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Urban Regeneration in Australia

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Urban Regeneration in Australia

Modern urban renewal has become an important global phenomenon in city planning

processes due to problems of urban decay and underutilization, population increase, inadequate

housing, and challenges in the effective development of sustainable cities. In Australia, this

process is crucial since cities suffer various issues related to the fast pace of the growing

population, economic changes, and the clustered environment. Central to urban regeneration is

the government which seeks to rejuvenate areas that have gone through slum formation, poorly

developed infrastructure, or are in the recessionary cycle and make cities sustainable. This essay

will explain points of future movement aimed at urban regeneration in Australia, and critically

evaluate the nature of and priorities for economic, social, environmental, and governance

implications. Moreover, this case study of Darling Harbour/Darling Square regeneration in

Sydney will be analyzed. In this regard, this analysis will measure the various results of the

project as they relate to population, infrastructure, and housing.

Drivers of Urban Regeneration in Australia

There are economic, social, and environmental forces that give pace to urban

regeneration in Australia. All these drivers relate to a broader context that impacts Australian

cities, which are rapid demographic growth, affordability of housing, and necessary

improvements in infrastructure. One important factor that causes urban regeneration in Australia

relates to the issue of economic growth. Many existing large cities, including Sydney,

Melbourne, Brisbane, and many more require infrastructure advancements, housing, and

employment. These needs are met by urban regeneration projects thereby improving the

economic characteristics and productivity of cities. However, Australian cities control almost

80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 75% of the workforce within the country
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(Davison & Legacy, 2014). Activating old and declining precincts is critical for keeping

economic activity alive and preventing cities from becoming less appealing for investors and

firms alike (Gurran, & Phibbs, 2018). In addition, regeneration projects create possibilities for

commercial capitalization to take place. When the sites for regeneration are selected, particularly

the brownfield ones or former social housing estates, the property values grow encouraging the

private sector. It is not only advantageous economically for the local area, but also changes the

opportunities for commercial, residential, and service spaces (Ruming, 2020). Through these

efforts, urban regeneration contributes to the promotion and fostering of sustainable urban spaces

together with economic and social development.

Social factors are important regeneration influences concerning Australia’s cities. Sydney,

Melbourne, and Brisbane are ethnically diverse cities with many immigration people coming into

the country. It results in rising needs for qualitative changes in population density and

composition, good quality housing, improved social infrastructure, and accessibility of services

such as healthcare or education. The problems require resolution in existing communities and are

targeted through urban regeneration projects that seek to upgrade living standards, improve

social relations among people, and rectify shortcomings like high unemployment rates,

vandalism, and social exclusion (Ruming, 2018). These must be done to ensure that good and

sustainable green societies that can adapt to the dynamic city environment are developed.

Subjacent to the calculated needs, it is also important to look at urban regeneration

projects as postmodern solutions to certain pressing social issues like homelessness and scarcity

of affordable housing. Government strategies are normally vested in improving abandoned or

poorly maintained urban areas so that such areas can fully be made accessible after the

community inhabits them (Gurran & Phibbs, 2018). Many of these regeneration endeavors
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include enhancing housing that exists, the common interface, and employment opportunities as

measures to encourage neighborhood inclusion and erase prejudice. All in all, such projects in

the long run enhance the social status of the population and make cities themselves less

vulnerable to various social and economic processes, which contribute to increasing inequality.

With this approach, urban regeneration becomes a tool for social and economic transformation in

the growing Australian cities.

Environmental sustainability is a major factor contributing to urban regeneration

initiatives in all Australian cities. When cities continue experiencing population growth, they are

also tasked with decreasing carbon emissions and thus have to encourage sustainable

development. Housing has produced several effects on city regions with increased gross area,

higher energy consumption, costly transport, and pressures on structures (Landis et al., 2006). To

overcome these problems, urban regeneration projects pay more and more attention to infill

development, densification, and the inclusion of environmentally sustainable infrastructure

which in turn minimizes the impacts of cities that are expanding onto green field sites.

An increasing number of schemes resulting from regeneration processes utilize eco-

friendly design considerations and environmentally friendly construction methods. For instance,

some of the features that distinguish buildings like Darling Harbour and Central Park Sydney are

their use of features that are friendly to the environment as shown in Figure 1. These projects

utilize renewable energy sources and, proven resource-saving, building materials. A sufficient

area of open space is provided in these projects to reduce life’s negative impact and encourage

sustainable and energy-efficient modern liveability in cities (Bunker et al., 2005). Such initiatives

act as reference points to other urban development projects as a way of achieving environmental

coincident with growth in urban centers. The regeneration projects are beneficial as they cut the
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ecological footprints of expansion since they apply sustainable approaches that make the quality

of life of the people in cities better.

Figure 1: Central Park as Regeneration Project

Case Study: Darling Harbour/Darling Square

A large-scale government-driven urban regeneration initiative is the Darling Harbour/Darling

Square regeneration project of Sydney. Darling Harbour is an urban regeneration success story

situated at the western periphery of Sydney’s CBD With a focus on the underutilised waterfront

location, Darling Harbour has grown into a diverse and cosmopolitan hub. Formerly an area of

Corrosive industries and having numerous transport links Darling Harbour has seen extensive

redevelopment towards the end of the 1980s and early in the 2000s. A new phase of the

regeneration commenced in 2014 as Darling Square, led by the NSW Government with several

major private sector stakeholders. It occupies 5.5 hectares of space and provides for residential,

commercial, and office use as well as public green areas (Bunker et al., 2005). Among the

objectives of the project, the desire to extend corridors with increased pedestrian permeability

and mixed-use areas, green infrastructure, and accessibility to public transport was called.
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Positives of the Darling Harbour Regeneration

The Darling Harbour project has brought several benefits to the users as well as to the

whole city of Sydney in the long run notably through regeneration. Amongst all these new

improvements, this gigantic exercise has helped to foster the growth of the economy and also the

investment sectors. Through the redevelopment of Darling Harbour into a commercial and

leisure destination the studies reveal that the area has been turned into an economic generator by

the Sydney private sector investment. Center-based improvements, new infrastructure,

and the availability of modern facilities have resulted in an increase in tourism, new commercial

activities, and an uplift in the prices of land in this region (Piana, 2010). Therefore, Darling

Harbour has not only been transformed into one of the city’s main economic pillars but also into

one of the most recognizable signs of the entire urban renewal process. Its strategic location near

Sydney's central business district and major transport intersections remains another advantage

adding on its appeal to investors makes it a major economic stimulant.

In addition to its economic advantages, the Darling Harbour project has worked towards

ensuring that quality public accesses are developed thereby making the area people-friendly. The

public walkways, parks, and recreational sites have made Darling Harbour a more fully

integrated, friendly, and inviting part of the city for people within the community and visitors

alike. Specifically, these spaces have created places for social interaction, culture, and leisure

enabling a greater sense of community in what may be seen as commercially dominated areas

(Evans & Jones 2008). Also, the project has sub-addressed the increasing population problems of

Sydney by providing additional higher density residential units as part of the Darling Square

development. They are constructed overlooking transport corridors, which are tools that help in

designing a better, more efficient urban form than reliance on sprawling suburbs (Ruming, 2018).
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Realizing housing affordability as a major issue, Darling Harbour has effectively commenced

development for housing and the environment in Australia. Eco-orientation is another key

message of the project, as Darling Square meets principles of sustainable water management and

features energy-efficient buildings and green areas that received 6-star Green Star status (Bunker

et al., 2005). Such action emphasizes the necessity to unravel discrepancies between urbanization

intentions and environmental sensitivity of the growth, making Darling Harbour an illustration of

following urban revitalization projects.

Negatives of the Darling Harbour Regeneration

As demonstrated in previous sections, there are more benefits of the regeneration of

Darling Harbour than losses, although the latter can be mentioned in several aspects,

including social inequality and stresses to infrastructure. Possibly the most notable question is

gentrification and the problem of pushing out individuals with fewer resources from the

neighboring communities. Like many social regeneration schemes in cities, an increase in

property values within the regenerated area means that affordable housing for low-income

families remains out of their reach (Newton & Glackin, 2014). It is for this reason that even

though the facility has brought about a Supply response to housing hence enlarging the stock, the

units developed are still out of reach for the poor populace since most of the units are still

charged at rates they cannot afford. Economically excluding the benefits of a particular project is

not only a disadvantage to a particular group but also a threat to underline the class difference by

displacing several communities that once lived in or around Darling Harbour (Newton, 2010).

The existing social network of the area may be further eroded with the last inhabitants driven out

by new rich cohorts, and thus in the end, the project is not able to become a strong force of social

integration.
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By far another factor that can be attributed to the regeneration of Darling Harbour is the

pressure to be exerted on the existing infrastructures. Despite the construction of new public

areas and some infrastructural enhancements that formed a part of the project, Sydney’s

increased population density strains the broader city infrastructural framework (Newton, 2010).

Public transport particularly buses, and trains together with the ferry services that dominate this

region have received significant pressure from increased residents, workers, and tourists within

the region (Kelly, 2011). This congestion not only affects the perceived quality of life for

residents living in those neighborhoods but also the longevity of the processes of regeneration.

Even roads also have become congested, which results in increased air pollution and reduced

accessibility. Similarly, the environmental concerns of the regeneration have been flagged as

unsustainable for the project. The concentration of activities in Darling Harbour has caused the

subject area to become an urban heat island, exerting pressure on the ecosystem despite the

provision of green areas and sustainable technologies (Bunker et al., 2005). Construction

activities have generated waste and disturbed ecosystems, provoking discourses regarding the

social cost of regeneration relative to the efficiency advantage (Ruming, 2018). These challenges

give insights into the issue of sustainable urban development and how such processes can be

inclusive of the social dimension as well as harness environmentally sustainable development in

large-scale regeneration projects.

Implications for Population, Infrastructure, and Housing

Urban regeneration projects such as Darling Harbour contain deep demographic

meanings about people and infrastructures, and the availability of housing in the Australian

cities. The above projects present an opportunity to provide additional accommodation to the

expanded population in Sydney and within overbuilt urban regions. Such projects develop
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dwellings near workplaces and various facilities, minimize travel time, provide for a compact

form of city, and support an environmentally friendly way of living (Kelly, 2011). For example,

the Darling Harbour contains both commercial at well as residential spaces built for residents to

live, work, and play. Nevertheless, one of the most serious problems with such urban

regeneration experience is the question of gentrification, which leads to situations where lower-

income people are pushed out. While some of these projects may help increase the quality and

amenity of the environments within cities, more often than not, they do not have positive impacts

on all sectors of society. Lacking effective policies, therefore, gentrification increases the real

estate cost and pushes out the original inhabitants of a given society (Gurran & Phibbs, 2018).

For urban regeneration to create equity, the strategic and planning practices and policies need to

incorporate concerns like minimum dwelling construction, and government safeguards against

the exclusion of the vulnerable population from the rejuvenated urban space.

Another area of concern in schemes like Darling Harbour is land infrastructure

development. Even though the main objectives of the projects are to catalyze and transform

public domains, and enhance pedestrianizations and local facilities, regeneration generates a high

living density which excessively tests existing infrastructure. Public transport systems such as

the bus, train, and ferries have also grappled with a surge in passenger and visitor traffic to

Darling Harbour, Sydney for instance there has been overcrowding (Piana, 2010). Consequently,

the roads and streets within the region and the external networks around it have recorded an

increase in traffic flow density and thus the quality of air in urban centres has also been affected

as well as the general efficiency of commercial transportation networks. Other infrastructure

facilities including utilities and public services are also congested to reach the onset of their

maximum level, thus posing problems regarding service standards and accessibility. In future
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regeneration, there should be corresponding development of infrastructure as a result of urban

growth to avoid constraints and services interference (Evans & Jones, 2008). Infrastructure

connections for public transportation, utilities, and pro-regeneration sustainable infrastructural

interventions should be embraced to accommodate the growing populace and underpin the

enduring success of regeneration schemes.

In addition, the housing supply that is created through such developments needs to be

well-regulated to overcome the housing demand-supply challenge. Although there have been

attempts in recent years like Darling Harbour to provide splendid new buildings with housing

units, unconsciously they have endeavored to create more ‘overhead, luxury housing’ with the

result of the finalization of the leading groups in terms of affordability. The issue for urban

regeneration is how to provide more housing while maintaining that housing is available for all

income levels (Ruming, 2018). Therefore, it is necessary to underline the risks of promoting

high-end developments as part of regeneration strategies in the context of their potential to

increase existing inequalities due to the lack of effective housing and redevelopment plans that

would address both supply and affordability in these regarded urban areas.

Conclusion

Australia is pursuing urban renewal due to economy, society, and environment, for

addressing issues related to population, infrastructure, and housing costs. The Darling Harbour

regeneration project, as(degrees) shown by the Representative works such initiatives can bring

new metamorphosis to existing but underdeveloped areas to improve their viability and

sustainability. However, the problem also showcased the potential offsets that regeneration

brings among them being gentrification, pressures on infrastructure, and lastly environmental

issues. Continuing such renovation and redevelopment programs means, it is high time that
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volume and variety generation should be compatible with the goals of social equity and

sustainable environment to build or rebuild cities that will be inhabitable and sustainable in the

long run.

References

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