Population Growth In Melbourne
According to the latest report released by Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009), the estimated population of Melbourne SD is 3.9 million at June 2008, an increase of 74,600 people or 2.0% since June 2007. Melbourne SD experienced the largest growth amongst all Australian capital city SDs for the year to June 2008. And the Government of Victoria believes that there will be a one million growth of population in the next 30 years (Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2005). Due to the large number growth of population, how to plan Melbourne as one of the most livable city in the world in the future become a big issue. To tackle this problem, many planning policies like Postcode 3000, ResCode which mainly aimed to facilitate
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Some people argue that the high density development would be more efficient on land use, in order to reduce the high pressure of population growth in Melbourne. However, the problems of reducing neighbourhood character and lack of open space are caused by the recently mass built high rise apartments. The neighbourhood character refers to the mood and feel of an area. In the urban planning system of Victoria, the neighbourhood character has become a important term and a compulsory standard for assessing all applications for residential development in urban areas since 2001 (Victoria Department of Planning and Community Development, 2009). Urban consolidation obviously has negative effects on neighbourhood character. The high rise apartments damages the local identification. For example, Southbank used to be a industrial area which was consist of factories and warehouses. But in the policy of Postcode 3000 which aimed to increase residence in Melbourne CBD built excessive apartment towers in Southbank (Dowling & Houston, 2008). In the observation of Southbank, there are only limited historical building left and most of them have been transferred into other use. Moreover, the latest report release by the local government of Melbourne shows that Melbourne …show more content…
It to some extent reduces the urban sprawl and the need for further vegetation clearing for new suburbs. In other words, it saves some rural areas. They also advocate that encouraging urban consolidation may be one of the cheapest ways to lessen the cost of providing urban infrastructure like electricity, pipe water and sewerage when people are gathered in towns or cities. In addition, due to the economies of scale in the cities, both economic opportunities and people’s income would be increased. However, the issue of sustainability has emerged as a major concern for mega cities, where uncontrolled development and expansion of the city is a constant threat on environment. As a result of urban consolidation, the increased residential density has increased traffic flows and has required the provision of many more parking spaces. In relation to the high residential density, the city size as well as the land-cover pattern is changed. Buildings, roads and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation; increased surfaces that were once pervious and moist become impervious and dry; increased multi-storey buildings that help surface areas absorb solar energy. All these changes cause the urban heat island effect
Some people argue that the high density development would be more efficient on land use, in order to reduce the high pressure of population growth in Melbourne. However, the problems of reducing neighbourhood character and lack of open space are caused by the recently mass built high rise apartments. The neighbourhood character refers to the mood and feel of an area. In the urban planning system of Victoria, the neighbourhood character has become a important term and a compulsory standard for assessing all applications for residential development in urban areas since 2001 (Victoria Department of Planning and Community Development, 2009). Urban consolidation obviously has negative effects on neighbourhood character. The high rise apartments damages the local identification. For example, Southbank used to be a industrial area which was consist of factories and warehouses. But in the policy of Postcode 3000 which aimed to increase residence in Melbourne CBD built excessive apartment towers in Southbank (Dowling & Houston, 2008). In the observation of Southbank, there are only limited historical building left and most of them have been transferred into other use. Moreover, the latest report release by the local government of Melbourne shows that Melbourne …show more content…
It to some extent reduces the urban sprawl and the need for further vegetation clearing for new suburbs. In other words, it saves some rural areas. They also advocate that encouraging urban consolidation may be one of the cheapest ways to lessen the cost of providing urban infrastructure like electricity, pipe water and sewerage when people are gathered in towns or cities. In addition, due to the economies of scale in the cities, both economic opportunities and people’s income would be increased. However, the issue of sustainability has emerged as a major concern for mega cities, where uncontrolled development and expansion of the city is a constant threat on environment. As a result of urban consolidation, the increased residential density has increased traffic flows and has required the provision of many more parking spaces. In relation to the high residential density, the city size as well as the land-cover pattern is changed. Buildings, roads and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation; increased surfaces that were once pervious and moist become impervious and dry; increased multi-storey buildings that help surface areas absorb solar energy. All these changes cause the urban heat island effect