Urban population in Australia has risen by 11% to 14.3% since 2006 in mineral states such as Western Australia and Queensland. . This is despite the fact that the overall population in the country has only gone up by 8.3% . Traffic in most urban centers is congested and the leading cause of environmental pollution . There are limited parking lots and movement in urban centers is hectic and slow. Overall, transport in developed nations accounts for an average of 60-100 minutes in an individual’s day regardless of the mode of transport being used . This report will discuss the various planning projects that Australia has implemented to improve transport and sustain the cities in Australia.
Local governments are faced with the difficult task of urban planning with the expansion of roads being the most widely used strategy for many years . Australia is faced with a much more difficult task as a result of the pressure from mining activities such as coal mining and extraction of petroleum . Due to this issue, there are numerous rail upgrades in the south east part of Queensland. Even then, issues of carbon emissions and the environmental well-being must be taken into consideration when carrying out transport projects .
Melbourne in Australia’s has been ranked amongst one of the most livable cities in Australia and in the world despite the fact that it has a population of five million people . The city is also known for its transport systems which are high quality and involve few sites in the city. Which are of high quality. The South Australian Government’s Metropolitan Adelaide Review of 2008 suggested that rail transport be embraced in Australian cities. Rail transport is being adopted by most cities in the world in order to improve the transport system while at the same time improving the general quality of life for the city dwellers. This design, which is aimed at sustainable cities of 2020, also hopes to shift development away from the environmentally sensitive parts of Australia.
Australia has a high car ownership per homestead with most households having more than 2 cars. Private vehicles in urban centers are the leading cause of pollution in urban centers and congestion.
Management of road traffic also eases congestion in urban cities while at the same time enhancing transport. Freeways are being removed in most cities to enhance other modes of transport such as walking and cycling . In Australia most cities such as Sydney rely heavily on freeways which are known to interfere with the overall design of urban cities.
The capital city of Australia, Sydney has come up with various projects to improve the transport sector. For the past few years the city has seen the infrastructure of cycling ways improve tremendously in order to enable cycling within the city. In 2006 the design of the city of Sydney only allowed for 2% cycling within the city. As at 2011, this had gone up to accommodate 5% cycling. The city of Sydney is looking to reach 10% in 2016 and by the year 2020 the city of Sydney will accommodate 20% cycling (University of Technology Sydney, 2012).
In conclusion design is a major issue in most urban centers making transport within urban centers hectic and expensive. The transport system in most urban cities is congested and the leading cause of environmental pollution. Most cities are looking to reduce the number of private vehicles in urban centers and improve the public mode of transport. Designs in most cities are looking to embrace other modes of transport. Most urban cities are embracing rail transport since it is cheaper while at the same reducing the cost of transport for the city dwellers. Sustainable city designs will improve the quality of life for city dwellers by coming up with affordable and environmental friendly transport systems.
References
Albanese, A. (2015). Our Cities, Our Future. Australian Governent, 1-90.
Beyond Zero Emissions. (n.d.). Zero Carbon Australia. Retrieved from Beyond Zero Emissions: https://bze.org.au/zero-carbon-australia-2020
Edwards, B. (2011). Sustainability and the Design of Transport Interchanges. New York: Routledge.
Gruyter, C. D., Rose, G., & Currie, G. (2014). Securing travel plans through the planning approvals process: A case study of practice from Victoria, Australia. Elsevier, 114-122.
Nevens, F., Frantzeskaki, N., Gorissen, L., & Loorbach, D. (2013). Urban Transition Labs: co-creating transformative action for sustainable cities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 111-122.
Simon, H., & Darchen, S. (2014). Urban regeneration: An Australian case study insights for cities under growth pressure. International Journal of Housing Markets, 282-266.
