have the largest disparity between public transport and car travel.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes by public transport plotted against population for global cities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=694&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=694&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/405230/original/file-20210609-23-10ue63m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=694&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of jobs accessible within 30 minutes by public transport plotted against population for global cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00020-2">Urban Access Across the Globe 2021</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This research also finds access to jobs increases with city population, so reaching a greater number of desired destinations would be easier for people in larger cities than in smaller cities. So, despite traffic congestion, larger cities are still more efficient in connecting people with places they want to go. </p>
<p>However, this benefit has diminishing returns. Doubling the metropolitan population results in less than a doubling of access to jobs. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-close-is-sydney-to-the-vision-of-creating-three-30-minute-cities-115847">How close is Sydney to the vision of creating three 30-minute cities?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are the lessons for Australian cities?</h2>
<p>The moral of the story is that we don’t need to choose between the US-style sprawling development and European-style compact cities. We can and should have the benefits of both development patterns. We need both density and a well-developed transport network for better access. </p>
<p>Massive road building alone can improve access by car to only a limited extent. The problem is that investments in road infrastructure are often accompanied by lower-density development. That makes it harder for people who walk, bike or use public transport to reach increasingly separated places.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-changes-in-how-we-live-could-derail-the-dream-of-the-30-minute-city-110287">Three changes in how we live could derail the dream of the 30-minute city</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In cities that do have compact land-use patterns, access to jobs remain high across all modes of transport, including cars. So, despite congestion, it is still easier to reach desired destinations in these compact cities. Roads are not race tracks, and high-speed roadways connecting nobody with nowhere are not better than lower-speed paths connecting people and places. </p>
<p>The Australian government is investing <a href="https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/">A$110 billion</a> over the next ten years in transport infrastructure. This will have significant implications for the future of our cities. If we want our cities to continue to be vibrant, liveable and accessible by all modes of transport, we will need to keep our cities compact and invest more in public transport, walking and biking.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162183/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Levinson has received grants as a Professor at the University of Sydney, including funding from the iMOVE CRC. He has also received funding from the World Bank. He is on the Board of WalkSydney. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hao Wu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
A global study of 117 cities finds Australian capitals have fairly poor access by car. Public transport, cycling and walking access is better than in the US, but not as good as in Europe and China.
Hao Wu, PhD Candidate, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney
David Levinson, Professor of Transport, University of Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/152756
2021-05-20T19:53:05Z
2021-05-20T19:53:05Z
Slaves to speed, we’d all benefit from ‘slow cities’
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401512/original/file-20210519-21-13889d7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1765%2C0%2C3320%2C2236&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo: Paul Tranter</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Slowing transport in cities provides <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7325856/">immense benefits for the health of people, economies and the planet</a>, so why are we still obsessed with speed?</p>
<p>As Mahatma Gandhi observed:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There is more to life than increasing its speed. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This speaks to our own physical and mental well-being, as well as to the health of cities in the broadest sense. For the past century we have been told, and largely accepted, a story that “faster travel will save time and make everyone better off”. This is myth rather than reality.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/busted-5-myths-about-30km-h-speed-limits-in-australia-160547">Busted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>How do people behave when faster travel becomes possible in cities? We assume they get to destinations faster and “save” time. But the sprawl that comes with speed means <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-need-for-speed-transport-spending-priorities-leave-city-residents-worse-off-94166">more time is spent on travel</a>, and people have to work longer hours to pay for all the costs of speed. </p>
<p>A great paradox of modern times is that the <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3444277">faster we go, the less time we have</a>. More time can be saved by slowing city transport than by speeding it up.</p>
<p>Speed takes a <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Speed_Limits.html?id=Iu6uBAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y">profound toll on our lives</a>. Higher city speeds increase <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845829/">road deaths and injuries, air pollution, physical inactivity, infrastructure costs, energy demands</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/build-slower-cities-or-keep-careering-towards-disaster-20201016-p565ps.html">climate emergency impacts</a>. As long as models, policies, investment, attitudes and behaviours are based on the belief that “faster is always better”, urban planning <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/time-to-hit-the-brakes-on-the-hurry-virus/">will be unable</a> to resolve the current climate and ecological crises. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="stuck in traffic with exhaust fumes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401521/original/file-20210519-21-di2xix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The all-consuming quest for speed is expensive and bad for both our well-being and the planet’s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pollution-environment-by-combustible-gas-car-40584751">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-reminds-us-how-liveable-neighbourhoods-matter-for-our-well-being-135806">Coronavirus reminds us how liveable neighbourhoods matter for our well-being</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to conquer our speed addiction</h2>
<p>An alternative to trying to go faster is to “slow the city”, as we explain in our book, <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/books/slow-cities/tranter/978-0-12-815316-1">Slow Cities: Conquering our speed addiction for health and sustainability</a>. Instead of “mobility” (how far you can go in a given time), the goal of the “slow city” is accessibility (how much you can get to in that time).</p>
<p>Planning for speed and mobility focuses on saving time, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241732410_Does_Accessibility_Require_Density_or_Speed">which is rarely achieved in practice</a>. Planning for accessibility focuses on time well spent.</p>
<p>In accessibility-rich places you don’t need to move fast. Hence walking, cycling and public transport are preferred ways to travel. These slow, active modes are also the <a href="https://granthaminstitute.com/2020/05/22/active-travel-good-for-body-mind-and-the-environment/">healthiest and most sustainable modes</a>.</p>
<p>A “slow city” strategy draws on many strands of planning policy, including: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>lowering speed limits as part of holistic approaches such as <a href="https://www.monash.edu/muarc/archive/our-publications/papers/visionzero">Vision Zero</a> – which aims for no road deaths or serious injuries</p></li>
<li><p>land-use planning to shorten distances to destinations</p></li>
<li><p>street re-organisation to promote the “slower” travel modes and create slow spaces.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-should-create-cities-for-slowing-down-75689">We should create cities for slowing down</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Embracing the ‘slow city’ vision</h2>
<p>Achieving these goals requires a new vision for the city. As Carlos Pardo asked in <a href="https://unhabitat.org/reducing-speeds-for-better-mobility-and-quality-of-life-carlosfelipe-pardo">his presentation</a> at UN Habitat in 2017:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Why don’t we start thinking about speed as a problem rather than as a solution?” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many cities are doing just that.</p>
<p>Elements of slow cities have been implemented successfully throughout the world. Examples include <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/how-helsinki-and-oslo-cut-pedestrian-deaths-to-zero">Oslo and Helsinki</a>, <a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20201029/paris-launches-consultation-for-generalised-30kmh-speed-limit-in-the-capital">Paris</a> and <a href="https://thecityfix.com/blog/bogotas-vision-zero-road-safety-plan-saving-lives-dario-hidalgo-claudia-adriazola-steil/">Bogotá</a>. These cities, and many others, have lowered motorised traffic speeds and increased active travel.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/superblocks-are-transforming-barcelona-they-might-work-in-australian-cities-too-123354">Superblocks are transforming Barcelona. They might work in Australian cities too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Pontevedra in Spain demonstrates how slowing transport across an entire city benefits all types of health. After the city reduced speed limits to 30km/h, physical activity and social connection improved as <a href="https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/pontevedra-spain-increases-downtown-livability-reducing-vehicle-access/999306/">more people walked</a>. From 2011 to 2018, there was <a href="https://etsc.eu/pontevedra-spain-wins-the-first-eu-urban-road-safety-award/">not a single traffic death</a>. </p>
<p>CO₂ emissions <a href="https://www.rapidtransition.org/stories/reclaiming-the-streets-the-increasing-trend-of-pedestrianisation-around-the-world/">fell by 70%</a>. A <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/streets-for-life/streets-for-life-details/t/miguel_anxo_fernandez_lores">30% increase</a> in business revenues in the city centre presents a strong economic case for slow cities.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401514/original/file-20210519-17-ib9nx9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Increases in walking and cycling deliver the twin benefits of physical activity and social connection, as seen here in Brescia, Italy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo: Rodney Tolley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Does this mean we all need to live in higher-density inner-city “European” environments, with narrow streets and nearby destinations, to reap the benefits of slowness? No it doesn’t. There are already suburbs – in <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-can-australia-learn-from-cycling-japan-daniel-osborne/">Japan</a>, for example – that work in a “slow city” way, with plentiful walking, cycling and public transport, and relatively low traffic speeds.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-australia-can-learn-from-bicycle-friendly-cities-overseas-144283">What Australia can learn from bicycle-friendly cities overseas</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Slowing cities does not mean turning our backs on suburbia. “<a href="https://www.planetizen.com/node/46481">Sprawl repair</a>”, “<a href="https://playingout.net/play-streets/what-are-play-streets/">play streets</a>” and “<a href="https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/slow-streets-movement-looks-to-reimagine-urban-spaces-amid-coronavirus-pandemic">slow streets</a>” can produce benefits even in car-dominated cities such as in North America and Australasia.</p>
<h2>The slow city dividend</h2>
<p>In the 21st century various “slow movements” – “slow food”, “slow parenting”, “slow tourism” – have gained traction. Hence “slowing the city” may be a more feasible and appealing concept to planners and city residents than “encouraging active travel” or “curbing car use”. </p>
<p>Already, COVID-19 has helped us think about <a href="https://theconversation.com/post-pandemic-cities-can-permanently-reclaim-public-spaces-as-gathering-places-150729">alternative uses for streets</a> in the city. Local, slow, “park-like” spaces have been created from reallocated traffic lanes, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2020/sep/04/janette-sadik-khan-we-must-rethink-our-streets-to-create-the-six-foot-city">creating safe space for people</a> rather than for speed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-next-for-parklets-it-doesnt-have-to-be-a-permanent-switch-back-to-parking-159534">What next for parklets? It doesn't have to be a permanent switch back to parking</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While our cultural obsession with speed might prompt some to question or even ridicule “slowness”, it is worth considering the slow city dividend. Slow cities have less inequality, less air pollution, less road trauma and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856417316117">lower greenhouse gas emissions</a>. They are more competitive in the global economy, with higher tax yields and <a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/foot-traffic-ahead-2016/">GDPs</a>.</p>
<p>Our new <a href="https://slowcitiesmanifesto.com/">Manifesto for 21st Century Slow Cities</a> is intended to guide progressive politicians, practitioners and citizens in efforts to end the damaging culture of speed in the city. Slowing the city may be an effective treatment for many debilitating urban conditions. If you want your city to be healthier, happier, safer, wealthier, less unequal and more child-friendly and resilient, just slow it down.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/smart-cities-aim-to-make-urban-life-more-efficient-but-for-citizens-sake-they-need-to-slow-down-114409">Smart cities aim to make urban life more efficient – but for citizens' sake they need to slow down</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152756/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Tranter and Rodney Tolley are the authors of Slow Cities: Conquering our speed addiction for health and sustainability, published by Elsevier in 2020.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rodney Tolley is Founder and Director of Rodney Tolley Walks Ltd.</span></em></p>
Cities around the world are reducing traffic speeds and improving access to local services and activities by public transport, cycling and walking. They are now reaping the many ‘slow city’ benefits.
Paul Tranter, Honorary Associate Professor, School of Science, UNSW Sydney
Rodney Tolley, Honorary Research Fellow, Staffordshire University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/160547
2021-05-19T19:56:37Z
2021-05-19T19:56:37Z
Busted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400874/original/file-20210516-15-lua5zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=458%2C356%2C3235%2C2245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Mclaughlin</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333554772_Implementation_Principles_for_30_kmh_Speed_Limits_and_Zones?enrichId=rgreq-a6e3ccc24846650f3262dd6a7962103f-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzMzMzU1NDc3MjtBUzo3NzM2NjAzNzM2ODgzMjFAMTU2MTQ2NjQxNTQzMg%3D%3D&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdf">Five</a> Australian <a href="https://thanksfor30.com.au/about-trial">states</a> and territories are <a href="https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/01documents/popup-covid-19-infrastructure/nsw-street-treatments-for-covid-recovery.pdf">trialling</a> or planning 30km/h <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/trial-zone-speed-limits-drop-to-as-low-as-30km-h-in-pedestrian-areas-20200110-p53qhc.html">speed limits</a> and <a href="https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/activetransport/safe-active-streets-program.asp">zones</a>. However, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/newcastleherald/posts/3924248790955449">some people</a> <a href="https://thanksfor30.com.au/about-trial">question</a> if 30km/h speed limits are actually urgent and necessary, or are instead a so-called “<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-hundred-and-fifty-ways-the-nanny-state-is-good-for-us-15587">nanny state</a>” policy or <a href="https://thanksfor30.com.au/about-trial">revenue-raising activity</a>. </p>
<p>Low-speed streets are about much more than road safety and increasing fine revenue. By building safer streets, <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/plan-melbourne/20-minute-neighbourhoods">governments</a> and <a href="https://www.weforum.org/videos/paris-is-planning-to-become-a-15-minute-city-897c12513b">cities</a> around the world are creating more <a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-steps-melbourne-can-take-to-regain-its-liveable-city-crown-113726">liveable cities</a>. The benefits include <a href="https://theconversation.com/designed-features-can-make-cities-safer-but-getting-it-wrong-can-be-plain-frightening-100239">low crime levels</a>, more <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-people-more-active-is-key-to-better-health-here-are-8-areas-for-investment-149558">physically active citizens</a>, greater <a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-cities-to-counter-loneliness-lets-explore-the-possibilities-104853">social connectedness</a>, increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2021.1912849">spending</a> in local businesses and less pollution.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-people-more-active-is-key-to-better-health-here-are-8-areas-for-investment-149558">Getting people more active is key to better health: here are 8 areas for investment</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Research shows 30km/h speed limits on local residential streets could reduce the Australian road death toll <a href="https://barrosdool.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACRS-journal-Vol28.3-e-edition-extract.pdf">by 13%</a>. The economic benefit would be about <a href="https://barrosdool.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACRS-journal-Vol28.3-e-edition-extract.pdf">A$3.5 billion</a> every year. </p>
<p>Learning from other <a href="https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/144612/how-brussels-capital-region-generalised-30-km-h-zone-will-work-elke-van-den-brandt-mobility-police-checks-accidents-pedestrians-cyclists-pollution-vub-bas-de-geus-traffic-jams-congestion/">countries</a>, it will be important to run public education campaigns to inform communities and opinion leaders. Another key to success is finding a <a href="https://sadiq.london/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sadiq-for-London-Manifesto-.pdf">strong political champion</a> of lower speeds in residential streets. </p>
<p>Leadership is needed to counter <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/uploads/clickdownbox_tab/myths_and_facts.pdf">myths</a> about 30km/h speed limits that are misinforming public and political opinion. As part of the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-streets-for-life-campaign-calls-for-30-km-h-urban-streets-to-ensure-safe-healthy-green-and-liveable-cities">Streets for Life</a> campaign for <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/home">Global Road Safety Week</a>, the United Nations has <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/streets-for-life#myths">busted international myths</a> surrounding 30km/h. In support of <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/media-releases/what-australia-wants">domestic</a> <a href="https://austroads.com.au/publications/road-safety/ap-r507-16/media/AP-R507-16_Public_Demand_for_Safer_Speeds.pdf">demands</a> for 30km/h speed limits, in this article we bust five common myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing 5 myths about 30km/h zones in Australia and why they're wrong" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=661&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=661&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=661&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Mclaughlin</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Myth #1: 30km/h limits don’t make a difference</h2>
<p>Road trauma is the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/leading-causes-of-death">number one cause of death</a> in school-aged children. More than <a href="https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/performance/road-deaths-road-user">1,100</a> Australians die on our roads each year.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing chances of survival for a pedestrian hit by a car at different speeds" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Data source: NSW Transport Metropolitan Roads (2019)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nrspp.org.au/resources/fact-sheet-6-improving-pedestrian-safety/">evidence</a> is very clear: the chance of a pedestrian surviving when hit by a car skyrockets when the car’s speed is reduced. The <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/speeding/">chance of survival</a> jumps from just 10% at 50km/h to 90% at 30km/h. </p>
<p>Speed is the <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/road_safety_strategy.pdf">most common</a> contributor to road trauma – more common than alcohol, drugs and fatigue. </p>
<p>To reduce serious injury risk, <a href="https://30please.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ACRS-Safe-Street-Neighbourhoods-2019-Update-vs2.1-WA-NSW.pdf">40km/h speed limits</a> aren’t low enough. The <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/speeding/">chance of survival</a> when hit by a car improves from 60% at 40km/h to 90% at 30km/h. Reducing speed limits to 30km/h in urban areas such as high pedestrian zones, school zones and local traffic areas is urgently needed to reduce deaths and severe injuries.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="chart showing the number of serious injuries on New South Wales roads on roads with different speed limits in urban areas" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Numbers of serious injuries on New South Wales roads with different speed limits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/statistics/index.html">* Data source: NSW Transport Metropolitan Roads (2019)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/crashstats2019.pdf">Two-thirds</a> of all crashes in New South Wales occur in metro areas. In these areas, <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/crashstats2019.pdf">60%</a> of fatal crashes are on local and collector streets (leading to arterial roads) with 50-60km/h speed limits. To achieve road safety <a href="https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/nrss/targets">targets</a> and <a href="https://towardszero.nsw.gov.au/">goals of zero road deaths</a>, a 30km/h speed limit is crucial.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A bar chart showing numbers of deaths on New South Wales roads on roads with different speed limits in urban areas." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Numbers of deaths on New South Wales roads with different speed limits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/statistics/index.html">* Data source: NSW Transport Metropolitan Roads (2019)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/delivery-rider-deaths-highlight-need-to-make-streets-safer-for-everyone-150752">Delivery rider deaths highlight need to make streets safer for everyone</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Myth #2: 30km/h limits aren’t popular</h2>
<p>How supportive would you be of reducing speed limits in neighbourhood streets to help create safer and more liveable streets for people? Well, according to a recent <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/media-releases/what-australia-wants">nationally representative poll</a>, about two-thirds of Australians say they want lower speed limits on local streets. </p>
<p>The introduction of 30km/h speed limits around the world shows the popularity of these limits grows rapidly after they take effect and local residents begin to appreciate the <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/">multitude of benefits</a> from safer streets.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/london-is-proposing-20mph-speed-limits-heres-the-evidence-on-their-effect-on-city-life-102129">London is proposing 20mph speed limits – here's the evidence on their effect on city life</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1387626808284123140"}"></div></p>
<h2>Myth #3: 30km/h limits increase journey times</h2>
<p>In urban areas, journey times are affected by more than the speed limit. Key factors include traffic congestion and time spent waiting at traffic signals. One study that considered a reasonably typical 26-minute journey to work calculated the difference between a 50km/h and 30km/h speed limit is <a href="https://30please.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ACRS-Safe-Street-Neighbourhoods-2019-Update-vs2.1-WA-NSW.pdf">less than a minute</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-australian-cities-need-post-covid-vision-not-free-parking-150380">Safer and more liveable streets</a> can decrease our reliance on the private car. By shifting private car trips to active and <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-can-help-drive-australias-recovery-but-not-with-less-than-2-of-transport-budgets-142176">sustainable forms of transport</a>, such as cycling and walking, we can reduce congestion and improve population and environmental health. </p>
<p>Research from <a href="http://content.tfl.gov.uk/speed-emissions-and-health.pdf">Transport for London</a> has indicated that 20mph (32km/h) zones have no net negative effect on emissions due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-does-your-driving-speed-make-any-difference-to-your-cars-emissions-140246">smoother driving and less braking</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-does-your-driving-speed-make-any-difference-to-your-cars-emissions-140246">Climate explained: does your driving speed make any difference to your car's emissions?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1360377261677940737"}"></div></p>
<h2>Myth #4: 30km/h limits are anti-motorist</h2>
<p>Reduced speed limits are not anti-motorist and are not about banning cars or the ability to drive. A 30km/h limit is a win-win-win for street users, businesses and motorists – and major motoring groups <a href="https://www-cdn.rac.com.au/-/media/files/rac-website/about-rac/public-policy/17465---public-policy_policy-doc20-21_ebook.pdf?modified=20200722020223&_ga=2.148373364.2136567302.1621155469-250781955.1621155468">agree</a>. </p>
<p>Lower speed limits can lead to <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-8139-5">fewer car crashes</a>, in turn reducing insurance costs and time delayed in traffic by those crashes. </p>
<p>Main road speed limits will remain faster. However, residential streets, shopping streets and streets close to public transport will be slower, to create a more economically vibrant and safer city. That’s because children, older people and people living with disabilities feel safer when going to local schools, shops, services and parks. </p>
<h2>Myth #5: 30km/h limits are about revenue-raising</h2>
<p>Speed limits are a <a href="https://www.20splenty.org/cost_benefit_calculator">low-cost</a> tool in the governments’ toolbox against road deaths. Of course, not everyone obeys speed limits – <a href="https://arsf.com.au/fatality-free-friday-2020/#:%7E:text=Speeding%20is%20the%20most%20common%20with%20two%20thirds%20(68%25),least%20once%20every%20few%20months">two-thirds</a> of Australians admit to speeding. <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-speed-cameras-really-save-lives-87701">Speed enforcement</a> and <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.9.3.200">street design</a> changes may be needed in some cases to reduce driver speed and improve conditions for all street users.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-can-help-drive-australias-recovery-but-not-with-less-than-2-of-transport-budgets-142176">Cycling and walking can help drive Australia's recovery – but not with less than 2% of transport budgets</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/75877/18/75877.pdf">Enforcement</a> <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.3141/2078-16">works</a> and ensures credibility, because <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/">no single solution</a> will work alone. For best results, state and territory governments will combine multiple tools to reduce speed, such as <a href="https://30please.org/">speed limits</a>, <a href="https://towardszero.nsw.gov.au/campaigns">public education</a>, <a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/health/effectdriver.pdf">driver training</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-speed-cameras-really-save-lives-87701">speed enforcement</a> and <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.9.3.200">street design</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Safe Active Street in Perth, Western Australia, combines multiple design features to reduce traffic speed and increase its amenity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Learn more</h2>
<p>Not convinced? More myths to bust? Check out the Australian campaign <a href="https://30please.org/">30please.org </a>and the global <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/streets-for-life#myths">United Nations Road Safety Week campaign</a> #Love30 happening this week.</p>
<p>Introducing 30km/h limits is one of a <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/">suite of measures</a> available to governments to bring about <a href="https://bit.ly/UNGRSW_TGI">six compelling co-benefits</a> to society: road safety, physical activity, air quality, liveability, equity and economic benefits. </p>
<p>All Australian states and territories should urgently introduce 30km/h speed limits to create streets that are safe, accessible and enjoyable for all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160547/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew 'Tepi' Mclaughlin is affiliated with the International Society for Physical Activity and Health, the Australasian Society for Physical Activity and Newcastle Cycleways Movement. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Beck receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Transport Accident Commission, the Victorian Department of Health, VicHealth, RACV, and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Canada. He is President of the Australasian Injury Prevention Network (AIPN). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span><a href="mailto:jbrown@georgeinstitute.org.au">jbrown@georgeinstitute.org.au</a> receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, Australian and State government transport, health and insurance agencies. She heads the Injury program at the George Institute for Global Health and is co-Director of the Transurban Road Safety Centre at NeuRA.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan Sharkey is affiliated with SpaceforHealth, the International Society for Physical Activity, London Cycling Campaign, and Transport for NSW.</span></em></p>
The push for 30km/h speed limits is not about revenue-raising or anti-cars. Even a seemingly small decrease from 40km/h to 30km/h makes a huge difference to the safety and liveability of local streets.
Matthew Mclaughlin, PhD Candidate, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle
Ben Beck, Senior Research Fellow, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Julie Brown, Associate Professor, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW, and Program Head, Injury Division, George Institute for Global Health
Megan Sharkey, Urban Studies Research Scholar, University of Westminster, and Adjunct Lecturer, UNSW Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/149820
2021-01-22T04:01:50Z
2021-01-22T04:01:50Z
Level-crossing removals: a case study in why major projects must also be investments in health
<p>The Victorian government has committed to <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/More-level-crossing-removals-on-the-way">removing 75 road/rail level crossings</a> across Melbourne by 2025. That’s the fastest rate of removal in the city’s history. The scale of the investment — at least <a href="https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/file_uploads/20201014-Follow-up_level_crossing_removal_report_k2c4ZRcV.pdf">A$14.8 billion</a> — and the project’s ripple effects mean it could do more to transform the city’s public transport system than the <a href="https://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/">Metro Tunnel</a> project. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/rail-works-lift-property-prices-pointing-to-value-captures-potential-to-fund-city-infrastructure-123757">Rail works lift property prices, pointing to value capture's potential to fund city infrastructure</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>All infrastructure projects change the determinants of health — the “causes of the causes” of good health — to some extent. Despite this, the public health impacts of the level-crossing removals have been neglected. Our research aims to quantify the health impacts of major infrastructure, using level-crossing removals on the Upfield line as a case study, and to encourage governments to consider these when designing and building.</p>
<p>The two most frequently stated <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/More-level-crossing-removals-on-the-way">reasons</a> for the project are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>to reduce traffic congestion caused by having to give way to trains</p></li>
<li><p>to increase safety by eliminating the temptation for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to cross tracks when boom gates are lowered. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>A third reason is to create jobs in the construction sector. </p>
<p>However, the impacts on public health are significant too. The level crossing removals have an opportunity to ensure that changes to the built environment make healthy behaviours the “easy option”. Such changes are generally more effective and equitable and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0528.2007.00348.x">can yield more sustained health benefits</a> than health promotion programs. </p>
<p>This means government investment in health through improvements to the built environment is both an ethical responsibility and a prudent social investment. All infrastructure projects, especially when publicly funded like the level-crossing removals, should contribute to demonstrable and equitable improvements in public health that are proportional to the scale of the investment. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-transport-projects-arent-as-good-for-your-health-as-they-could-be-68326">Why transport projects aren't as good for your health as they could be</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A case study: the Upfield line</h2>
<p>Each level-crossing removal in Melbourne has unique challenges and opportunities. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/upfield-line-back-on-track">Bell-to-Moreland project</a> on the Upfield line, for example, involves removing four level crossings and building two new train stations. To remove the crossings, the rail has been elevated to create “sky rail” over a 3km stretch. </p>
<p>The land below can then be re-purposed for linear parks, recreation and active transport such as walking and cycling. </p>
<p>While the government <a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/publications/bell-to-moreland-trees-and-vegetation">emphasises such uses</a>, these appear to be incidental reasons for the project. “Level-crossing removal” rather than, say, “rail upgrade” or “linear park project”, suggests its main purpose is to ease traffic congestion. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="traffic flows under a rail overpass" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377497/original/file-20210107-19-1reonjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Traffic flows freely under the newly elevated rail line, which was one of the project’s main goals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/upfield-line-back-on-track#gallery-470795-6">Level Crossing Removal Project/Victorian government</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The problem is that projects that aim to do this often have unintended rebound effects that actually <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191261510000226">increase car use</a>. This, in turn, is linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074937970400087X">increases in health problems</a>, including inactive lifestyles, excess weight and chronic disease.</p>
<p>The work on the Upfield line has also led to <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/let-us-sleep-residents-say-24-7-upfield-line-works-are-unbearable-20200813-p55la6.html">construction noise</a>, the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/anger-as-thousands-of-trees-axed-in-transport-building-blitz-20210101-p56r6j.html">loss of over 150 mature trees</a> and <a href="https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/about-us/news-and-publications/news/council-disappointed-that-upfield-railway-line-precinct-heritage-submissions-cut-short-media-release/">heritage structures</a>, and loss of cyclists’ serendipitous “greenwave”, whereby north-south cycle travel on the adjacent path could be coordinated with the boom gates. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/UpfieldCCgroup/">Community dissatisfaction with the consultation processes</a> has also been significant. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-sky-rail-saga-can-big-new-transport-projects-ever-run-smoothly-54383">The 'sky rail' saga: can big new transport projects ever run smoothly?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Each of these problems is known to make health worse. Will the benefits of the new open spaces — “<a href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/upfield-line-back-on-track">two MCGs worth</a>” — and better transport interchanges at the new Moreland and Coburg stations be realised and outweigh the negative impacts? How can we be sure major infrastructure, like the Upfield level-crossing removal, represents a prudent investment in public health?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Train travels through new station" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377500/original/file-20210107-13-1styjof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Will the transport benefits of the newly built Moreland station outweigh the negative impacts of the project on community health?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/upfield-line-back-on-track#gallery-470795-1">Level Crossing Removal Project/Victorian government</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Making the links between liveability and health</h2>
<p>Health impact assessment is an established set of protocols for measuring the effects of a project on public health. Extensive consultation and modelling are used to understand the opportunities and threats to public health arising from a proposed project. </p>
<p>At the same time, liveability is increasingly mentioned in urban policies and plans. The term is often used to promote Melbourne to the world. </p>
<p>However, liveability is not consistently defined. And contrary to what many would assume, the term is often used to emphasise city image and global economic competitiveness, rather than equitable access to healthy urban environments. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melanie-lowe-288493">Melanie Lowe</a> and colleagues recognised the potential for liveability to be redefined and used to improve decision-making for health equity. Their <a href="https://communityindicators.net/resources/liveable-healthy-sustainable-what-are-the-key-indicators-for-melbourne-neighbourhoods/">review</a> of 82 peer-reviewed papers and government reports examined how these have used the concept. They found a liveable place, irrespective of its global location, is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] safe, attractive, socially cohesive and inclusive, and environmentally sustainable, with affordable and diverse housing linked to employment, education, public open space, local shops, health and community services, and leisure and cultural opportunities; via convenient public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1cSLKiZ5t2bWM">Initial research for a comprehensive health impact assessment</a> has shown the Upfield level-crossing removal will affect most of these elements of liveability to some degree. Some impacts will be positive, some negative. Transport, public open space, natural environment, social cohesion and local democracy are likely to be most affected. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-create-liveable-cities-first-we-must-work-out-the-key-ingredients-50898">How do we create liveable cities? First, we must work out the key ingredients</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="open space being landscaped under rail line" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377498/original/file-20210107-17-glhckm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Elevating the rail line has freed up open space underneath it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/upfield-line-back-on-track#gallery-470795-9">Level Crossing Removal Project/Victorian government</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These findings illustrate the pervasive yet subtle impacts on public health that major infrastructure projects can have. </p>
<p>Closer examination of the Upfield project will involve gathering data and modelling the impacts on health. The results will provide valuable evidence for formulating recommendations that enhance the public health benefits of this project and others like it, locally and internationally. </p>
<p>Importantly, demonstrating the links between major infrastructure, liveability and the determinants of health will help ensure decision-makers understand the public health potential and risks of such publicly funded projects.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149820/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Masters of Environment student Miranda Leckey also contributed to this article in the form of support and expert advice. Geoffrey Browne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Stone has received funding from the ARC and state and local governments including the Level Crossing Removal Project. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melanie Lowe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The pervasive impacts of infrastructure projects on public health are often overlooked. New research is teasing out the many ways Melbourne’s level-crossing removals will affect people’s health.
Geoffrey Browne, Research Fellow in International Urban Development, The University of Melbourne
Melanie Lowe, Lecturer in Public Health, Australian Catholic University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/150938
2020-12-10T18:59:00Z
2020-12-10T18:59:00Z
Tramping the city to find enchantment in a disenchanting world
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373737/original/file-20201209-16-1tpp073.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C7%2C4977%2C3323&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-australia-march-14-2020-people-1696941991">Photos BrianScantlebury/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Based in Melbourne, we set out to find new ways of seeing and understanding aspects of Australian urban life in the 21st century. We did this by walking the city without preconceptions, open and ready to absorb what the streets and sidewalks had to teach. </p>
<p>In search of disturbance and enchantment, we moved, journeyed, observed, discovered, wandered (and wondered), got lost, found ourselves, listened, smelled and meandered through the main streets and back alleyways, the CBDs and suburbs, the parks, cemeteries, buildings and cultures of Melbourne.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cover of Urban Awakenings book" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=857&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=857&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=857&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1077&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1077&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373735/original/file-20201209-18-1ve56z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1077&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://sustainable.unimelb.edu.au/publications/books-and-monographs/urban-awakenings/urban-awakenings-disturbance-and-enchantment-in-the-industrial-city">Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute/Palgrave</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We have reported our year-long project in our new book, <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811578601">Urban Awakenings</a>. We conceived it in early 2019 as a series of urban investigations. We were inspired and guided by the thesis set out in American philosopher Jane Bennett’s book <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-enchantment-of-modern-life-jane-bennett/book/9780691088136.html?source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAiA2O39BRBjEiwApB2Ikg6WJJPDRKldNsf_V6lKIlW6v9hDFABu2qszHE_JeaH6BVc4BsvNXBoCHesQAvD_BwE">The Enchantment of Modern Life</a>. </p>
<p>Bennett acknowledges that modern life in industrialised society comes with heavy environmental burdens and deep social justice concerns. But, troubled though modern life is, she argues it still has the capacity to enchant (and disturb) in ways that inspire engagement with the world and each other. </p>
<h2>Why seek out enchantment?</h2>
<p>In Bennett’s hands, a willingness to seek enchantment in everyday life is a necessary precondition of ethical practice and political engagement. It can create the emotional capacity for wonder, compassion, engagement and generosity.</p>
<p>Conversely, disenchantment with life poses an ethical and political problem, she maintains, in that it can lead to apathy and resignation. To be disenchanted is to feel one lives in a world that lacks meaning and purpose. A better world becomes unimaginable and so not worth fighting for. </p>
<p>Readers might agree it is easy to feel disenchanted in a modern, industrial city, with its concrete, cars, noise, pollution and crowding.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="people waiting to cross a busy city intersection" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373746/original/file-20201209-15-1j5hts7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disenchantment with the crowded, noisy and hectic life of industrial cities can blind us to the possibilities of change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/city-melbourne-vicaustraliaapril-15th-2019-crowds-1374287114">Shuang Li/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-actually-is-a-good-city-80677">What actually is a good city?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>On the other hand, to actively seek out and appreciate moments of urban enchantment has ethical potential. It can give people the energy — the impulse — to care and engage in a world <a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-12-03/unsettling-the-story-of-disenchantment-excerpt-from-urban-awakenings/">desperately in need</a> of ethical and political re-evaluation and provocation.</p>
<p>To be enchanted — if only for a moment — is to see life as worth living. We can then start to see the world as a place that has the latent capacity to be transformed in more humane and ecologically sane ways. </p>
<p>More importantly, enchantment, as we are using the term, provides the propulsion to act and engage. It’s an antidote to apathy, resignation and perhaps even despair.</p>
<p>Based on these insights, we contend that <a href="https://store.holmgren.com.au/product/art-against-empire-ebook/">effective urban politics</a> must change or challenge not only the way we think about the world, but also how we feel, perceive, judge and experience the world.</p>
<h2>Urban tramping as method</h2>
<p>In our book we apply Bennett’s critical philosophy to the urban landscape. We did this by walking our home city, Melbourne, with eyes open to the possibility of enchantment. </p>
<p>We describe this as “urban tramping”. We urban tramps were to be free-thinking, free walkers of the city, encumbered only by the duty to absorb what the city had to teach.</p>
<p>The “tramp” was to be a distinguishing critical identity that at the same time related us to the various traditions of urban observation: <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1469-8676.12381">flâneurs</a>, <a href="https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/product/vagabond-as-social-reformer-the-inside-melbournes-asylums-and-hospitals-by-john-stanley-james-edited-by-michael-cannon/">slum journalists</a>, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Walking-in-the-European-City-Quotidian-Mobility-and-Urban-Ethnography/Shortell-Brown/p/book/9781138272781">ethnographers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/psychogeography-a-way-to-delve-into-the-soul-of-a-city-78032">psychogeographers</a>, and so on.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/psychogeography-a-way-to-delve-into-the-soul-of-a-city-78032">Psychogeography: a way to delve into the soul of a city</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In other words, we set out to sojourn through urban landscapes with the same sense of wonder and critical attention that a nature walker like <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1862/06/walking/304674/">Henry David Thoreau</a> embodied as he sauntered through <a href="https://www.walden.org/explore-walden-woods/protecting-walden-woods-2/">Walden Woods</a>. Nature can enchant and disturb, but what about the city?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="foggy morning in a Melbourne park" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373738/original/file-20201209-21-6l1d31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The quest for enchantment took in all parts of Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/foggy-morning-ghost-gumtrees-local-dog-413909224">ProDesign studio/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811578601">Urban Awakenings</a> draws inspiration and content from the variety of our urban tramps over the past year or so. We started out from grounds never ceded by the Aboriginal peoples who have lived in what we call Melbourne for countless generations. We recognise the false claims to exclusive sovereignty of a social order established through invasion and violence.</p>
<p>In a collection of brief essays based on our perambulations, we record the myriad ways in which we found holes in the main narrative of Western societies today — that free markets and economic growth are the necessary and natural preconditions for modern urban life. Indeed, one journey took us through various cemeteries of Melbourne, inviting reflection on themes of death and finitude even in this (<a href="https://www.invest.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/2019/september/melbourne-one-of-the-worlds-most-liveable-cities#:%7E:text=Melbourne%20has%20retained%20its%20status,just%200.7%20points%20behind%20Vienna.">second-most-liveable</a>) city.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/imagining-a-better-world-the-art-of-degrowth-86201">Imagining a better world: the art of degrowth</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A disturbed book</h2>
<p>Little did we know a pandemic would <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/planning/a-disturbed-book-bubbles-under-the-throne/">disrupt</a> our book midway through. It was split into two parts — before-COVID (BC) and after-COVID (AC). </p>
<p><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/">Heraclitus</a>, the ancient Greek philosopher, famously said one can never step into the same river twice, since it is always in flux. We would say the same thing about cities. Our BC and AC experience of Melbourne testifies to this rather starkly.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="feet of person standing on rocks in a river" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373734/original/file-20201209-23-15qvdi2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Just as one can never step into the same river twice, each time we set out into the city it is changing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/girl-waterfall-spray-211925440">Pavel_Markevych/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As it unfolded, the pandemic was yet another historical proof of the vulnerability and contingency of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1942778620937122">capitalism</a>, especially its latest form, globalised <a href="https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/07/david-harvey-neoliberalism-capitalism-labor-crisis-resistance/">neoliberalism</a>. We recognised this huge, sudden superimposition on our project as an affirmation of its purpose. We walked Melbourne under lockdown (in accordance with the rules) with a keen eye for the many disruptions the virus imposed on free market societies like Australia, especially their paid and unpaid <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/work-life-balance-7644">working lives</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-seriously-tried-to-believe-capitalism-and-the-planet-can-coexist-but-ive-lost-faith-131288">I've seriously tried to believe capitalism and the planet can coexist, but I've lost faith</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Without diminishing the social and physical injuries of the pandemic, it was clear that many of the apparently rigid processes and rhythms of the industrial order could in fact be rapidly suspended and even permanently changed. </p>
<p>The sudden <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1942778620937122">relocalisation of everyday life</a>, for example, showed the stressful, polluting rhythms of urban commuting were part of a constructed, not natural, order. In traffic-calmed cities, nature took a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/07/blue-sky-thinking-how-cities-can-keep-air-clean-after-coronavirus">breather</a> and found new friends in social hordes who happily occupied <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/27/the-bliss-of-a-quiet-period-lockdown-is-a-unique-chance-to-study-the-nature-of-cities-aoe">newly available green spaces</a>, even median strips in once-busy roads.</p>
<p>Many more disturbing enchantments and enchanting disturbances were observable to the tramps’ eyes.</p>
<p>Our project ended just as the long lockdown in Melbourne was relaxing. Everyone began to wonder what permanent changes might have been wrought on the hard-wiring of Australia’s “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cjres/article/10/3/391/4090996">growth machine</a>” cities. It was a good time to reflect on Bennett’s point that to seek enchantment is not to seek magic but rather possibilities for change in the stultifying and unjust workings of the industrial order.</p>
<p>The tramps took the project out on the road in Melbourne in 2020 at a time when change was certainly in the air. When we step into the city again tomorrow, no doubt we will find the urban landscape and its inhabitants still in flux.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150938/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brendan Gleeson receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Walking all parts of Melbourne before and after the pandemic hit was eye-opening. It brought home just how much change is possible if we wish for a better, more sustainable way of living.
Samuel Alexander, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, The University of Melbourne
Brendan Gleeson, Director, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, The University of Melbourne
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/148635
2020-10-29T19:07:54Z
2020-10-29T19:07:54Z
Aged care isn’t working, but we can create neighbourhoods to support healthy ageing in place
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365756/original/file-20201027-13-exj48e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C137%2C1948%2C1329&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image: Kathleen Brasher</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of our series on aged care. You can read the other articles in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/aged-care-series-2020-94869">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed issues and inequities across society. How we plan for ageing populations and older people is one critical issue that has been neglected for decades. Fresher-faced youth and families have become the demographic focus of increasingly short-term electoral cycles, reinforcing a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/14/the-ugly-truth-about-ageism-its-a-prejudice-targeting-our-future-selves">deep-seated prejudice against ageing and older people</a>. </p>
<p>If Gandhi is right, and the true measure of a society can be found in how we treat the most vulnerable, then Australia has a lot to learn from the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/covid-19-cases-in-aged-care-services-residential-care">683 deaths from COVID-19 in residential aged care</a> this year. Australia needs a radical shift to policies that better support ageing in place — that is, in their own homes — rather than relying so heavily on underfunded and poorly resourced residential aged care.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-more-than-30-major-inquiries-governments-still-havent-fixed-aged-care-why-are-they-getting-away-with-it-147736">Despite more than 30 major inquiries, governments still haven't fixed aged care. Why are they getting away with it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Residential aged care populations are growing, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/diverse-groups-of-older-australians/regional-remote-communities">with 70% of facilities located in major cities and 30% in regional areas</a>. These facilities and current policies are failing our older people as <a href="https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/RCD.9999.0540.0001.pdf">identified</a> by the current <a href="https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/">Royal Commission into Aged Care</a>. Reform is <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/action-needed-on-aged-care-draft-recommendations-now-unions-say-20201022-p567l5.html">needed now</a>. </p>
<p>However, residential aged care is only part of the problem of failing to plan adequately for ageing. Neoliberal policies have turned the ageing population into a <a href="https://theconversation.com/at-the-heart-of-the-broken-model-for-funding-aged-care-is-broken-trust-heres-how-to-fix-it-147101">growing consumer market</a> while <a href="https://theconversation.com/asian-countries-do-aged-care-differently-heres-what-we-can-learn-from-them-148089">filial piety or family caring becomes rarer</a> as economic and social pressures on working families (their adult children) become greater. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Old and young women sit together in a garden" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366069/original/file-20201028-15-16o6uzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Caring for older family members is becoming rarer in Australia, but remains common practice in Asia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/asian-woman-taking-care-elder-age-1750612475">Chayatorn Laorattanavech/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/asian-countries-do-aged-care-differently-heres-what-we-can-learn-from-them-148089">Asian countries do aged care differently. Here's what we can learn from them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These trends have reinforced health inequities. More than <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-08/aged-care-budget-funding-for-home-care-packages-falls-short/12736428">100,000 people are on the waiting list</a> for in-home support package funding. Over the past two years, 28,000 people have died before receiving any funding. </p>
<p>Older women are particularly vulnerable. In 2007, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/diverse-groups-of-older-australians/regional-remote-communities">75% of women aged over 70 had no superannuation</a> (with superannuation beginning in the 1980s). <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/4430.0Main%20Features1042015?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4430.0&issue=2015&num=&view=">Two-thirds of residents in aged care were women</a>. </p>
<h2>Being age-friendly makes cities more liveable</h2>
<p>We need to shift the conversation on ageing to healthy ageing and creating environments that better support ageing in place. Age-friendly places aren’t just good for older people. They also <a href="https://theconversation.com/ageing-in-neighbourhood-what-seniors-want-instead-of-retirement-villages-and-how-to-achieve-it-138729">support the needs of children, people with a disability and everyone else</a> in a community. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ageing-in-neighbourhood-what-seniors-want-instead-of-retirement-villages-and-how-to-achieve-it-138729">'Ageing in neighbourhood': what seniors want instead of retirement villages and how to achieve it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The 50-year-old child-friendly cities movement has increasingly emphasised how the features of a city that make it safe, healthy and accommodating for its most vulnerable citizens can also <a href="https://www.livablecities.org/blog/suitable-all-ages-how-child-friendly-cities-benefit-everyone">make it much more liveable for everyone</a>. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/20/7685">recent research</a> we looked at how the World Health Organisation’s <a href="https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf">Global Age-Friendly Cities Guide</a> can be applied in local planning. The aim was to develop practical tools to help policymakers and planners assess the age-friendliness of local neighbourhoods. This included the use of spatial indicators to measure the eight domains of the Age-Friendly Cities framework.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237050477_Development_of_neighborhoods_to_measure_spatial_indicators_of_health">Spatial indicators</a> investigating the relationship between health and place are created using geographic information systems (GIS) to map the presence of features within a local area. We have suggested key indicators that can be created and mapped using desktop analysis to understand how age-friendly local spaces are. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Table of key indicators for assessing age-friendly cities" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1030&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1030&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1030&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1294&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1294&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/366005/original/file-20201028-19-t11xeq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1294&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the most striking features is that many of these suggested measures are important for everyone living locally and not just older people. Examples include good walkability, public open spaces, public transport, affordable housing, local services, cafes, doctors and internet connectivity. Others are age-specific such as in-home aged care. </p>
<p>Most importantly, all of these factors are essential ingredients of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-create-liveable-cities-first-we-must-work-out-the-key-ingredients-50898">healthy and liveable communities</a>. Together, they support better health and well-being outcomes for all. We have mapped many of the suggested measures of age-friendly communities in the <a href="https://auo.org.au/">Australian Urban Observatory</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-create-liveable-cities-first-we-must-work-out-the-key-ingredients-50898">How do we create liveable cities? First, we must work out the key ingredients</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The use of additional technology such as <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/19/3525">sensor and robot technology</a> should also be considered in future community and housing design, but this depends on household internet access. That can be a problem, particularly in regional and remote areas <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population-age-and-sex/latest-release">where populations are ageing rapidly</a> and <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/diverse-groups-of-older-australians/regional-remote-communities">fewer aged-care places are available</a>.</p>
<p>Some of these indicators might not necessarily be feasible for all regional and rural communities. Many <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-average-regional-city-resident-lacks-good-access-to-two-thirds-of-community-services-and-liveability-suffers-131910">regional communities have reduced access to services</a>. However, these indicators still provide an important starting point for discussions with diverse rural older people about what is important and what constitutes reasonable access within their community.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-average-regional-city-resident-lacks-good-access-to-two-thirds-of-community-services-and-liveability-suffers-131910">The average regional city resident lacks good access to two-thirds of community services, and liveability suffers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If we have learnt anything from this difficult year, then post-COVID recovery must include a broader approach to ageing that extends beyond residential aged care to a focus on healthy ageing. That means better support for people to age in place. </p>
<p>Age-friendly communities enable older people to continue to make significant economic and social contributions to families and communities. However, this can’t occur unless local places plan for all ages and abilities from the beginning.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148635/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melanie Davern receives funding from the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub funded by the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program and National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoffrey Woolcock receives funding from the Australian Research Council and some not-for-profit organisations. He is a Board Director of the Australian National Development Index (ANDI), Logan Together and Brisbane Housing Company.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Brasher received funding from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services Ovens Murray Area to establish Age-Friendly Northeast Victoria from 2017-2019 </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Winterton has received funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Health and Human Services Victoria. </span></em></p>
If Australia created more age-friendly neighbourhoods — which really are more liveable for everyone — then we wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on underfunded, substandard aged-care homes.
Melanie Davern, Senior Research Fellow, Director Australian Urban Observatory, Deputy Director (Acting) Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Geoffrey Woolcock, Senior Research Fellow (Regional Community Development), Strategic Research Projects, University of Southern Queensland
Kathleen Brasher, Assistant Lecturer, Charles Sturt University
Rachel Winterton, Senior Research Fellow, John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research, La Trobe University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/147839
2020-10-16T02:21:37Z
2020-10-16T02:21:37Z
How’s your life under lockdown? Tweets tell the tale of how neighbourhoods compare
<p>Melbourne has endured one of the <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/is-melbourne-s-coronavirus-lockdown-really-the-longest-in-the-world-here-s-how-other-countries-stack-up">strictest COVID-19 lockdowns</a> in the world. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-06/coronavirus-restrictions-victorian-government-may-extend-5km/12732058">Public health announcements</a> indicate restrictions are set to continue despite <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-14-day-rolling-average-of-5-new-daily-cases-is-the-wrong-trigger-for-easing-melbourne-lockdown-lets-look-at-under-investigation-cases-instead-147906">experts warning</a> that Victoria is unlikely to get the daily average number of new cases down to just five in the near future. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.monash.edu/mada/research/evaluating-neighbourhood-sentiment">Our research</a> shows some people lack access to the essential services and amenities that support healthy and liveable places during the lockdown. We tracked 80,000 location-based tweets from January 2020 to September 2020 to understand how people are responding to Melbourne’s lockdowns. </p>
<p>Social media such as <a href="https://twitter.com/">Twitter</a> can provide a window into how people are emotionally managing during the lockdown and how well their neighbourhood meets their needs in this challenging time. This is particularly important as policy conversations turn to the importance of 20-minute neighbourhoods and living locally in the post-COVID city.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Research has shown the inequality of neighbourhood access to services and amenities can have serious <a href="https://theconversation.com/walking-and-cycling-to-work-makes-commuters-happier-and-more-productive-117819">physical</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/parks-and-green-spaces-are-important-for-our-mental-health-but-we-need-to-make-sure-that-everyone-can-benefit-142322">mental health</a> impacts. These differences raise issues of equity and whether <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/10/the-new-covid-normal-is-victoria-ready-to-come-out-of-lockdown">responses are proportionate</a> to the threat. It also means some neighbourhoods are ill-equipped to support the anticipated increase in people working from home during and after the pandemic.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-are-full-of-parks-so-why-are-we-looking-to-golf-courses-for-more-open-space-147559">Our cities are full of parks, so why are we looking to golf courses for more open space?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Life under lockdown isn’t the same for all</h2>
<p>On August 2, the Victorian government established strict restrictions on movement including a 5km travel bubble and curfew in Melbourne. In a cross-discipline collaboration between Monash’s Art, Design & Architecture and Data Futures Institute, our analysis of Twitter data focused on neighbourhood amenity and opportunity at this point. Our findings reveal the differences in resident well-being across different suburbs during lockdown.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Entrance to Luna Park in St Kilda" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363113/original/file-20201013-17-fxgfaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Residents of the suburb of St Kilda have been more likely to keep smiling under lockdown than the city as a whole.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alexa Gower</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With the introduction of the first lockdown, the number of tweets posted about people’s local neighbourhoods increased by 158% compared to January and February 2020. This highlights how the lockdown turned people’s attention towards their residential area. It also indicates neighbourhood amenities became more significant for people who are no longer commuting to work in Melbourne’s CBD or other places. </p>
<p>People living in areas with poor access to amenities expressed higher levels of negative sentiment about their neighbourhood during the lockdown periods. Sentiment in these areas dropped three times in the year. There was a 13% drop in sentiment in March when the first lockdown came in and another 15.5% fall with the June lockdown 2.0. Sentiment continued to fall by 30% in August. </p>
<p>In contrast, tweets about amenity-rich areas revealed a 4% rise in positive sentiment. These residents detailed how their neighbourhood amenity helped their well-being during this time. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing trends in positive sentiments in tweets from high- and low-amenity areas" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=185&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=185&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=185&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363614/original/file-20201015-21-1apbv62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We see contrasting trends in sentiment in tweets from high-amenity and low-amenity neighbourhoods under lockdown.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/twitter-posts-show-that-people-are-profoundly-sad-and-are-visiting-parks-to-cheer-up-139953">Twitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Missing aspects of going to work</h2>
<p>We also see that not everyone is as supportive of remote working arrangements as some <a href="https://theconversation.com/remote-working-is-here-to-stay-but-that-doesnt-mean-the-end-of-offices-or-city-centres-145414">studies claim</a>. Before the lockdown, tweets about places in Melbourne often highlighted satisfaction with working environments. These tweets spoke of walking between meetings, and places to gather and eat out: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Beautiful day in the city – just perfect for walking between meetings and lunch at the cafe. (Outer Melbourne, March 6).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Under lockdown, the number of tweets with negative sentiment about residential neighbourhoods throughout Melbourne increased by 124%. People posted negative opinions about what was missing from their local area and expressed longing for the amenities found in their workplace. People also missed their daily commute and the opportunity to walk between places outside their neighbourhood: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Although I’m loving working from home, one thing that I really miss is my walk to the office from the station. (Outer Melbourne, July 9). </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Moreover, tweets highlighted that some people don’t have enough space to work from home </p>
<blockquote>
<p>When I am working at home I’m currently sharing space with the indoor clothes hangers. (Outer Melbourne, April 16).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These tweets remind us of the challenges some people face when working from home and indicate how commuting enables access to amenities that their neighbourhoods lack. </p>
<h2>Some areas make work from home a joy</h2>
<p>In comparison, tweets that expressed positive neighbourhood sentiment during the lockdown referred specifically to the benefits of parks and public facilities. In high-amenity areas, people expressed gratitude for these places. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Social isolating done right … I’m so #grateful to have these sort of parks right on my doorstep so I can exercise both me and the dogs 🙂🐕 (Inner Melbourne, March 29)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Being able to experience the natural environment improved their mood. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I went outside for a walk and took a moment to stand in a spot where the onshore bay breeze could freely hit me in the face while I listened to <em>Sign ☮️ the Times</em>. I needed that so badly. #starfishandcoffee’ (Inner Melbourne, April 16)</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parks-and-green-spaces-are-important-for-our-mental-health-but-we-need-to-make-sure-that-everyone-can-benefit-142322">Parks and green spaces are important for our mental health – but we need to make sure that everyone can benefit</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some were happy to spend more time locally even when lockdown measures had eased. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The joys of working from home and walking to support our local coffee shop. Then you are pleasantly surprised by Teddy and his marmalade skills. Just sweet! (Outer Melbourne, May 27)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Increased positive sentiment about local amenity continued longer into the year than negative tweets, highlighting the broad benefits local amenities provide to communities. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing sentiment trends for Sandringham, St Kilda and Greater Melbourne." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=139&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=139&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=139&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=174&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=174&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/363616/original/file-20201015-15-13kaufp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=174&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How people fare under lockdown has a lot to do with where they live.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Work to be done on neighbourhood amenity</h2>
<p>Comparing Melbourne’s Twitter data across different places provides insight into the impacts of neighbourhood amenity on resident well-being during lockdown. It also shows the uneven access to important neighbourhood facilities in different places and the consequences for remote working. </p>
<p>The lockdown experience highlights that if Melbourne is serious about achieving a city of 20-minute neighbourhoods, there is immediate work to do to improve access to everyday amenities and support remote working.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reclaiming-the-streets-we-all-can-have-a-say-in-the-new-normal-after-coronavirus-137703">Reclaiming the streets? We all can have a say in the 'new normal' after coronavirus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147839/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carl Grodach receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dickson Lukose receives funding from Australian Research Council, and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Webb receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexa Gower and Liton Kamruzzaman do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The differences in sentiment in areas of high and low neighbourhood amenity have been clear under Melbourne’s tough COVID restrictions. It’s further evidence of the impacts of inequity on well-being.
Alexa Gower, Postdoctoral researcher, Monash University
Carl Grodach, Professor and Director of Urban Planning & Design, Monash University
Dickson Lukose, Professor and Senior Data Scientist, Data Futures Institute, Monash University
Geoff Webb, Professor and Research Director, Data Futures Institute, Monash University
Liton Kamruzzaman, Associate Professor of Urban Planning, Monash University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/146302
2020-09-29T18:34:55Z
2020-09-29T18:34:55Z
Wellington’s older houses don’t deserve blanket protection — but 6-storey buildings aren’t always the answer
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360404/original/file-20200928-20-c4699o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C5%2C3512%2C2221&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The proposed blueprint for how Wellington will develop over the next 30 years puts its finger straight on one of the <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/122294584/the-only-way-is-up-wellington-reveals-plans-to-house-80000-more-people-in-next-30-years">key issues</a> affecting urban growth and change: residential character. </p>
<p>Specifically, the draft spatial plan, named <a href="https://wcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=5d8f3900b7cf4fa99acc218c3d149247">Our City Tomorrow</a>, recommends the architectural character of some inner suburbs should be given less protection. </p>
<p>The proposal has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12362190">polarised</a> residents, with those who fear for the character of their suburbs accused of being not-in-my-back-yard (NIMBY) enemies of progress.</p>
<p>The real issue is that residential character has, until now, been protected by a blanket <a href="https://wellington.govt.nz/services/consents-and-licences/building-and-resource-consents/resource-consents/find-out-if-you-need-a-resource-consent/altering-or-demolishing-a-building-built-before-1930">rule</a> that assumes any dwelling dating to 1930 or earlier contributes to that character within the wider suburb. </p>
<p>In itself this is not an insurmountable restriction on redevelopment of individual properties. However, it has been enough of a barrier to most landowners that the form of these suburbs has been largely unchanged for decades.</p>
<h2>Old, draughty and cold</h2>
<p>Despite their location in highly valued neighbourhoods, many of these properties have been poorly looked after. To borrow from the real estate lexicon, they’re often the “worst house in the best street”. </p>
<p>A not insignificant number of older houses have not been upgraded to meet rising standards for thermal insulation. But in Wellington’s scarce housing market almost any property can be rented. Landlords have little incentive to upgrade.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-will-endure-but-urban-design-must-adapt-to-coronavirus-risks-and-fears-135949">Cities will endure, but urban design must adapt to coronavirus risks and fears</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These older properties, particularly those outside the proposed boundaries of character areas, are ripe for redevelopment. The new plan would mean the council will no longer have to ask whether they contribute to residential character.</p>
<p>While this might upset those intent on preserving the past, it bodes well for the health and well-being of future residents. There is no question that more can and should be done to eliminate <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/healthy-homes-initiative">cold and damp housing</a> in New Zealand. </p>
<p>It’s easy to say “just bring the houses up to code”, and there are many examples of older homes that have been properly upgraded. But this is not always feasible. In those cases where the owner can’t make the financial case for improving their older property, it’s good to know they will soon have the opportunity to redevelop.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1309964347725078528"}"></div></p>
<h2>The case for density</h2>
<p>The current <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-02/A%20Stocktake%20Of%20New%20Zealand%27s%20Housing.pdf">housing crisis</a> affecting Wellington and other New Zealand cities certainly provides a good incentive to redevelop. Building more densely, many experts believe, will leverage existing infrastructures such as sewers, roads and schools. More people living in an area will also enhance social vitality. </p>
<p>Indeed, the changes proposed by the Wellington City Council are largely aimed at enabling this. Central government is also targeting housing intensification through the recently adopted <a href="https://www.mfe.govt.nz/national-policy-statement-on-urban-development">National Policy Statement on Urban Development</a> (NPSUD). </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360457/original/file-20200929-14-183xs8q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pre-1930s buildings are not universally characterful or worthy of preserving, a point the current rules do not acknowledge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The NPSUD requires Wellington (and others cities with severe housing shortages) to provide for housing up to six storeys in height in areas within easy walking distance to the central city. This could lead to significant changes in characterful inner-city suburbs such as Wellington’s Mt Victoria.</p>
<p>However, replacing one blanket rule — restricting demolition of pre-1930s houses — with another blanket rule providing for tall buildings in fringe residential areas seems wrong.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/healthy-happy-and-tropical-worlds-fastest-growing-cities-demand-our-attention-112069">Healthy, happy and tropical – world's fastest-growing cities demand our attention</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Firstly, zoning rules are a blunt planning instrument that make it difficult for councils to regulate responsively. Every site and its setting is unique, yet the rules don’t allow for this. This is likely to create extreme height differences, where new six-storey buildings adjoin older one- and two-storey houses. </p>
<p>Such disparities will diminish the visual quality of the street. Many of Wellington’s older streets are relatively narrow. If built to the proposed plan, new buildings could diminish the spatial quality of these streets. </p>
<p>International <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/great-streets">research</a> has found the best streets are at least as wide as the heights of the buildings along their edges. But buildings constructed under the new rules could rise up to one-and-a-half times the width of the street. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1298760014601965568"}"></div></p>
<h2>The not-so-high life</h2>
<p>A second and perhaps more important issue is the reduction in quality of life that comes with living in taller buildings. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233490985_The_Consequences_of_Living_in_High-Rise_Buildings">Studies have found</a> psychological strain increases with floor level, and people’s engagement with the street and neighbourhood drops off when living above the third floor.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360455/original/file-20200929-14-da7no.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Well designed, higher density residential buildings can contribute to the character of older areas as evidenced by this award-winning project in Mt Victoria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jan Gehl, an international expert on building cities for people, suggests housing above the fifth floor no longer even belongs to the city. Given the evidence that housing should not be taller than four or five storeys, it’s not clear why the government has advocated for housing up to six storeys.</p>
<p>There can be little doubt more needs to be done to encourage housing that is healthy and located where people want to live. And the draft spatial plan’s two-pronged approach — relaxing the pre-1930s demolition rule and enabling higher densities — addresses the housing shortage around Wellington’s city centre. </p>
<p>But, while there is plenty to recommend removing protection for some older buildings, simply replacing them with buildings up to six storeys high seems a step too far.</p>
<p><em>NB: public submissions on the draft plan close on October 5.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/146302/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Morten Gjerde has previously received funding from the Victoria University Research Fund & BRANZ. </span></em></p>
Proposals to improve the capital’s urban design and density must also take account of the city’s unique streetscapes.
Morten Gjerde, Associate Professor of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/142274
2020-08-17T20:12:00Z
2020-08-17T20:12:00Z
Census year is the time to work together on a national settlement strategy
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/352843/original/file-20200814-16-7wt2j8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C19%2C4275%2C2824&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-view-housing-estate-queensland-showing-35327632">Warren Chan/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>COVID-19 has raised many questions about how we plan our cities. The issues affect all of us, whether you are in Perth or 3,300 kilometres away in Sydney. Common issues suggest a common approach, but how might we achieve that?</p>
<p>Common approaches require a common understanding and by chance next year, 2021, is <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2089.0">census year</a>. The output from the census is one of the most important inputs to city and regional planning. It’s an opportunity for planners to directly reference the detailed data of the people and households of the communities that make up Australia. </p>
<p>The issues the COVID-19 pandemic has confronted us with raise the question of what other common-ground issues could be explored.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-has-changed-our-sense-of-place-so-together-we-must-re-imagine-our-cities-137789">Coronavirus has changed our sense of place, so together we must re-imagine our cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why do this?</h2>
<p>Interestingly, an “alignment of the stars” is occurring to some degree.</p>
<p>The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) is <a href="https://www.planning.org.au/policy/national-settlement-strategy">calling for a national settlement strategy</a>. Among other things the institute suggests a national settlement strategy should:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>express long-term growth and liveability outcomes - nationally and for the states and regions</p></li>
<li><p>provide a context for a national population policy</p></li>
<li><p>set performance measures for liveability and productivity outcomes. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>A core benefit would be better-targeted infrastructure funding.</p>
<p>But the states and territories have already signed off on <a href="https://www.planning.org.au/policy/national-settlement-strategy">57 regional and capital city plans</a>. We need to think a little about what these plans mean – we cannot just stick them together. We need to understand where the common connections and objectives are.</p>
<p>As planning is a state responsibility, the states must drive this process. However, the states have a poor record of collaboration on strategic planning matters. Yes, we see a few good connections from time to time, but not a deliberative collaboration on city and regional planning issues.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004C00469">constitution</a> does not provide the federal Parliament with powers to make laws relating to planning. However, the federal government has sought to deliver city outcomes, through the current <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/cities/city-deals/">City Deals</a> as well as, <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/pab/files/NUPBP_Complete.pdf">in the past</a>, the <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/96849/1/Investing-in-Australian-Cities-v1-3.pdf">Building Better Cities</a> program and the <a href="http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p52401/mobile/ch05s02.html">National Urban and Regional Development Authority</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-policy-could-the-federal-government-finally-get-cities-47858">Urban policy: could the federal government finally ‘get’ cities?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our common understanding and approach must therefore start and finish with collaboration by the states, with Commonwealth support. </p>
<h2>Common planning themes already exist</h2>
<p>Most Australian capital cities have developed metropolitan plans. The current plans were generally developed in 2017-18. With plans often reviewed every five years, some deep-dive research aligned with the 2021 census would sit well with that timing. </p>
<p>My review of the main themes of each capital city plan reveals areas of commonality (very few across all), as well as some clear local considerations.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Table showing main themes of capital city plans divided into common themes and local themes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=886&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=886&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351929/original/file-20200810-20-kyc268.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=886&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Regional Australia accounts for most of the nation’s land area, and most regions have completed regional plans. It’s equally important, then, to identify and understand common issues and approaches outside the capital cities. </p>
<p>Gaining a common understanding of all issues and opportunities in the regions is a greater challenge than for the capital cities because of the diversity and scale of regional areas. But there are clearly many common issues, including water security, telecommunications coverage, growth and change, transport, access to services, and bushfires and floods, to name a few.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-and-issues-outside-our-big-cities-are-diverse-but-these-priorities-stand-out-110971">People and issues outside our big cities are diverse, but these priorities stand out</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Planning for a COVID-19 world</h2>
<p>In addition, many papers and articles have been published on the performance of cities and what issues city plans need to respond to in a COVID-19 world. Key issues include: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cities-will-endure-but-urban-design-must-adapt-to-coronavirus-risks-and-fears-135949">management and design of public spaces</a></p></li>
<li><p>the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-can-help-drive-australias-recovery-but-not-with-less-than-2-of-transport-budgets-142176">need for cycling and walking networks</a> for journeys to work, recreation and exercise</p></li>
<li><p>the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-more-of-us-work-from-home-after-coronavirus-well-need-to-rethink-city-planning-136261">implications of working from home</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/were-at-a-fork-in-the-road-do-we-choose-neighbourhoods-to-live-work-and-play-in-138949">We're at a fork in the road: do we choose neighbourhoods to live, work and play in?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The initial planning response has been to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pm-wants-to-fast-track-mega-projects-for-pandemic-recovery-heres-why-thats-a-bad-idea-136838">fast-track development proposals</a> to maximise the opportunities for the market to respond. </p>
<p>Infrastructure investments have also included more projects supporting <a href="https://theconversation.com/physical-distancing-is-here-for-a-while-over-100-experts-call-for-more-safe-walking-and-cycling-space-137374">walking, cycling</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-let-coronavirus-kill-our-cities-heres-how-we-can-save-urban-life-137063">public spaces</a> in line with what we have learned from the impacts of COVID-19.</p>
<p>It’s increasingly clear <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-todays-economic-statement-143088">economic recovery is going to take time</a>. A common research agenda could be used to better inform a national infrastructure agenda directed to stimulating economic activity and thus jobs.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-may-live-to-regret-open-slather-construction-stimulus-139967">We may live to regret open-slather construction stimulus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is it we need?</h2>
<p>Ultimately, we need agreement on the understanding behind a set of common issues, and on how we respond. The key here is a common understanding. Differences in the planning systems across the states represent a technical, not substantive, issue which each state would deal with in an implementation phase. </p>
<p>To enhance the prospects of agreement between the states on settlement issues, a research agenda linked to the 2021 census date is a prime opportunity to start a dialogue. A collaborative approach to planning across the states can occur at any time, but the opportunity to align research with the census comes around only once every five years.</p>
<p>While the census is a year away, that doesn’t leave much time to establish a joint research agenda. </p>
<p>The first critical task is simply coming together and agreeing to work collaboratively. This requires commitment to understanding both the challenges and opportunities, as well as working jointly on responses. We need to learn to walk (understand) before we start to run (plan).</p>
<p>The emergence of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-the-national-cabinet-and-is-it-democratic-135036">national cabinet</a> suggests these unique times call for new ways of doing things. Now is the time for the planning profession to add its strategic insights into cities and regions to support Australia’s recovery.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142274/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Halvard Dalheim runs his own consultancy, Halvard Dalheim City Planning Advisory Service Pty Ltd. He is a member of the Planning Institute of Australia and the Urban Land Institute, Asia Pacific.</span></em></p>
Australia lacks a coherent national approach to planning where settlement and growth happens. It’s time to take stock of our cities and regions and work together to improve outcomes across the nation.
Halvard Dalheim, Practitioner in Residence, The Henry Halloran Trust, University of Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/138949
2020-06-07T19:49:13Z
2020-06-07T19:49:13Z
We’re at a fork in the road: do we choose neighbourhoods to live, work and play in?
<p>Living, working and playing in the one neighbourhood has often been touted as the ideal outcome for well-planned cities. Yet this goal has been elusive. For most of us, our daily activities are segregated into one-dimensional precincts.</p>
<p>Every morning we emerge from our “cave” and travel to a fixed place of employment. Thus, we are beholden to transport planners to manage our daily commute.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-more-of-us-work-from-home-after-coronavirus-well-need-to-rethink-city-planning-136261">If more of us work from home after coronavirus we'll need to rethink city planning</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Then came COVID-19. Restrictions changed our behaviour – we adapted. </p>
<p>Those of us who could worked from home. We walked locally, shopped locally, exercised locally, “home-schooled” our children locally and bought take-away locally. For many, our neighbourhoods have become our new “world” where we live, work and play.</p>
<p>We are now at a crossroad. One choice is to circle back to where we came as restrictions are eased. The other is to explore the opportunities our new behaviours have created. </p>
<p>We are in a position to explore the intersections between these new behaviours and how we think about our local neighbourhoods. Can we reach that elusive nirvana of work, rest and play locally?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-reminds-us-how-liveable-neighbourhoods-matter-for-our-well-being-135806">Coronavirus reminds us how liveable neighbourhoods matter for our well-being</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Re-imaging our neighbourhoods</h2>
<p>Re-imagining our neighbourhoods is much more that enhancing the quality of the individual parts. We have an opportunity to strategically build on our behavioural adaptions to shift away from precincts based on simple one-dimensional land use. Just as many planners have been contemplating <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/autonomous-vehicles-1007">how autonomous vehicles might change our thinking</a> about transport planning, re-imagining our neighbourhoods requires us to think well beyond our new behaviours.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339044/original/file-20200602-95013-11wpi9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many people who have set up home offices would love to continue working from home at least some of the time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/girl-student-freelancer-working-home-on-1071472322">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Are there <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/i-feel-so-much-better-employees-ready-to-work-from-home-more-often-20200531-p54y33.html">long-term implications of working from home</a>? Will we change our perceptions of what activities we expect to see in our neighbourhood? What may influence our thoughts? </p>
<p>If we wish to move away from one-dimensional land-use precincts, we need to start at the home and consider where the boundaries between live, work and play lie. Some developers already <a href="https://www.metricon.com.au/home-truths/2020/march/how-to-create-the-perfect-home-office-setup">provide homes with a tailored home office</a> with a separate entrance. How could this evolve? Should we encourage it? </p>
<p>Such questions put into play planning regulations, but more importantly our expectations about the lifestyle of the place where we live. Many employment sectors are relatively benign in terms of nuisance impacts. Do we need to reconsider what activities are permissible as home-based businesses? And how many people can work at a home?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-lockdown-has-shown-us-our-houses-need-to-work-harder-for-us-138307">Life in lockdown has shown us our houses need to work harder for us</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>At the same time we can turn our attention to local centres and how they might evolve and grow. Interestingly, for Greater Sydney, the roughly 1,300 local centres account for close to <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/metropolis-of-three-cities/productivity/jobs-and-skills-city/investment-and-business-activity">18% of all the city’s jobs</a>, similar to that of the whole industrial sector. What placemaking and planning considerations require attention? </p>
<p>For both <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/metropolis-of-three-cities/productivity/jobs-and-skills-city/investment-and-business-activity">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.planmelbourne.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/377117/Plan_Melbourne_2017_Outcome_5_PDF.pdf">Melbourne</a>, the metropolitan plans identify councils as having those responsibilities. Should support come from state government? The role of governments is to be an enabler. For state governments there are tangible benefits to justify transferring and reprioritising resources to accelerate change.</p>
<p>Can we then look one step further and consider if there are opportunities to decentralise activities to the neighbourhood level? This might include post-secondary education and health services, community and social services. Can we turn community nodes into vibrant mixed-use local centres?</p>
<h2>Making the shift from commuting</h2>
<p>Walking our local streets has reintroduced many people to the human scale of their neighbourhood. The interactions at this scale are in stark contrast to the utilitarian role of many local streets. Their layout seeks to move cars in and out of our neighbourhoods as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>Our desire to “get out” and walk has also directed many people to their local centre. How can we support this new walking and shopping behaviour? The broad societal benefits range from healthier communities to reduced pressure on the transport network.</p>
<p>Do we now have an opportunity to take a long-term view? Can we use today’s disruptions to start re-imagining the structure of our neighbourhoods? This might be a journey of incremental steps such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>developing a lattice of widened nature strips to restructure and re-orientate neighbourhoods to enhance local connectivity to where we work, rest and play and let us just safely walk <em>our</em> streets</p></li>
<li><p>creating “community corridors” by connecting existing local facilities and centres and strategically locating new activities</p></li>
<li><p>using the lattice together with the adaption of working from home as a catalyst to re-imagine the activities that can allow communities to live, work and play locally</p></li>
<li><p>enhancing local amenity and the human scale of neighbourhoods by expanding urban tree cover and <a href="https://www.victoriawalks.org.au/pocket_parks/">pocket parks</a>. Better street lighting might be an important enabler for a walking community, not just a minimum provision for those who may dare to walk.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reclaiming-the-streets-we-all-can-have-a-say-in-the-new-normal-after-coronavirus-137703">Reclaiming the streets? We all can have a say in the 'new normal' after coronavirus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A new focus for planning</h2>
<p>For probably the first time in planning’s history, all in the community are acutely aware of the challenges we face. And we all see the opportunity to work together on a pathway to recovery.</p>
<p>Re-imagining our local neighbourhoods might also suggest a new way of thinking about how we plan our cities. Our behaviour response to COVID-19 is shifting the metropolitan planning spotlight from the macro to the micro – the local neighbourhood – and to the importance of applying as much thinking and resources to that area as to the dynamics of whole metropolitan area.</p>
<p>A collaborative approach to a re-imagined neighbourhood will allow local communities to be actively involved in shaping their own and our collective future. </p>
<p>The fork in the road is clear. Which path we take is in our hands.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-has-changed-our-sense-of-place-so-together-we-must-re-imagine-our-cities-137789">Coronavirus has changed our sense of place, so together we must re-imagine our cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138949/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Halvard Dalheim is affiliated with the Planning Institute Australia (PIA) and the Urban Land Institute Asia Pacific. </span></em></p>
The change in our behaviour in response to COVID-19 has created an opportunity to build on this moment and transform our local neighbourhoods into vibrant mixed-use centres of activity.
Halvard Dalheim, Practitioner in Residence, The Henry Halloran Trust, University of Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/137487
2020-05-13T20:00:10Z
2020-05-13T20:00:10Z
Why coronavirus must not stop Australia creating denser cities
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334248/original/file-20200512-66669-bryn29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C48%2C5077%2C3369&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-australia-march-15-2018-cyclist-1099671374">Abdul Razak Latif/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Stay-at-home orders have meant many people are happy to live in dispersed suburbs with free-standing, single-family homes. Quarantine feels less daunting with a backyard, plenty of storage space to stockpile supplies, and a big living room for morning stretches. Before the crisis, though, Australia was slowly moving toward urban density. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/highend-melbourne-apartment-developments-offer-amenities-fit-for-a-mansion-20170406-gvefx2/">More apartments with communal amenities</a>, rather than privatised space, were being built, creating less dependence on driving. It is easy to think these urbanites are now glumly looking out their windows towards the more spacious suburbs, wishing they had made different choices. Yet, despite the impacts of restrictions, Australia’s future is in urban density and not the suburban sprawl of the past.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-coronavirus-forces-us-to-keep-our-distance-city-density-matters-less-than-internal-density-137790">As coronavirus forces us to keep our distance, city density matters less than internal density</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The benefits of density done well</h2>
<p>Before the world changed and Australians were ushered inside <em>en masse</em>, the country was making great strides toward creating more compact, walkable cities. Denser neighbourhoods provided multiple benefits:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>better access to transport alternatives to cars</p></li>
<li><p>the creation of vibrant commercial districts</p></li>
<li><p>increased ability to house more people during affordability and homelessness crises. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-need-to-give-up-on-crowded-cities-we-can-make-density-so-much-better-131304">No need to give up on crowded cities – we can make density so much better</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Nationally, we were building almost as many apartment units as single family homes. In cities like Melbourne and Sydney, <a href="https://blogs.unsw.edu.au/cityfutures/blog/2016/07/apartment-construction-boom-is-this-the-end-of-the-dream/">apartment construction even surpassed stand-alone houses</a> despite <a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-a-windowless-box-the-vertical-slums-of-melbourne-41181">lax quality regulations</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/lack-of-information-on-apartment-defects-leaves-whole-market-on-shaky-footings-127007">design and construction flaws</a>. </p>
<p>Density was achieved not just through towers for <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/chinese-investors-are-pushing-into-melbourne-and-sydney-20141010-113q7x.html">Asian investors in CBDs</a>, but more subtle alterations such as townhouses and small blocks of flats. Residents moving into these neighbourhoods affirmed a sense of environmental consciousness, based on driving less, but also the belief in tight-knit communities with small businesses, parks and thriving street life. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334250/original/file-20200512-66681-tr6m05.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Townhouses, like these in Hobart, increase urban density more unobtrusively than high-rise apartment blocks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Lade/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/becoming-more-urban-attitudes-to-medium-density-living-are-changing-in-sydney-and-melbourne-84693">Becoming more urban: attitudes to medium-density living are changing in Sydney and Melbourne</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Beware the siren call of suburbia</h2>
<p>With the onset of COVID-19, it seems Australia’s new-found love of city living might be over, reverting to the suburban norm. The suburbs always offered a sense of safety, now more than ever. </p>
<p>Yet much of this is illusory. People still have to go shopping and, in many cases, to work, where they could be exposed to the virus. People have just as much control over their physical space in an apartment as in a house. (The exception is the lifts, but distancing measures and gloves can easily reduce risk.)</p>
<p>Australians may be tempted to re-embrace suburbia out of nostalgia for pre-virus safety, but they should remember what brought them to cities in the first place. As the architect Robin Boyd <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=RDxR8Xu9WLIC&pg=PA100&dq=stealthy+crawl+like+dry+rot+eating&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij9u_Mna3pAhV4yzgGHZqECt8Q6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=stealthy%20crawl%20like%20dry%20rot%20eating&f=false">bemoaned</a> way back in his 1960 critique of suburbanisation, The Australian Ugliness: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>… the suburbs’ stealthy crawl like dry rot eating into the forest edge.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>With 60 years of government policy <a href="https://theconversation.com/50-years-on-from-the-melbourne-transportation-plan-what-can-we-learn-from-its-legacy-127721">propping up sprawl through freeway construction</a> and tax breaks like negative gearing, it continues to be its own kind of infection scarring the landscape.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/move-away-from-a-car-dominated-city-looks-radical-but-its-a-sensible-plan-for-a-liveable-future-116518">Move away from a car-dominated city looks radical but it's a sensible plan for a liveable future</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Don’t blame public health failures on density</h2>
<p>Despite re-animated fears of living closer together, many countries that have <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/high-density-living-should-not-be-feared-despite-the-spread-of-covid-19-945758/">successfully contained</a> the coronavirus have some of the <a href="http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/largest-cities-density-125.html">most densely populated cities</a> in the world. These cities include <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/05/how-south-korea-prevented-coronavirus-disaster-why-battle-is-not-over/">Seoul</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-plans-bounce-back-after-two-weeks-with-no-local-coronavirus-cases-11588611222">Hong Kong</a> and <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/-taiwan-s-sars-experience-helped-it-beat-covid-19-/1830547">Taipei</a>. They have done this not by separating people but by increasing testing and contact tracing. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-south-korea-flattened-the-coronavirus-curve-with-technology-136202">How South Korea flattened the coronavirus curve with technology</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>What is needed during a pandemic is not panic but effective public health. Prosperous, well-managed city governments are often best placed to offer these services to the community. </p>
<p>Negative examples like the United States, where the Trump administration has devolved responsibilities to states and cities, provide even more proof of why cities have to be at the forefront of public health campaigns, whether or not they choose that role voluntarily. The same could be said of Australia, where state governments in <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/scott-morrison-has-a-good-story-to-tell-but-the-world-isn-t-listening-20200424-p54mt3.html">Victoria and New South Wales took the lead</a> on restricting gatherings as the national government dithered. </p>
<p>Now, more than ever, we are appreciating urban life from afar: making lists of our favourite restaurants, changing our Zoom background during “virtual happy hour” to the interior of our local pub, and yearning for social connections that have migrated online. </p>
<p>We should listen to our desires and use this moment to double down on urban density when the crisis subsides, by funding mass transit and providing incentives to construct apartments rather than free-standing suburban homes. </p>
<p>Low-density living is less sustainable, less affordable and less fun. We should all remember that, despite currently having to keep our distance from one another. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-fall-short-on-sustainability-but-planning-innovations-offer-local-solutions-107091">Our cities fall short on sustainability, but planning innovations offer local solutions</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137487/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Max Holleran does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Before the pandemic, the country was making great strides towards creating more compact, sustainable and liveable cities.
Max Holleran, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/135806
2020-04-21T20:06:37Z
2020-04-21T20:06:37Z
Coronavirus reminds us how liveable neighbourhoods matter for our well-being
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329287/original/file-20200420-51966-1q031b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C36%2C7971%2C5211&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/7FAhq93_Ir8">Chanan Greenblatt/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We are witnessing changes in the ways we use our cities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-create-liveable-cities-first-we-must-work-out-the-key-ingredients-50898">liveability</a> of our local neighbourhoods has never been more important. </p>
<p>Right now, we are working together to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-flatten-the-curve-of-coronavirus-a-mathematician-explains-133514">flatten the curve</a> by staying home to control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce demand on health services. This means spending a lot more time at home and in our local neighbourhoods. We are all finding out about the strengths and weaknesses in the liveability of our neighbourhoods. </p>
<p>This experience can teach us some lessons about how to live and plan our communities in the future. A liveable neighbourhood promotes <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-local-train-station-can-predict-health-and-death-54946">good health</a> and social cohesion, both now and after this pandemic passes. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-create-liveable-cities-first-we-must-work-out-the-key-ingredients-50898">How do we create liveable cities? First, we must work out the key ingredients</a>
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<hr>
<h2>Heavy use of local open space</h2>
<p>Anybody who has left their home in the past few weeks will have noticed more people are using local streets and public open spaces. Parks and other public spaces are more popular than ever. Some are becoming <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/too-close-for-comfort-when-a-walk-in-the-park-is-no-walk-in-the-park-20200415-p54k46.html">too crowded for comfort</a>.</p>
<p>Accessible public space is a key ingredient of healthy and liveable places. Public <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/design-features/public-open-spaces">green spaces provide multiple benefits</a> for mental and physical health, urban cooling, biodiversity, air pollution and stormwater runoff as identified in a previous review for the Heart Foundation. </p>
<p>Access to local <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">public open spaces has become even more important</a> as the current need to stay home adds to the impacts of increased density in the form of smaller houses, lot sizes and apartment living. Yet not everyone has access to local parks. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">Higher-density cities need greening to stay healthy and liveable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We looked at neighbourhood access to public open space using our liveability indicators included in the <a href="https://auo.org.au/">Australian Urban Observatory</a>. Not all neighbourhoods have access to public open space within 400 metres. We see this in neighbourhoods just north of the beach in North Bondi, Sydney, as the liveability map below shows. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329023/original/file-20200420-152571-rx4vtv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Residents of neighbourhoods north of Bondi Beach in Sydney lack good access to nearby public open space.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://auo.org.au/">Australian Urban Observatory</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found a similar pattern in neighbourhoods of St Kilda East in Melbourne. It’s a pattern repeated in many neighbourhoods across cities in Australia. </p>
<p>Private green spaces and backyards are also being appreciated more than ever. Many people are rushing to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-24/coronavirus-panic-buying-of-edible-plants-at-nurseries/12082988">plant fruits and vegetables at home</a>. </p>
<p>The private green spaces and biodiversity found in backyards are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829218307780">important influences on subjective well-being</a>. Connecting with nature in the garden is a <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/c53a850041a5a964af0fbfdb31a1ff3d/HPHP+MH+Discussion+Paper+Summary.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-c53a850041a5a964af0fbfdb31a1ff3d-mN5Nxe0">great way to support mental health</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-ways-nature-in-the-city-can-do-you-good-even-in-self-isolation-133150">3 ways nature in the city can do you good, even in self-isolation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Dogs are also enjoying more time with their owners in local green spaces and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-05/demand-for-pets-surge-as-australians-stay-at-home/12118888">pet ownership is increasing</a>. Office video conferences often <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/18/working-like-a-dog-an-instagram-account-capturing-the-bright-side-of-social-distance">feature furry friends at home</a>. Let’s hope the increase in pet adoptions helps people cope with social distancing but also provides the animals with good long-term homes. </p>
<h2>Fewer cars, more cycling and walking</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/329022/original/file-20200420-152567-py5qss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reduced car traffic is making local streets safer and more usable for residents.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dad-teaching-his-daughter-ride-bike-84488449">Tony Bowler/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the noticeable differences in our cities right now is the reduced car traffic in typically busy neighbourhoods where more people (including children) are out on bicycles and walking. Walkable environments with paths and cycleways are providing supportive and safe spaces for both recreational physical activity and for getting to places such as local shops and <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-017-0621-9">supermarkets</a> and offices without unnecessary exposure to other people. </p>
<p>The benefits are greatest for people living in <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/plan-melbourne/20-minute-neighbourhoods">high-amenity walkable areas with access to such places within 800 metres</a>. Having services and facilities close by has been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140516302729">shown to support walking for transport to shops and services</a>, promote health and <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-019-0775-8">reduce non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks and strokes</a>. </p>
<p>However, our new lives during this pandemic also highlight inequities in local access to health, community and social services. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23748834.2018.1443620">Research</a> shows access to these services is poorer in the low-density outer suburbs that are <a href="https://auo.org.au/measure/scorecards/">common across Australian cities</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-average-regional-city-resident-lacks-good-access-to-two-thirds-of-community-services-and-liveability-suffers-131910">The average regional city resident lacks good access to two-thirds of community services, and liveability suffers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Better air quality</h2>
<p>Reduced car traffic and industrial emissions are undoubtedly <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/covid-19-drop-in-pollution-to-be-short-lived">improving air quality in our cities</a>. In 2018, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/27/air-pollution-is-the-new-tobacco-warns-who-head">World Health Organisation declared air quality was the “new smoking”</a> as it increases respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease. The transport sector also contributes <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/series/urban-design">about 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions</a> . </p>
<p>Homes, schools and care facilities located within 300 metres of major roads are more exposed to air pollution and risk of disease. Those risks are likely to have decreased during the COVID-19 crisis. </p>
<p>At the moment, many of us are living and shopping locally and enjoying the co-benefits of the “slow walkable city”: less traffic, more active modes of transport, better air quality and less noise. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/transport-access-is-good-for-new-housing-but-beware-the-pollution-77790">Transport access is good for new housing, but beware the pollution</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Valuing social cohesion</h2>
<p>Loneliness is a <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2018/August-Issue-4/Is-loneliness-Australia%E2%80%99s-next-public-health-epide">serious public health problem</a>. It causes premature deaths on a scale similar to that of smoking or obesity. </p>
<p>Pre-pandemic lifestyles involved time-poor people travelling widely to destinations for employment, education, recreation, socialising and extracurricular activities. The suburbs were <a href="https://theconversation.com/lonely-over-christmas-a-snapshot-of-social-isolation-in-the-suburbs-34810">places of much social isolation</a>. </p>
<p>With these activities now reined in, are we are seeing a rise in neighbourhood social connections due to people staying at home? Anecdotally, yes. It’s emerging through new or reinvigorated conversations with neighbours, support and sharing of goods (toilet paper anyone?), and coordinated neighbourhood support systems, such as WhatsApp groups and neighbourhood happy hours. Across the world, we can see this sense of neighbourhood belonging in the form of <a href="https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-pandemic-sparked-worldwide-bear-hunt-to-entertain-kids-2020-4">bear hunts</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/coronavirus-covid-19-chalk-messages-on-streets-around-australia/12102778">rainbow chalk drawings</a>. </p>
<p>It is well documented that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09540261.2014.928270">feeling part of the community is good for your mental health</a>. Local support networks become even more important and valued during crises such as COVID-19. </p>
<p>These are just some of the more obvious reflections about the liveability of our neighbourhoods as we stay home to help contain the spread of COVID-19. No doubt there will be many more lessons to come that we need to remember and act on after the pandemic passes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135806/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melanie Davern receives funding from RMIT University and the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub funded by the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Billie Giles-Corti receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for a Senior Principal Research Fellowship and the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Healthy Liveable Communities, the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, Clean Air and Urban Landscape Hub of the National Environment Science Program. She is a Fellow of the Public Health Association, an Honorary Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and a member of Melbourne Forum. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hannah Badland receives funding through an RMIT University Vice-Chancellor's Senior Research Fellowship. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucy Gunn receives funding from the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre and the NHMRC-funded Centre for Research Excellence in Healthy Liveable Communities. She is also funded by the RMIT Enabling Capability Platform-funded project on the 'Early delivery of equitable and healthy transport options in growth areas'.</span></em></p>
We are all finding out about neighbourhood liveability as we stay home for the coronavirus lockdown. What we learn about local strengths and weaknesses can help us improve our communities in future.
Melanie Davern, Senior Research Fellow, Director Australian Urban Observatory, Co-Director Healthy Liveable Cities Group, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Billie Giles-Corti, Distinguished Professor and Director, Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform, and Director, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, RMIT University
Hannah Badland, Deputy Director, Centre for Urban Research; Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Lucy Gunn, Senior Research Fellow, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, RMIT University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/131304
2020-02-18T18:59:26Z
2020-02-18T18:59:26Z
No need to give up on crowded cities – we can make density so much better
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315188/original/file-20200213-10980-1wd7vmj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C186%2C2258%2C1483&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/5435252820/in/photolist-EfmEni-h8bN8A-ZaLk3L-h8cZ9a-td15uQ-AQN5rC-BedU3K-8eHRsL-twsuJ5-Yy7swG-Yy6szu-8eExMT-8eEHFZ-8eJ7aY-bmguPw-NpJ8sv-8nDcMr-bzbnCa-bmjLWG-bmjKKu-ngPiLx-vC7Ufh-9hi6iw-BL2T55-tLH5Zd-E77x4T-bmi3d1-BC8Erm-tPaukT-PQ6kLf-DhCyBd-vEe4Cs-29C7zx6-vENuha-bmgZnY-bmh19J-DvMidh-bzbRMR-uHM2xo-bzbR2k-bzbRer-vEk6f6-uHM2yW-uHzANV-gs9Yiq-gs9V3Y-dhzMnp-FMVq1s-gsa199-bvDg6m">Payton Chung/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The idea that we should decentralise our population has come up many times in Australia. Recently, the National Farmers’ Federation president pushed the notion, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/03/fiona-simsons-2020s-vision-lets-double-the-population-outside-capital-cities?CMP=share_btn_tw">calling for a shift to the regions</a>. And the premise is this: city living is unpleasant. Roads are jammed, housing is expensive and it’s all so much nicer out in the country. We need to “spread out”.</p>
<p>We reject this conclusion. Regional centres certainly must play a role in accommodating our population growth, but for now it’ll be a modest role. </p>
<p>The more immediate need is to focus on improving conditions in our major cities. Our smaller towns matter, but we can’t neglect the urgent need to get better at doing the bigger ones right.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-dangerous-fantasy-diverting-population-growth-to-the-regions-105052">Australia's dangerous fantasy: diverting population growth to the regions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our cities <a href="https://www.infrastructurevictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Growing-Victorias-Potential-April-2019.pdf">are growing very rapidly</a>. The fastest growth is in Melbourne, which <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3218.0">added 119,400 residents in 2017-18</a>. That’s nearly as many extra people as the <a href="https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/701?opendocument">entire population of Darwin</a> in a single year. This rapid growth doesn’t need to mean more traffic, ugliness or stratospheric housing prices and rents – if we confront a difficult truth.</p>
<h2>A dirty word in Australia</h2>
<p>The truth is we’re just really ordinary at <a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-density-matters-but-what-does-it-mean-58977">urban density</a>. It’s so poorly executed in Australian cities that it has become a dirty word in local politics.</p>
<p>Urban density targets remain low in planning policies for many states. It’s often set at around <a href="https://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/">15 dwellings per hectare</a>. In practice, <a href="https://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/">even lower density is delivered</a>. </p>
<p>Australians tend to think of density as living in high-rise tiny apartments. Drop the “d-word” at your local pub and see how the term “shoebox” or “vertical slum” quickly follows.</p>
<p>The irony is that the very thing that makes a getaway to central Paris or Barcelona so attractive is what many Australian city residents revile at home. The places we visit and admire are really quite dense. </p>
<p>Our estimates based on <a href="https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dybsets/2015.pdf">UN figures</a> suggest Paris averages around 213 people per hectare and Barcelona 156. (By contrast, Melbourne averages <a href="https://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/">38 people per hectare and Sydney around 50</a>.) </p>
<p>It’s higher-density living that makes their streets and public spaces buzz. But, importantly, this density is achieved through a combination of well-designed mid-rise apartments (roughly six storeys) close to shops, services and public transport. This gives residents the best of both worlds: cities that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-what-our-cities-need-to-do-to-be-truly-liveable-for-all-83967">liveable</a> and <a href="https://insidestory.org.au/density-has-to-be-likeable/">likeable</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315192/original/file-20200213-10980-7qrqy2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Barcelona streetscape with bike racks: a picture of high-density liveability.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/18601748360">Eric Fischer/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-what-our-cities-need-to-do-to-be-truly-liveable-for-all-83967">This is what our cities need to do to be truly liveable for all</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A failure of planning</h2>
<p>Past failed experiments in density have made it difficult to replicate overseas examples locally. The great Australian dream of owning a quarter-acre block and the stigma around density persist with reason. In Melbourne, for example, rapid high-rise development in the last decade has delivered large numbers of very small apartments, in some cases of <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-highrises-riddled-with-bad-apartments-20140613-zs7c9.html">poor quality and lacking natural light and ventilation</a>.</p>
<p>Very modest investment in public transport makes things worse, as new residents try to cram onto <a href="http://theconversation.com/crowded-trains-planning-focus-on-cars-misses-new-apartment-impacts-116514">services that haven’t kept pace with growth</a>. <a href="https://theconversation.com/of-all-the-problems-our-cities-need-to-fix-lack-of-car-parking-isnt-one-of-them-116179">Car parking</a>, however, is usually mandated. These planning rules mean the price of new apartments includes the expense of multiple floors of parking, and streetscapes are peppered with vehicle crossover ramps.</p>
<p>Without adequate public transport, roads fill with cars, stoking resident opposition to further infill development. The roads and parking these cars need occupy valuable space, which could be better used for <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">trees and urban greening</a>. Green space is <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-13/climate-warning-over-heat-island-effect-as-city-greenery-decline/11923890">often overlooked</a> in the haste to accommodate rapid population growth, yet it’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829218307780">essential for community health and well-being</a> and for reducing urban heat island effects. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840">Higher-density cities need greening to stay healthy and liveable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Handling population growth doesn’t require us to move to Tamworth or Toowoomba, but it will require some really important changes in our urban development priorities. There has to be a much stronger focus on quality and aesthetics to <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-cut-urban-sprawl-we-need-quality-infill-housing-displays-to-win-over-the-public-63930">win back public support for infill development</a>. It’s also going to take commitment to lift density targets in key planning policies. </p>
<p>Plan Melbourne’s 2017 <a href="https://planmelbourne.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/377206/Plan_Melbourne_2017-2050_Strategy_.pdf">refresh</a>, for instance, has moved to a goal of “over 20 dwellings per hectare”. It follows the recommendations of <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-017-0621-9">research</a> in allowing higher densities in high-activity areas such as activity or town centres. However, it will take time to implement this change in existing and new areas across the city.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315198/original/file-20200213-11040-vmlu5l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reducing car-dominated spaces creates more people-friendly places, as shown here in Basel, Switzerland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dylanpassmore/10577659514/in/photolist-h7HgDU-vwaxHG-8eHXd1-8eJaxE-8eJ4gb-8eEDP6-8eENjM-vwGYZV-28P7D7q-XtaXGf-a7eeoe-8eERHV-8eJ9V1-9hpDid-8eEPh6-8eEHNF-8eJ9n7-bmgZKq-gs94sU-8eJa3C-a4JC3B-8eEMZv-8eJaoo-oiA3Bo-8eHVt1-8nGm2j-8eJ88y-8eJ98U-8eHVY1-h8b49R-a7edx2-Ywzi4B-8eJaDs-8eJ9eG-8eEEGr-bzc3F2-cw3c4f-8eENC8-8eEQwF-8eJ6Rf-a4JBSM-bmh1kA-8eJ5Ty-a7efHi-8eHSJS-a8Umxw-8KLwbc-bzbS9H-bmguBb-Jgn8Xr">Dylan Passmore/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Density must be complemented by suitable streetscapes and infrastructure. This will require a significant rethink of the role of the car in urban areas, greater investment in public transport, and a reallocation of large areas of streetscape space to greenery and pedestrians.</p>
<p>That’s a big ask, but it’s worth it, because density really doesn’t have to mean “dogbox”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/god-save-us-greenspace-oriented-development-could-make-higher-density-attractive-126204">GOD save us: greenspace-oriented development could make higher density attractive</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Dutch show change is possible</h2>
<p>Take a (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2231784,6.5600609,3a,75y,254.66h,91.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sshMD7V4VHGDn4q1zEu_CpA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656">digital</a>) walk around a <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-the-compassionate-city-to-overcome-built-in-biases-and-help-us-live-better-92726">woonerf</a></em> neighbourhood in the Netherlands and you’ll notice on-street parking is scant, the speed limit is around 15km/h and plentiful road space is allocated to tree planting and garden beds. Kids play in the street under the watchful eye of long-term locals. You don’t notice the dense apartments around you because there are trees in the way and there’s a lot to see at ground level.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314169/original/file-20200207-27552-pm194k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A <em>woonerf</em> (Dutch for ‘living area’) in Amsterdam. We estimate this area has a residential density of over 100 dwellings per hectare.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Thami Croeser</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-the-compassionate-city-to-overcome-built-in-biases-and-help-us-live-better-92726">Designing the compassionate city to overcome built-in biases and help us live better</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Remarkably, it was only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bicycle-capital-world-transport-cycling-kindermoord">in the 1970s</a> that the Dutch started to move away from car-oriented planning to deliver this kind of urban design, which puts people and place first. With courageous policy change, we could have this in Australia too.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bSBdshn2tUM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Life on a Dutch woonerf.</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131304/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thami Croeser receives funding from the European Commission and the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucy Gunn receives funding from the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre and the NHMRC-funded Centre for Research Excellence in Healthy Liveable Communities. She is also funded by the RMIT Enabling Capability Platform-funded project on the 'Early delivery of equitable and healthy transport options in growth areas'.</span></em></p>
The neighbourhoods of Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam with densities 3-5 times those of Melbourne and Sydney offer an insight into how we could transform our cities for the better.
Thami Croeser, Research Officer, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Lucy Gunn, Research Fellow, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, RMIT University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/123354
2019-09-17T20:30:39Z
2019-09-17T20:30:39Z
Superblocks are transforming Barcelona. They might work in Australian cities too
<p>The Spanish city of Barcelona has pioneered an innovative approach to managing traffic, freeing up public space and promoting walking and cycling. The “<a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/9/18300797/barcelona-spain-superblocks-urban-plan">superblocks</a>” model produces considerable health and economic benefits, according to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019315223?via%3Dihub">newly published research</a>, and could be applied in Australian cities too. </p>
<p>So how does this model work? Large “superblocks” covering an area of around 400m by 400m are created from residential blocks of 150m by 150m. These residential blocks are currently surrounded by normal busy streets. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292349/original/file-20190913-35615-xmqre8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The superblocks model explained.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://prod-mobilitat.s3.amazonaws.com/PMU_Sintesi_Angles.pdf">Urban Mobility Plan of Barcelona 2013-2018</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Outside the superblocks, the city’s normal through traffic is accommodated on streets with a maximum speed of 50km/h. Within the superblocks, cars are banned or restricted to 20km/h, priority is given to walking and cycling, and open space is reclaimed or created from parking. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-traffic-signals-favour-cars-and-discourage-walking-92675">How traffic signals favour cars and discourage walking</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZORzsubQA_M?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">In 2016, Barcelona started creating ‘superblocks’ that are transforming life in the affected neighbourhoods.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These priorities accord closely with the goals of growing Australian cities that are struggling to preserve liveability in the face of increasing congestion and density. While current urban designs for new suburbs across Australia are an improvement on post-war suburban residential developments, the results are still unsatisfactory. </p>
<p>Residents of these new outer suburbs typically <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-liveable-this-is-what-residents-have-to-say-about-life-on-the-urban-fringe-111339">depend heavily on cars</a>. They have limited (if any) public transport access and <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-suburbs-are-being-short-changed-on-services-and-liveability-which-ones-and-whats-the-solution-83966">scant opportunity to walk or cycle to local amenities</a>. Urban sprawl means <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-city-workers-average-commute-has-blown-out-to-66-minutes-a-day-how-does-yours-compare-120598">commuting times and distances continue to increase</a>, <a href="https://www.aaa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/AAA-Congestion-Report-2018-FINAL.pdf">traffic congestion worsens</a> and <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/transport-climate-change/">transport emissions rise</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30068-X/fulltext">Residents of these suburbs have poorer economic and health outcomes</a> relative to the whole population. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/city-by-city-analysis-shows-our-capitals-arent-liveable-for-many-residents-85676">City-by-city analysis shows our capitals aren’t liveable for many residents</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What are the benefits of superblocks?</h2>
<p>In light of these issues, Mark Stevenson collaborated with researchers from the Barcelona Institute of Global Health to explore the superblocks model and its potential benefits for Australian cities.
Their research, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019315223?via%3Dihub">published in Environment International</a>, found the associated benefits in Barcelona are considerable. </p>
<p>Premature mortality rates were reduced by about 700 fewer deaths a year and life expectancy increased. This was due to reductions in air pollution, noise and heat, greater access to green space and increased transport-related physical activity.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/292375/original/file-20190913-35611-g2qelf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Barcelona superblocks model had a number of urban quality goals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://prod-mobilitat.s3.amazonaws.com/PMU_Sintesi_Angles.pdf">Urban Mobility Plan of Barcelona 2013-2018</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The economic effects of transforming the existing urban blocks are also impressive, estimated at €1.7 billion (A$2.7 billion) a year. This benefit mainly comes from increased life expectancy, a 20% reduction in premature mortality and a 13% reduction in overall burden of disease.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/superblocks-barcelonas-car-free-zones-could-extend-lives-and-boost-mental-health-123295">Superblocks: Barcelona's car-free zones could extend lives and boost mental health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jq2yd4QgL5I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Barcelona residents talk about their experiences of superblocks.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Could this model work for Australian cities?</h2>
<p>The superblock concept is reminiscent of Griffin’s early <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=0J1kAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT373&dq=early+history+verged+on+the+tragi-farcical&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirpKCvqtzkAhWV7XMBHRohBDIQ6AEILDAA#v=onepage&q=early%20history%20verged%20on%20the%20tragi-farcical&f=false">Canberra model of self-contained residential development</a>. Traffic was to be routed around neighbourhoods and suburbs rather than through them. </p>
<p>From the perspective of transport sustainability, that <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=IwWODwAAQBAJ&pg=PT70&dq=explicitly+designed+on+the+basis+that+the+car+would+be+the+dominant+form+of+transport&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjh8bfXwtnkAhU98HMBHUbtBSwQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=explicitly%20designed%20on%20the%20basis%20that%20the%20car%20would%20be%20the%20dominant%20form%20of%20transport&f=false">model failed, as the city was designed around the car</a>. As the residential neighbourhoods were also low density, schools and neighbourhood retail hubs felt the effect of ageing families and declining populations. </p>
<p>However, a superblock approach might work with two critical differences. </p>
<p>First, if densities were tripled, this would allow for more population within each neighbourhood. Higher density would support more social and retail infrastructure on a smaller footprint. </p>
<p>Second, if cars were restricted within each superblock and more frequent public transport routed around the outskirts of each, then people could get to services and recreational spaces on foot. The result would be a new, healthier urban dynamic. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-creatives-are-remaking-canberras-city-centre-but-at-a-social-cost-97322">New creatives are remaking Canberra's city centre, but at a social cost</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our cities are already ‘retrofitting’</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=431694382926564;res=IELBUS">case study of Docklands</a> in Melbourne, urban planner Kate Matthews argues along similar lines, but in an inner-urban landscape. She makes the point that the City of Melbourne has retrofitted social infrastructure and open space. An area that was <a href="https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2012/april/1336967175/robyn-annear/big-tumbleweed">sterile, wind-swept and cut-off</a> has now become a family-friendly neighbourhood. </p>
<p>The elements for success were that it was walkable, green, safe and had everything you need. Matthews argues that the Docklands experience could be transferred to other centres by applying the following principles:</p>
<ul>
<li>if you build it, they will come</li>
<li>prioritise infrastructure</li>
<li>actively manage traffic</li>
<li>invest in the public realm – streets, squares, parks, green spaces and other outdoor places that everyone can freely access and use.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-steps-melbourne-can-take-to-regain-its-liveable-city-crown-113726">Seven steps Melbourne can take to regain its 'liveable city' crown</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some cities and towns – such as the <a href="https://tonsley.com.au/residential/">Tonsley redevelopment</a> in Adelaide, <a href="https://www.mra.wa.gov.au/projects-and-places/claisebrook-village">Claisebrook Village</a> in East Perth, and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/making-developments-green-doesnt-help-with-inequality-104941">Barangaroo</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/move-over-suburbia-green-square-offers-new-norm-for-urban-living-57633">Green Square</a> renewal projects in Sydney – are already well down this path. We need more examples to draw on and learn from. All levels of government should encourage this approach, as the evidence is now there to show that significant health and ultimately financial benefits accrue to the communities that live within them.</p>
<p>Could we also apply these principles to developments in outer growth suburbs? How might this process be managed? And who pays for the up-front investment in the public realm, more frequent public transport and social infrastructure, whether in existing urban areas or new growth suburbs? </p>
<p>These are real questions, but surely none are greater than those we face now. If we commit ourselves to resolving the challenges of designing high-quality, affordable, higher-density urban environments in Australia, the research shows the beneficiaries will not just be ourselves but our children and their children’s health in, importantly, a sustainable future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123354/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Stevenson holds an NHMRC Research Fellowship. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patrick Love does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The Spanish city is remaking urban neighbourhoods by limiting through traffic in superblocks that give priority to pedestrians and street activities, not cars.
Patrick Love, Hon Senior Fellow, Transport Health and Urban Design (THUD) Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne
Mark Stevenson, Professor of Urban Transport and Public Health, The University of Melbourne
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/120491
2019-09-16T20:39:16Z
2019-09-16T20:39:16Z
Keeping the city cool isn’t just about tree cover – it calls for a commons-based climate response
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289755/original/file-20190828-184211-gqe8s7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2624%2C2037&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Where’s the shade? Trees are not an immediate or whole answer to keeping cool.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cameron Tonkinwise</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>This story is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/covering-climate-now-75981">Covering Climate Now</a>, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.</strong></em></p>
<hr>
<p>A <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/performance-indicator-addressing-urban-heat">recent report</a> by the Greater Sydney Commission singles out urban heat as one of four priority areas given our coming climate. It identifies tree canopy as the top response for reducing city temperatures and delivering amenity. However, the public conversation about urban heat often misses the complex relationship between trees, people and the built environment, which challenges this response. </p>
<p>In soon-to-be-published research supported by the <a href="https://www.landcom.com.au/approach/research-and-learning/universities/">Landcom University Roundtable</a> we found that responding to a more extreme climate requires new social practices and new relationships with the <a href="https://www.communityeconomies.org/index.php/publications/articles/commoning-social-life">commons</a>. Commons are the spaces, resources and knowledge shared by a community, who are, ideally, involved in the regeneration and care of those commons. Trees are an important social commons, but they also present multiple challenges.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-cities-need-more-trees-but-some-commonly-planted-ones-wont-survive-climate-change-120493">Our cities need more trees, but some commonly planted ones won't survive climate change</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Closing our doors to the great outdoors</h2>
<p>For one, trees are an outdoor amenity, but we are spending more and more time <a href="https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/journals/human-ecology-review/human-ecology-review-volume-24-number-2">indoors</a>. For those who can afford it, air conditioning delivers cooling in the privacy of your own home or car – no need for trees. </p>
<p>However, staying in cool bedrooms and car rides mean <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/lonely-unfit-and-hooked-on-air-conditioning-is-this-the-summer-of-the-future-20190208-p50whm.html">less time outdoors</a> and with others, which isn’t ideal for human health and well-being.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/increasing-tree-cover-may-be-like-a-superfood-for-community-mental-health-119930">Increasing tree cover may be like a 'superfood' for community mental health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Air conditioning also uses more fossil-fuel-based energy, which generates more greenhouse gas emissions. The result is more climate change.</p>
<h2>Mixed feelings about trees</h2>
<p>As the Greater Sydney Commission <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/performance-indicator-addressing-urban-heat">report</a> makes clear, tree canopy in Greater Sydney is roughly proportional to household wealth. The “leafy suburbs” are the wealthier ones. This means tree planting is an important investment in less wealthy parts of the city, which experience <a href="https://www.tai.org.au/sites/default/files/Western%20Sydney%20Heatwatch%20WEB.pdf">more extreme heat days</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291435/original/file-20190909-175696-359nzu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of days over 35°C recorded in various parts of Greater Sydney (July 2018-June 2019).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.greater.sydney/performance-indicator-addressing-urban-heat">© State of NSW through the Greater Sydney Commission</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-a-heatwave-the-leafy-suburbs-are-even-more-advantaged-53307">In a heatwave, the leafy suburbs are even more advantaged</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/1161470/cooling-the-commons-report.pdf">research</a> also shows people have mixed feelings about trees. In comparison to the neat shrubbery and easily maintained sunny plazas we’ve become used to in our cities, trees can be “messy” and “unpredictable”. Leaf litter can be slippery and natives like eucalypts, with their pendulous leaves, provide limited shade. People worry about large trees falling over or dropping branches. </p>
<p>Trees are often at the <a href="https://lsc.sa.gov.au/resources/TreesandtheLawBooklet.pdf">centre of disputes</a> between neighbours. They can also be perceived as a security problem – if trees reduce visibility they might provide cover for wrongdoers. </p>
<p>In addition, insurance companies can charge a premium if a property is <a href="https://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/trees/">deemed at risk of damage by large trees</a>. As we experience more extreme weather, laws on vegetation clearing are <a href="https://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/News-Publications/New-rules-to-give-property-owners-more-say-in-how-their-trees-are-managed">becoming more risk-averse</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-planners-understand-its-cool-to-green-cities-whats-stopping-them-55753">If planners understand it's cool to green cities, what's stopping them?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What trees where and when?</h2>
<p>Urban development tends to give priority to roads and delivering the maximum number of dwellings on sites. This leaves little space for trees, which need to fit into crowded footpaths with ever-changing infrastructures. For example, will larger <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/telstra-pushes-for-5g-that-works-in-australia-20170109-gto0gz.html">trees interfere with 5G</a>? </p>
<p>When juggling priorities in the streetscape, trees often <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-27/100-yr-old-sydney-trees-to-be-felled-to-commemorate-anzacs/7116608">lose out</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trees-versus-light-rail-we-need-to-rethink-skewed-urban-planning-values-57206">Trees versus light rail: we need to rethink skewed urban planning values</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s an obvious point, but trees take time to grow. It can take many years for a planted sapling to become a shade tree. In that time there will be no shelter from the heat. </p>
<p>Also in that growing period, which can sometimes be unpredictable, trees need to be nurtured, especially in times of drought. And, once the tree is mature, fingers crossed that extreme weather events do not undo all those years of waiting.</p>
<p>So, while increasing tree canopy sounds like an obvious solution, trees are in fact a <a href="https://www.landcom.com.au/assets/Downloads/Library/f4e2252c79/Street-tree-design-guidelinesfactsheetlp.pdf">complex social challenge</a>. In our research, we point to ways some of these tree-related tensions can be managed.</p>
<h2>Shade in the meantime</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291428/original/file-20190909-175696-1wvg9yu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A structure to support fast-growing vines has been built on one of Darwin’s hottest streets, but even these will take some time to grow.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/Darwinweloveit/posts/cavenagh-st-shade-structure-complete-with-all-the-sunshine-rain-we-are-getting-t/305429293391839/">Darwin We Love It/Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Shade is an important <a href="https://placesjournal.org/article/shade-an-urban-design-mandate/">civic resource</a>. Large, mature trees with spreading canopy provide the best shade, so strategic construction bans and <a href="https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/case-studies/stuttgart-combating-the-heat-island-effect-and-poor-air-quality-with-green-ventilation-corridors">tree preservation orders</a> are an obvious first step. </p>
<p>However, if shady canopy is decades off, we need to think about other, creative ways to provide shade in the meantime to ensure, for example, that people of diverse abilities can walk their city in reasonable comfort. This might include temporary shade structures such as awnings, <a href="https://www.yoursaypenrith.com.au/25909/documents/72131">bus shelters</a> and fast-growing vine-trellised walkways (if there is space to create troughs for soil and the structure doesn’t cause <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-15/firefighters-limited-access-darwin-cbd-shade-structure/9995608">access problems</a>). </p>
<p>And, as the <a href="https://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/reduce-your-risk/be-sunsmart.html">Cancer Council</a> consistently reminds us, we all need to adopt more climate-defensive clothing. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/requiem-or-renewal-this-is-how-a-tropical-city-like-darwin-can-regain-its-cool-102839">Requiem or renewal? This is how a tropical city like Darwin can regain its cool</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>An important alternative is to follow our regional neighbours and start to populate parks and other public spaces at night. This suggests a need for removable shade, so we can take part in activities like <a href="https://www.landcom.com.au/news/media/new-community-lights-up-macarthur/">stargazing</a>.</p>
<h2>Cultivating an intergenerational commons</h2>
<p>Mature trees can die back or die altogether, so other trees should be maturing to take their place. Usually, experts design and maintain landscapes for others to enjoy. </p>
<p>However, users of the cooling services of parks could be invited into the process of planning and realising landscape designs. This would give them a say on the trees of which they have “shared custody”. Planting for succession can create an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299720121_Commoning_as_a_postcapitalist_politics/figures?lo=1">intergenerational sense of ownership over a shared place</a>.</p>
<p>Current planning practices tend to ignore wind and solar patterns. The result is urban forms that make heat worse by prioritising comfortable private interior spaces over the commons of public space. Designing cool cities means using trees, water and buildings to create cool corridors that work with cooling breezes – or even <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-981-10-6638-2_10">summon</a> these in still, heat-trapping basins like Western Sydney.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-people-can-best-make-the-transition-to-cool-future-cities-80683">How people can best make the transition to cool future cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These few examples point to new ways of living with trees as social commons, but they also point to new forms of commoning – collaborative forms of care and governance that invite people to <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sustainable-Practices-Social-Theory-and-Climate-Change-1st-Edition/Shove-Spurling/p/book/9780415540650">adopt new social practices</a> better suited to living well in the coming climate. </p>
<p>It is a positive step that state development agencies like <a href="https://www.landcom.com.au/organisation/about-landcom/">Landcom</a> aim to demonstrate global standards of liveability, resilience, inclusion, affordability and environmental quality. In so doing, they initiate transitions to these more commons-based ways of living.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>In addition to the authors of this article, the Cooling the Commons research team includes: Professor Katherine Gibson, Dr Louise Crabtree, Dr Stephen Healy and Dr Emma Power from the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at Western Sydney University (WSU), and Emeritus Professor Helen Armstrong from Queensland University of Technology (QUT).</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120491/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article is based on independent research funded through the Landcom University Roundtable. Landcom notes the findings as a contribution to the ongoing exploration of opportunities to improve how communities can live in hot cities, but does not endorse specific conclusions.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Abby Mellick Lopes and Cameron Tonkinwise do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any other company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Trees and the shade they provide are one of the best ways of cooling cities. But they also present challenges that are best resolved by managing this shared resource as part of an urban commons.
Abby Mellick Lopes, Senior Lecturer in Design, Western Sydney University
Cameron Tonkinwise, Professor, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/120825
2019-09-09T20:10:21Z
2019-09-09T20:10:21Z
Urban growth, heat islands, humidity, climate change: the costs multiply in tropical cities
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291396/original/file-20190909-175696-3j3ype.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C123%2C1581%2C935&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">During a heatwave in late 2018, Cairns temperatures topped 35°C nine days in a row and sensors at some points in the CBD recorded 45°C. </span> </figcaption></figure><p>Some <a href="https://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/integration/pdf/fact_sheet.pdf">60% of the planet’s expected urban area by 2030</a> is yet to be built. This forecast highlights how rapidly the world’s people are becoming urban. Cities now occupy about 2% of the world’s land area, but are home to about <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html">55% of the world’s people</a> and generate more than <a href="http://nua.unhabitat.org/details1.asp?ProjectId=33&ln=1">70% of global GDP</a>, plus the associated <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cities-pollution.shtml">greenhouse gas emissions</a>.</p>
<p>So what does this mean for people who live in the tropical zones, where <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/06/expanding-tropics-will-play-greater-global-role-report-predicts">40% of the world’s population lives</a>? On current trends, this figure will rise to 50% by 2050. With <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/974736_Ziembicki%20et%20al._Implications%20of%20an%20expanding%20and%20intensifying%20tropical%20zone%20for%20the%20sustainable%20development%20agenda.pdf">tropical economies growing some 20% faster</a> than the rest of the world, the result is a swift expansion of tropical cities.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290236/original/file-20190830-115397-n616fu.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Population and number of cities of the world, by size class, 1990, 2018 and 2030.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://population.un.org/wup/Publications/">World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations DESA Population Division</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/healthy-happy-and-tropical-worlds-fastest-growing-cities-demand-our-attention-112069">Healthy, happy and tropical – world's fastest-growing cities demand our attention</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The populations of these growing tropical cities already experience high temperatures made worse by high humidity. This means they are highly vulnerable to extreme heat events as a result of climate change. </p>
<p>For example, extremely hot weather overwhelmed Cairns last summer. By December 3 2018, the city had recorded temperatures above 35°C nine days in a row. Four consecutive days were above 40°C.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=253&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=253&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=253&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289316/original/file-20190825-170935-9uanh3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cairns’ heatwave summer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Authors, using BOM temperature data</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For our research, temperature and humidity sensors were strategically placed in the Cairns CBD to represent people’s experience of weather at street level. These recorded temperatures consistently higher than the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) recordings, reaching 45°C at some points.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=650&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=650&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=650&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=817&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=817&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291224/original/file-20190906-175682-1p2r1by.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=817&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Highest temperatures recorded by James Cook University weather data sensors during the November-December 2018 heatwave in Cairns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image: Bronson Philippa</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Local effects magnify heatwave impacts</h2>
<p>Urban environments in general are hotter than non-urbanised surroundings that are covered by vegetation. The trapping of heat in cities, known as the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/urban-heat-island/">urban heat island</a> effect, has impacts on human health, animal life, social events, tourism, water availability and business performance. </p>
<p>The urban heat island effect intensifies the impacts of increasing heatwaves on cities as a result of climate change.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1002&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1002&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1002&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1259&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1259&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291226/original/file-20190906-175678-la15cl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1259&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Projections of increased heatwave frequency for Cairns region using visualisation platform on Queensland Future Climate Dashboard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://app.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/dashboard/#responseTab2">Queensland Future Climate Dashboard/Queensland Government</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But it is important to remember that other local factors also influence these impacts. These include the scale, shape, materials, composition and growth of the built environment in a particular location and its surrounding areas. </p>
<p>The differences between the BoM data recorded at Cairns airport and the inner-city recordings show the impacts of urban expansion patterns, built form and choice of materials in tropical cities. </p>
<p>The linear layout of Cairns has, on one hand, enabled the formation of attractive places for commercial activities. As these activity centres evolve into focal points of urban life, they in turn influence all sorts of socioeconomic parameters. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the form the built environment takes changes the patterns of wind, sun and shade. These changes alter the urban <a href="https://theconversation.com/city-temperatures-and-city-economics-a-hidden-relationship-between-sun-and-wind-and-profits-116064">microclimate</a> by trapping heat and slowing or channelling air movements.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=629&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=629&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289318/original/file-20190825-170910-sjsrqt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=629&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The layout and structures of Cairns CBD alter local microclimates by trapping heat and altering air flows.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">State of Queensland 2019</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/city-temperatures-and-city-economics-a-hidden-relationship-between-sun-and-wind-and-profits-116064">City temperatures and city economics, a hidden relationship between sun and wind and profits</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Shifting the focus to the tropics</h2>
<p>To date, a large body of research has explored the undesired consequences of climate change and urban heat islands. However, the focus has been on capital and metropolitan cities with <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00704-015-1703-8">humid continental climates</a>. Not many studies have looked at the economic and social impacts in the tropical context, where hot and humid conditions create extra heat stress. </p>
<p>Add the combined effects of climate change and urban heat islands and what are the socio-economic consequences of heatwaves in a tropical city like Cairns? We see that climate change adds another dimension to the relationship between cities, economic growth and development. </p>
<p>This presents a huge opportunity to start thinking about building cities that are not superficially greenwashed, but which instead tackle pressing issues such as climate variability and create sustainable business and social destinations. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/requiem-or-renewal-this-is-how-a-tropical-city-like-darwin-can-regain-its-cool-102839">Requiem or renewal? This is how a tropical city like Darwin can regain its cool</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In cold climates, heatwaves and urban heat islands are not necessarily undesired, but their negative impacts are more obvious and harmful in warmer climates. And these harmful impacts of heatwaves on our economy, environment and society are on the rise. </p>
<p>We have scientific evidence of the increasing length, frequency and intensity of heatwaves. The number of record hot days in Australia has <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/9901f6614a2cac7b2b888f55b4dff9cc.pdf">doubled in the past five decades</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289313/original/file-20190825-170956-trlr9q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Projections of changes in heatwave frequency for northern Queensland in 2030 and 2070.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://app.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/dashboard/#responseTab2">Queensland Future Climate Dashboard/Queensland Government</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What are the costs of heatwaves?</h2>
<p>Increased exposure to heatwaves amplifies the adverse economic impacts on industries that are reliant on the health of their outdoor workers. This is in addition to the extreme heat-related fatalities and health-care costs of heatwave-related medical emergencies. As a <a href="https://www.nccarf.edu.au/localgov/resources/protecting-human-health-and-safety-during-severe-and-extreme-heat-events-national">PwC report to the Commonwealth</a> on extreme heat events stated:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Heatwaves kill more Australians than any other natural disaster. They have received far less public attention than cyclones, floods or bushfires — they are private, silent deaths, which only hit the media when morgues reach capacity or infrastructure fails. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Heat also has direct impacts on economic production. A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45660010_Temperatures_and_cyclones_strongly_associated_with_economic_production_in_the_Caribbean_and_Central_America">2010 study</a> found a 1°C increase resulted in a 2.4% reduction in non-agricultural production and a 0.1% reduction in agricultural production in 28 Caribbean-basin countries. Another <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2099798">study in 2012</a> found an 8% weekly loss of production when the temperature exceeded 32°C for six days in a row.</p>
<p>The 2017 <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/climate/farm-performance-climate">Farm performance and climate</a> report by the <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares">Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)</a> states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The recent changes in climate have had a significant negative effect on the productivity of Australian cropping farms, particularly in southwestern Australia and southeastern Australia. </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/291232/original/file-20190906-175682-1k3i4mj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Average climate effect on productivity of cropping farms in southwestern and southeastern Australia since 2000–01 (relative to average conditions from 1914–15 to 2014–15).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/climate/farm-performance-climate">Farm performance and climate, ABARES</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s not just farming that is vulnerable. A <a href="https://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/413030/The-economic-impact-of-heatwaves-on-Victoria.pdf">Victorian government report</a> report this year estimated an extreme heatwave event costs the state’s construction sector A$103 million. The impact of heatwaves on the city of Melbourne’s economy is estimated at A$52.9 million a year on average. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290239/original/file-20190830-115391-128cd7z.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Impacts of heatwaves on Victoria’s main economic sectors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/413030/The-economic-impact-of-heatwaves-on-Victoria.pdf">State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>According to this report, economic costs increase exponentially as the severity of heatwaves increases. This has obvious implications for cities in tropical regions.</p>
<p>As the next step in <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/project/Evidence-based-Economic-Assessment-of-Urban-Comfort">our research</a>, we are examining the relationship between local urban features, urban heat islands, the resulting city temperatures and their direct and indirect (spillover) effects on local and regional economic activities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-a-global-agenda-work-locally-for-healthy-sustainable-living-in-tropical-australia-97069">Making a global agenda work locally for healthy, sustainable living in tropical Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120825/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The world’s fastest-growing cities are in the tropics. They are highly exposed to climate change, especially as urban heat island effects and humidity magnify the impacts of increasing heatwaves.
Taha Chaiechi, Senior Lecturer, James Cook University
Silvia Tavares, Lecturer in Urban Design, James Cook University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/121615
2019-08-29T20:04:29Z
2019-08-29T20:04:29Z
We have the blueprint for liveable, low-carbon cities. We just need to use it
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289547/original/file-20190827-8868-v4vdst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Increasing heat in Sydney and other Australian cities highlights the urgent need to apply our knowledge of how to create liveable low-carbon cities.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/australia-sydney-distant-cbd-silhouette-skyscrapers-168941117?src=-1-3">Taras Vyshnya/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the past seven years more than 100 research projects at the <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au">Co-operative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living</a>, in collaboration with industry across Australia, have pondered a very big question: How do we build future cities that are sustainable, liveable and affordable?</p>
<p>This is exactly what Australians want, as the recent Greater Sydney Commission report, <a href="https://www.greater.sydney/pulse-of-greater-sydney">The Pulse of Greater Sydney</a>, revealed. People want cities in which they live close to jobs and have reasonable commuting times. They want access to parks and green space, and relief from ever-increasing urban heat.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-we-want-liveable-cities-in-2060-well-have-to-work-together-to-transform-urban-systems-119235">If we want liveable cities in 2060 we'll have to work together to transform urban systems</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The good news is we already know what it will take to deliver on much of this wish list. Since 2012, I have headed the A$100 million Low Carbon Living CRC, which has brought together Australian businesses, industries, communities and many of our brightest researchers to work out how to steer change.</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/resources/crc-publications/crclcl-project-reports/sp0012u3-cooling-sydney-strategy">Cooling Sydney Strategy</a>, for instance, is the result of years of research into how to combat urban heatwaves. The burden of this heat is unevenly spread across our cities. </p>
<p>For example, residents of Sydney’s western suburbs are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/value-jobs-a-quick-commute-and-relief-from-urban-heat-avoid-these-parts-of-sydney-20190714-p5273e.html">exposed to many more days hotter than 35 degrees</a> than Sydneysiders living in the CBD and the city’s north. Last summer that meant over a month’s worth of intense heat in the suburb of Penrith, including <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/season/nsw/archive/201902.sydney.shtml">nine days in a row above 35°C</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-cool-cities-for-a-hot-future-57489">Building cool cities for a hot future</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While the recent winter sun might feel welcome, the negative impacts of increasingly hot cities on our health, lifestyle and energy use greatly outweigh any winter comfort. </p>
<h2>So what are the solutions?</h2>
<p>Our researchers have already found how we can offset increasing heat. The <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/resources/crc-publications/crclcl-project-reports/cooling-western-sydney-0">strategies</a> includes cool and permeable pavements, water features and evaporative cooling, shade structures, vertical gardens, street trees and other plants – even special heat refuge stations.</p>
<p>Keeping cool inside, without huge power bills, is possible too. During last summer’s heatwave, our <a href="https://joshshouse.com.au/about-the-project/joshs-house-research/">pilot 10-star energy-efficient house in Perth</a> remained a comfortable 24°C inside, without air conditioning, when it was over 40°C outside. The exceptional thermal performance of the house was down to its evidence-based design.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RqDezVOe9kw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Josh Byrne explains how his house keeps temperatures comfortable year-round with low energy use and no net emissions.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-heat-is-on-we-need-city-wide-plans-to-keep-cool-70738">When the heat is on, we need city-wide plans to keep cool</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This work is just one part of our wider remit. Our UNSW-based centre is on track to deliver independently verified cuts of <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/news/news-archive/2018/11/crc-low-carbon-living-track-reduce-carbon-emissions-10mgts-2020">10 megatonnes of carbon emissions generated by Australia’s built environment by 2020</a>. By integrating renewable energy systems, smart technologies, low-carbon materials and people-centred design into buildings and urban precincts, we have developed a sustainable, liveable and affordable urban blueprint for Australia. A PwC study (yet to be released) estimated cumulative economic benefits totalling A$684 million by 2027.</p>
<p>To put this another way, we have identified and verified evidence-based pathways to cut emissions equivalent to taking some 2.1 million cars off the road.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cutting-cities-emissions-does-have-economic-benefits-and-these-ultimately-outweigh-the-costs-116986">Cutting cities' emissions does have economic benefits – and these ultimately outweigh the costs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some of the progress to date is not immediately obvious to the casual observer. Take an otherwise unremarkable stretch of road along the back way to Sydney Airport. Recently, a <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/news/news-archive/2019/06/crclcl-drives-world-first-green-concrete-trial-sydney-road">30-metre section of concrete was installed</a>, which looks more like an ad hoc road repair than an important scientific pilot study.</p>
<p>But 15 metres is paved with a new geopolymer concrete that slashes greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. The other 15 metres is conventional concrete, the <a href="https://www.rsc.org/images/Construction_tcm18-114530.pdf">most widely used man-made material on the planet</a>. Concrete production, using cement as its binder, accounts for about <a href="https://reader.chathamhouse.org/making-concrete-change-innovation-low-carbon-cement-and-concrete">8% of all global emissions</a>.</p>
<p>The geopolymer concrete developed through our research centre is a similarly high-performance product but its binder safely incorporates otherwise noxious industrial waste streams, such as fly ash from coal-fired power stations and slag from blast furnaces. Australia has stockpiled about <a href="http://media.bze.org.au/ZCIndustry/bze-report-rethinking-cement-short.pdf">400 million tonnes of waste</a> from coal-fired power generation and steelmaking. </p>
<p>In Alexandria, in collaboration with the City of Sydney, we are testing this <a href="http://media.bze.org.au/ZCIndustry/bze-report-rethinking-cement-short.pdf">low-carbon concrete</a> as a road surface that could help clean up industrial waste while slashing emissions. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF5UzGtlav8&t=12s">Working with NSW Ports</a>, we’ve also shaped it into low-carbon bollards to form a breakwater to protect the coastline at Port Kembla from extreme weather. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pF5UzGtlav8?wmode=transparent&start=12" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Waste from coal-fired power stations has been used to make low-carbon bollards to protect the coastline at Port Kembla.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>We now have the know-how to do better</h2>
<p>There are many such success stories, but with 150 CRC Low Carbon Living projects the list is too long to detail. What’s more important, as our funding period comes to an end and Australia loses its only innovation hub committed to lowering carbon in the built environment, is to note how we got to where we are today.</p>
<p>The federal government’s Co-operative Research Centre program fosters co-operation and collaboration on a grand scale. Industries, businesses, government organisations and communities with a stake in solving big, complex challenges partner with researchers from a wide range of academic fields. This structure brings together sectors and people whose paths might otherwise rarely cross. </p>
<p>The cross-fertilisation of ideas, expertise and skills delivers innovative solutions. <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/competition_or_collaboration_-_from_which_well_does_innovation_spring_-_speech_may_2018.pdf">Research worldwide</a> has consistently shown that collaboration drives innovation, and that innovation drives economic growth. Our experience confirms that as we partnered with organisations such as Multiplex, AECOM, BlueScope Steel, Sydney Water, ISCA, CSIRO and the United Nations Environment Program.</p>
<p>Cities are complex, exciting beasts, but we have the knowledge and expertise to live better, more comfortable urban lives in Australia while reducing demand for energy, water and materials. That is, we have the blueprint for low-carbon urban living. We must now choose to use it.</p>
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<p><em>This article has been updated to correct the number of CRC Low Carbon Living projects to 150 and the amount of stockpiled waste from coal-fired power generation and steelmaking to 400 million tonnes.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121615/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deo Prasad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The research has been done. The evidence is in. We know how to create cities that are sustainable, liveable and affordable. But we have yet to apply that knowledge widely across Australian cities.
Deo Prasad, Scientia Professor and CEO, Co-operative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living, UNSW Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/119235
2019-08-08T20:04:19Z
2019-08-08T20:04:19Z
If we want liveable cities in 2060 we’ll have to work together to transform urban systems
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286703/original/file-20190802-169718-19qa9hv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Urban greening is just one aspect of the transformation required to ensure our future cities are sustainable, liveable places.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matt Leane/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p>Not everyone wants to live in the inner city and it’s insulting to describe the outer suburbs as the fringe. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This was just one view from a recent workshop where a vision for Australia’s future cities was mapped out. It highlights that <a href="https://theconversation.com/liveable-cities-who-decides-what-that-means-and-how-we-achieve-it-48825">liveability means different things to different people</a>.</p>
<p>But what will the liveability of our cities be like in 40 years’ time? For the CSIRO report, <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/Showcase/ANO">2019 Australian National Outlook</a>, the authors used scenario analysis to explore prospects for Australia in 2060. This demonstrates that business as usual will mean Australia’s economy and society sleepwalk into the future, a future made worse by failing to tackle major environmental threats. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-time-for-australia-to-commit-to-the-kind-of-future-it-wants-csiro-australian-national-outlook-2019-118692">It's time for Australia to commit to the kind of future it wants: CSIRO Australian National Outlook 2019</a>
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<p>The National Outlook report set out “five key shifts” – industry, urban, energy, land and culture – to prepare us for a better future. </p>
<p>Our research supports the need for these changes. These shifts are related and co-dependent. And, critically, they will all involve cities. </p>
<p>We argue, though, that we need more than “shifts” – we need transformation supported by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549839.2011.565464">a systems approach</a>.</p>
<h2>Setting the goals of transformation</h2>
<p>All cities are not the same. For this reason, <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/future-earth-australia">Future Earth Australia</a>, a national initiative hosted by the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/about-us/academy">Australian Academy of Science</a>, has held <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/future-earth-australia/projects/sustainable-australian-cities-and-communities">workshops around the country</a>. We have also launched a <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6VW77MT">national online survey</a>. </p>
<p>The themes arising from the workshops offer valuable insights into how we can apply a systems approach to transforming Australian cities, and the regions and local areas that support our cities. Some key insights are: </p>
<ul>
<li>density is important, but so is liveability </li>
<li>liveability has a different emphasis for each person, but includes green space, access to services, employment and transport<br></li>
<li>the consensus is that we must respond to climate change, through actions that both reduce the rate of change and adapt to it</li>
<li>people both in cities and outside them want explicit attention paid to how urban areas and their hinterlands interact and depend on one another<br></li>
<li>economic regeneration and notions of a circular economy are seen as essential elements of a “transformed” city.</li>
</ul>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-what-our-cities-need-to-do-to-be-truly-liveable-for-all-83967">This is what our cities need to do to be truly liveable for all</a>
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<p>Importantly, the nuances and variations between cities and regions were important to identity and individuality. Local, context-relevant innovation abounds, but is combined with much re-inventing of wheels. Our process has shown that linking local activity better with city-wide and even national coordination could greatly accelerate progress, while maintaining the sense of local identity. A majority of the world’s countries are actively taking a <a href="https://unhabitat.org/books/global-state-of-national-urban-policy/">national perspective</a> on their urban challenges. </p>
<p>The importance of local nuance is recognised in other parts of the world. In Europe, <a href="http://www.ecoacupuncture.com/transxperimentation">work is under way</a> to build better connections between small and medium-sized cities. </p>
<h2>Wicked problems call for a systems approach</h2>
<p>Urban transformation requires a systems approach to overcome well-documented challenges like urban expansion, decreasing housing affordability, biodiversity loss in peri-urban areas, spending hours in cars, and engaged governance across metropolitan areas. These challenges are tricky because they are caused by behaviours and settings that arise from entwined economic, social and environmental systems. Problems like this are wicked in nature. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wicked-problems-and-how-to-solve-them-100047">Wicked problems and how to solve them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>A systems approach examines how communities, economics, culture, politics, infrastructure, design, planning, knowledge and technology interact and interweave to produce the places we live in. We must also recognise existing <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-your-actions-really-save-the-planet-planetary-accounting-has-the-answer-104005">planetary boundaries</a>.</p>
<p>Tackling these problems with a systems approach means ensuring that as we solve one of them we don’t create new problems in other areas. Or, even better, we solve multiple challenges at once. Responses must integrate bottom-up and top-down interventions across multiple sectors, consider time frames from today into the long term, and recognise the value in collaboratively forging the knowledge and actions we need. </p>
<p>This is why <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/future-earth-australia">Future Earth Australia</a>, the Australian and Oceania network of <a href="http://www.futureearth.org/">Future Earth</a> based at the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/future-earth-australia">Australian Academy of Science</a>, invited urban thinkers and practitioners from around Australia to a <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/future-earth-australia/projects/sustainable-australian-cities-and-communities">workshop in May 2018</a>. It was designed to <a href="https://www.science.org.au/files/userfiles/support/future-earth-australia/knowledge-for-sustainable-australian-cities-and-communities.pdf">work towards a consensus</a> on a ten-year plan for transformative knowledge for Australian cities. This workshop built on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-017-0934-6">recent urban systems scholarship</a>, which identified the need for multisectoral, collaborative and systemic thinking and collaborative design and governance. </p>
<p>We have implemented a series of processes to inform this decadal plan.</p>
<p>First, we interviewed senior decision-makers in government, industry and peak bodies. </p>
<p>We held nine workshops across the country. These involved over 350 participants, representing senior decision-makers in government, industry and peak bodies, community groups and academic researchers. The insights from the workshops have all been <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/future-earth-australia/projects/sustainable-australian-cities-and-communities">published</a>. </p>
<p>And we have designed a <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6VW77MT">survey that’s now open to anyone living in Australia</a>. </p>
<p>An independent <a href="https://aas.eventsair.com/urban-systems-transformation-sustainable-cities/reference-group">reference group</a> of urban experts from 21 research, policy and practice organisations around the country is overseeing these processes. </p>
<p>Our aim is to encourage all stakeholders to work together. The Future Earth platform can enable partnerships that harness these ideas and knowledge about the transformations needed to create sustainable, liveable cities. </p>
<p>We need better urban knowledge and the many cross-sectoral contributions to the Future Earth urban decadal plan have offered vital directions for future effort.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119235/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tayanah O'Donnell is Director of Future Earth Australia based at the Australian Academy of Science. She has received research funding from the Commonwealth, Queensland, New South Wales, ACT and Victorian governments, and from NCCARF, for climate change adaptation research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bob Webb has received funding in the past from NCCARF, the CSIRO, the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, and the ACT Government for research on climate change,including urban aspects of climate change.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Ryan has received funding from The CRC for Low Carbon Living, Australia. He is a co-director of Eco-Acupuncture International, a multi- university affiliated design-action-research consultancy. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleanor Robson has previously worked for a parliamentarian in the Australian Labor Party. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>RMIT University receives funding from AHURI and the EU H2020 Program to support Jago Dodson's research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Auty does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Future Earth Australia is working to create a long-term national plan of transformation for our cities. As part of this, everyone in Australia is invited to have their say in a survey.
Tayanah O'Donnell, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Australian National University
Bob Webb, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Science, Australian National University
Chris Ryan, Professor and Director of Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne
Eleanor Robson, Research and Policy Officer, Future Earth Australia, Australian Academy of Science
Jago Dodson, Professor of Urban Policy and Director, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Kate Auty, Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, The University of Melbourne
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/121238
2019-08-01T20:09:12Z
2019-08-01T20:09:12Z
International students rank Melbourne and Sydney in world’s top cities – but we can make them feel safer
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286538/original/file-20190801-169710-1i95n3n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Melbourne has been voted the third best destination for international students.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/strausser/10926409423/in/photolist-hDwGRn-hDwSBe-82am8v-pY7SN-9EYEZZ-9EYeyg-a1jEva-4kVFPC-4QLvQy-82dKpL-82aCD6-96C1SH-bgatvM-pg3uET-LjFRVq-Peqwb-7vs1UJ-9EZFkF-a1nxzA-9wzanj-oYxsb2-JnTdZc-m5vAPw-7vo9ak-a1jFFX-m5uDiF-ei6ywY-6MVhYF-2L5vay-DEMbek-a8o2AD-5FE2f5-m5vDh7-a1nx73-cweBBS-kam7G-c8Epdf-dtaWzJ-7i3vg5-7mbqVQ-8rRX7Y-6FsHVt-gQ6ZDd-822YeC-csSZB5-4zqqcQ-aJ2kpx-gGAZ4-csT1fC-csSZNo">free range jace/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia has been ranked as one of the top destinations to study internationally. The <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings/2019">QS Best Student Cities Ranking</a> released yesterday, which incorporates feedback from more than 87,000 current and prospective international students, ranked Melbourne as the third-best city to study. Sydney came in ninth.</p>
<p>London and Tokyo were number 1 and 2 respectively out of the world’s 120 top student cities. Melbourne and Sydney were joined in the top 50 globally by Brisbane (22), Canberra (23), Adelaide (26, up 15 places from last year) and Perth (41).</p>
<p>These results are rigorous and evidence-based, drawing on a variety of indexes (such as livability and affordability) and the student survey. When it came to the quality of life index (known as desirability), QS director of research Ben Sowter said:</p>
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<p>Six of the world’s 30 highest-performing cities for our Desirability indicator are Australian: a record bettered by no other nation.</p>
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<p>These results are highly influential and clearly drive education decision-making. We know students wishing to study overseas take serious account of universities that score well on <a href="https://www.internationalstudentsurvey.com/">independent rankings</a>, for instance, and there’s no reason why these should be any different.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/melbourne-or-sydney-this-is-how-our-two-biggest-cities-compare-for-liveability-102247">Melbourne or Sydney? This is how our two biggest cities compare for liveability</a>
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<p>So the performance of Melbourne and Sydney on this international platform speaks volumes for the position of the country as a study destination. </p>
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<h2>What makes a good student city?</h2>
<p>QS uses six metric groups to compile the ratings:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>desirability</strong>: will students enjoy a high quality of life here? Do students want to study in this city?</p></li>
<li><p><strong>university rankings</strong>: how many top-ranked universities are in the city?</p></li>
<li><p><strong>employer activity</strong>: will a chosen city have job opportunities after graduation?</p></li>
<li><p><strong>student mix</strong>: what proportion of a city’s population is made up of students? How diverse is that student population?</p></li>
<li><p><strong>affordability</strong>: can students afford to study here?</p></li>
<li><p><strong>student voice</strong>: what do students studying in this city think of it?</p></li>
</ol>
<h2>So, how should we read this?</h2>
<p>In assessing quality of life the QS looks to measures such as the Economist Intelligence Unit’s <a href="http://www.eiu.com/Handlers/WhitepaperHandler.ashx?fi=The_Global_Liveability_index_2018.pdf&mode=wp&campaignid=Liveability2018">Global Liveability Index</a> where in 2018 Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide were in the top ten of the 140 cities surveyed. </p>
<p>Melbourne held the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-most-liveable-city-title-isnt-a-measure-of-the-things-most-of-us-actually-care-about-101525">top spot</a> for seven consecutive years, only this year being edged out by Vienna by 0.7 of a percentage point.</p>
<p>Ben Sowter said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This year’s edition of the QS Best Student Cities Ranking indicates that one of the primary incentives for any prospective international student to study in Australia is the high quality of life on offer there. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Quality of life includes a range of elements such as recreation facilities, public services and transport, housing and the natural environment. According to <a href="https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/Insights/quality-of-living-rankings">Mercer’s 2019 Quality of Living City Rankings</a>, Melbourne and Sydney are in the top 20 worldwide. </p>
<p>And then there is safety.</p>
<p>There have been some recent challenges for Australian universities in the area of <a href="https://theconversation.com/recent-campus-attacks-show-universities-need-to-do-more-to-protect-international-students-120082">student safety</a>, including <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7096241/International-students-Australian-university-robbed-bashed-recent-attacks.html">robberies and attacks</a> on international students at a Melbourne university. </p>
<p>No destination can completely guarantee the personal safety of its residents and visitors. But looking at a <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings.jsp">variety of sources</a> and the <a href="https://thepienews.com/news/students-in-australia-feel-safe-worry-about-work/">comments of students themselves</a>, the evidence suggests Melbourne and Sydney in particular are very safe cities overall, ranking in the top 12 worldwide for <a href="https://dkf1ato8y5dsg.cloudfront.net/uploads/5/82/safe-cities-index-eng-web.pdf">digital, health, infrastructure and personal security</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/recent-campus-attacks-show-universities-need-to-do-more-to-protect-international-students-120082">Recent campus attacks show universities need to do more to protect international students</a>
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<p>When it comes to the student mix indicator, the QS ranking puts Melbourne as the world’s best city. This is a measure that includes tolerance and inclusion, reflecting the importance for many international students of choosing a study environment that is likely to be hospitable to their own cultural background, lifestyle and identity.</p>
<p>While there are admittedly periodic reports in the media about <a href="http://www.southasiatimes.com.au/news/?p=1028">racist behaviour</a> in Melbourne, and the government is <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/government-to-consider-ways-to-protect-international-students-on-and-off-campus">well aware of this</a>, Melbourne is widely recognised as culturally diverse, tolerant and welcoming. On these measures we can trust the QS ranking.</p>
<p>Melbourne came third in the student voice, which accounts for the experience and study destination preferences of more than 87,000 students. </p>
<p>Sydney ranked second on student mix and ninth on employer activity, obtaining a job at the end of their studies being a <a href="https://www.internationalstudentsurvey.com/">very important consideration</a> for international students. </p>
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<iframe title="QS Best student cities ranking 2019: Australia" aria-label="Table" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mT1zP/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
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<p>The QS results are in keeping with the high levels of international student satisfaction reported for Australian higher education, especially for <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/research-papers/Documents/ED19-0047%20International%20Student%20Survey%20HIGHER%20EDUCATION%20Infographic_ACC-03.pdf">safety, living, learning and support.</a></p>
<h2>Where we can improve?</h2>
<p>The 2019 QS ranking shows Australian universities are at a slight global disadvantage on measures of affordability. This is an observation previously made in The Times Higher Education <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/advice/cost-studying-university-australia">World University Rankings</a>. </p>
<p>Australian costs are generally <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/meetuniversity/average-cost-of-studying-abroad-breakdown-country-comparison">comparable</a> to those of the US and the UK, but far higher than Japan, Spain, Germany or Russia, which are all serious competitors in the international student market. </p>
<p>But cost is not the only consideration. A <a href="http://www.cais.ca/uploaded/CAIS_Connect/Boarding_Program/the-value-of-education.pdf">benchmark HSBC report</a> of 4,592 parents in 15 countries around the world said they would consider sending their child abroad for a better university education.</p>
<p>And this is where Australia has a competitive advantage.</p>
<p>We make up for cost when it comes to education quality. The QS results endorse government initiatives such as <a href="https://www.studymelbourne.vic.gov.au/">Study Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://www.study.sydney/">Study Sydney</a> that provide international students with employment assistance, career guidance and day-to-day living support – all of which contribute to a positive international student experience.</p>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-an-international-student-in-australia-how-do-i-tell-my-parents-the-pressure-they-put-on-me-is-too-much-111834">'I'm an international student in Australia. How do I tell my parents the pressure they put on me is too much?'</a>
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<p>While the results are commendable we, shouldn’t be complacent. We know the <a href="https://www.internationalstudentsurvey.com/">biggest concerns</a> for prospective students relate to everyday life rather than their studies. </p>
<p>Issues around the cost of living, finding accommodation and employment, and safety rank among the greatest concerns. In the Australian context dealing with racism needs to be <a href="https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/stopping-racism-starting-at-melbourne/">urgently addressed</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121238/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeff Wilks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The performance of Melbourne and Sydney on this international platform speaks volumes for the position of the country as a study destination.
Jeff Wilks, Adjunct Professor, Southern Cross University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.