GROUP FIELD STUDY & ISSUES REPORT INTRODUCTION TO URBAN PLANNING & DESIGN ABPL20049 ASSESSMENT 2 CHANG LIU 825690 CHELSEA OHLSON 910504 PEIYAO LI 940463 TONG HOI YI JOANNE 813601
CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION
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2. ENVIRONMENT Street Trees.....................................................4 Importance of Street Trees............................5 Current Land-Use...........................................6 SWOT Analysis..............................................8 Areas of Issue.................................................8 3. HERITAGE Importance of Heritage.................................9 Heritage Preserved Through Commemoration............................................9 Heritage Preserved Through Aesthethics...................................................10 Preserving Heritage Through Repurposing.................................................12 Preserving Heritage Through Protection of Old Melbourne Goal..................................12 SWOT Analysis............................................13 Areas of Issue...............................................13
4. TRANSPORT Importance of Transport..............................14 Analysis of Site Transportation....................15 SWOT Analysis............................................16 Areas of Issue...............................................16 5. HOUSING Importance of Housing................................17 Types of Dwelling.........................................18 SWOT Analysis............................................19 Areas of Issue...............................................19 6. SUMMARY
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7. REFERENCES
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1. INTRODUCTION
STUDY AREA MAP Study area map LEGEND
Particularly known for its universities around the area, the study area also has many restaurants around Carlton and high rise residential buildings. Located near the Central Business District (CBD), the study area is a rapidly developing and changing location. The chosen site is bounded by Bouverie and Russell Street, consisting of main roads such as Swanston and Victoria Street, which is located at the bottom right edge of the assigned study area (Refer to Figure 1). This site is an important location because many people commute through it on a daily basis and connects the city area with other suburbs such as Fitzroy, Collingwood and Carlton. It is a major point of transit and many things take place there. Despite being a location with numerous constructions, the site is home to several iconic architectural landmarks, both traditional and modern, such as the City Baths and Swanston Square building. The main reason we have decided to focus on this area is because we are aware of the environmental, heritage, transport and housing importance of it within the context of Melbourne. We also believe that the chosen area has the potential to develop Melbourne further and improve its urban condition through the introduction of suitable changes. Therefore, this report will focus on the environmental, heritage, transportation and housing issues of the area.
Service Layer Credits: OpenStreetMap (and) contributers CC-BY-SA
Figure 1: Pedestrian Study Area Map (Author: Joanne Tong)
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2. ENVIRONMENT Street Trees The topic of environment will touch on the presence of trees and other forms of vegetation along the sidewalks of the chosen site. Trees and vegetation along sidewalks, commonly known as street trees or vegetation are often regarded as being a necessary and crucial element to an urban environment. This section will examine the importance of street trees and vegetation in the urban context and apply it to the considered site.
Figure 1: Street trees along boulevards in Paris (Author: Joanne Tong)
Street trees and vegetation are probably one of the most distinct characteristics of introducing greenery within cities around the world (Refer to Figures 1, 2 and 3)and have been around since the 16th century (Forrest & Konijnendijk, as cited in Dover, 2015). Densely populated urban environments such as Melbourne, are usually negatively associated with vegetation because green spaces are often removed to make space for buildings, roads and housing developments (Miller & Spoolman, 2014). However, according to Pham et al. (as cited in Dover, 2015), street trees can exist even in highly populated locations and embody more benefits than aspects of green spaces and infrastructures. Figure 2: Street trees along road in London (Author: Joanne Tong)
Figure 3: Street trees along roads and walkways in Singapore (Author: Joanne Tong)
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Importance Of Street Trees The social, economic and environmental benefits of having street trees in urban areas are extensive and varied, therefore it is important to have street trees and vegetation. Firstly, the social benefits when street trees are situated properly includes increasing motorized traffic and pedestrian safety, improving one’s emotional and psychological health and prompts pedestrians to get in touch with nature and their human sense (Burden, 2006). Secondly, according to research, well-treed locations shows an increase in property values of between 5% and 20% and the shade provided by street trees help to protect roads and footpaths from the sun, allowing them to last longer (Central Coast Council, 2010). Lastly, street trees and vegetation are able to bring in numerous environmental benefits. They will be able to lower urban air temperatures on a local scale, improve air quality by trapping airborne pollutants and producing oxygen, provide shade during Summer and reduce stormwater flows in cities and hence minimise the chances of flooding (Central Coast Council, 2010). Therefore, it is important to have street trees and vegetation, especially in urban locations.
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Current Land-Use Currently, the chosen site, which is bounded by Lygon Street, Bouverie Street, Queensberry Street and A’Beckett Street does not have many street trees lined along the pavements, especially on the main roads which are frequented by more people. These main roads include Victoria Street, Swanston Street and Franklin Street which also have trams and buses running through some of them. On this point, street trees and vegetation are especially few or non-existent in the Northern and South-West areas (Refer to Figures 4 and 5. As seen in Figure 6, most of the trees are located in the North-East location of the site and bounded within the RMIT school buildings, not along the roadsides.
Figure 4: No trees along Swanston Street (Author: Joanne Tong)
Figure 5: Few trees along Victoria Street (Author: Joanne Tong)
LEGEND
Figure 6: Street Tree Map (Author: Joanne Tong)
Study Area
Tram
Bus Stop
Site
Tram Stop
Trees on Site 6
Upon observation, not many people walked through Bowen street and within the compounds of the RMIT building, which have a relatively higher amount of street trees line along the street, therefore they might not be as effective as they were planned to. In addition to observing street trees along the site, profiles of pedestrians were taken into account as well. Most pedestrians walking within the site did not loiter around and were simply passing by with the exception of RMIT A’Beckett Urban Square, which is used gathering and social meeting point. There were many people of varying age groups, ethnicity and occupations walking within the site, most of them seem to be heading to the city, universities and the high rise apartments within the study area. Ongoing construction works along Franklin and Bouverie Street further reduces the number of street trees and vegetation around the area (Refer to Figures 7 and 8).
However, Swanston Street near the RMIT A’Beckett Urban Square displays a good example of how street trees should be situated in urban areas (Refer to Figure 6). The trees lining the street seem to be evenly spaced out instead of being randomly planted. This consistency allows for proper shading and ensures that the environment and pedestrians benefit fully from street vegetation. There are a few small areas such as the Eight Hour Reserve within the site which allows more street trees and vegetation to be planted but through observations, not many people or cars go past those areas as compared to the busier Swanston Street and Victoria Street (Refer to Figure 9). In general, the site does not have many street trees and vegetation along the busier roads and a lot can be done to improve this aspect of the environment.
Figure 7: Ongoing construction resulting in loss of trees on Bouverie Street (Author: Joanne Tong)
Figure 8: Ongoing construction resulting in loss of trees on Franklin Street (Author: Joanne Tong)
LEGEND Study Area Site
High Intensity Average Intensity
Low Intensity
Figure 9: Pedestrian Intensity Map (Author: Joanne Tong)
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SWOT Analysis Using the SWOT analysis, this part of the report will analyse the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of street trees and vegetation in the environment. 1. Strengths To begin, one of the strengths of street trees in the chosen environment is that it will benefit a diverse range of pedestrians since people of different ages, ethnicity and occupation frequent the streets on a daily basis. By having more greenery along the streets of the densely populated Melbourne City, it can help city dwellers to feel more relaxed and happy (Reynolds, 2016). Being situated at the edge of the study area, the site is a major transaction zone and connects the Central Business District (CBD) to further out areas such as Fitzroy. The strength of this is that the site will be commonly frequented where street trees and vegetation will be more effective.
2. Weaknesses Moving onto weaknesses, a main weakness of this issue is that urban environments such as streets and roadsides are harsh environments to grow trees. As such, it will be difficult for tree growth and longevity (Bassnk et al., as cited in Dover, 2015) and trees which fail to adapt to the conditions will end up having short lifespans, especially those that are not suitable to be planted in urban environments. According to Moll (as cited in Dover, 2015), urban trees have an average lifespan of 7 years, which is relatively short compared to the average lifespan of 32 years for suburban trees. Therefore, it is important to be selective when choosing what species of trees and vegetation to plant along streets. In Melbourne, when choosing species for street vegetation, they have to undergo criterions such as tolerance to drought, heat, wind and pollution, longevity, pathogen and pest susceptibility, potential as allergen, shade caste, maintenance and tree litter (City of Melbourne, 2011). Some of the suitable tree species include Kurrajong, Cypress Pines, Liquidamber and Holly Oak (City of Melbourne, 2011).
3. Opportunities Since the footpaths are relatively wide and are fairly good conditioned, this provide opportunities for street trees to be planted along the sidewalks. The existing infrastructures along the site is suitable for trees to be planted and the existing stretch of trees along Swanston Street (near RMIT A’Beckett Urban Square) serves as a good example for the rest of the site. Areas such as the major streets which do not have many plants serve as a good opportunity for street trees to be planted to improve the site.
4. Threats Street trees are sometimes considered as a public health and safety issue and might result in financial liabilities in the future. This is because the underground infrastructures limit the space for tree roots (Kelly, as cited in Dover, 2015) which results in trees being less stable. In such cases, street trees pose as a threat to the safety of pedestrians and motorists and constant maintenance will result in additional problems for the city council.
Areas Of Issue Generally, the issue is more prevalent in the main streets of the site, which are Victoria Street and Swanston Street. These areas have a higher number of pedestrians walking along them and it is important to have adequate amount of street trees to provide shading as well as improve the urban landscape.
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3. HERITAGE
SITE AREA MAP Site Map
Importance Of Heritage The protection of Melbournian heritage is important to acknowledge the influences and events our society has encountered that has shaped our society today. Preservation and acknowledgment of features is important in understanding what has made our society the way it is today. In this region, heritage is preserved through 4 main strategies. Through commemoration, aesthetics, re-purposing and protection. A) Heritage Preserved Through Commemoration (8 Hour Work Day) As some events that are significant in Victorian Heritage are not able to be remembered in a building or architecture, they are memorialised in monuments such as the 8 day work week monument. The 8 hour work day monument preserves Melbourne’s heritage by commemorating a significant event in Melbournian history. It commemorates the 26th of February 1856 when James Galloway convinced employers to implement the 8 hour work day. ”The Eight Hour Day was a campaign that brought about one of the most important changes to the rights of workers.” (Monuments Australia, n.d.).
Figure 10: Foot and Car Traffic Datas (Author: Chelsea Ohlson) Source: Data collated in 5 minute intervals, starting at 6:30, 9:30, 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30 respectively on 25 August 2017
LEGEND *Green=Foot Traffic Blue= Car Traffic
20 - 30 Cars/People
30 - 40 Cars/ People 40 - 50 Cars/ People
50 - 60 Cars/People
Service Layer Credits: OpenStreetMap (and) contributers CC-BY-SA
Figure 11: Map of Foot and Car Traffic surrounding 8 Hour Monument (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
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B) Heritage Preserved Through Aesthethics (Architecture) The architecture of many of the buildings through our region are significant as historical elements of Melbourne’s history while also reflecting the influence of other cultures on Australia throughout our history. Edwardian Baroque Many buildings in our area show characteristics of the Edwardian baroque style of architecture. These features include are rustication of building bricks, voussoir, rounded roofs, large towers and ornate keystone. (Goad, 1999.) This style of architecture is significant as it demonstrates the influence European style had on Australian society and preserves the original buildings that would have been constructed around Melbourne’s establishment in 1835. Dome Roof
Voussoir
Key Stones
Figure 12: Melbourne City Baths(Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Voussoir
Rustications
Figure 13: Old Melbourne Goal (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Voussoir
Rustications
Figure 14: Emily McPherson Building (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
LEGEND Federation Homes
Edwardian Baroque
Beaux Art/Neo Classical
Figure 15: Map of Heritage Buildings (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
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Federation Homes This style of house was popular during earlier stages of Melbournian history. These buildings contain features such as a brick or weatherboard facade, wooden verandahs, stained glass window panels, and ornate plaster cornices and ceiling roses. (Goad, 1999) This style of architecture is important in capturing some of Melbourne’s heritage as these homes are similar to the homes that would have been constructed doing the time of federation and in some of Melbourne’s earliest suburbs.
Ornate Cornices
Wooden Veranda Brick Exterior Figure 16: Federation Home(Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Clean Lines
Free Standing Pillars
Large Figure 17: Emily McPherson (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Beaux Art/Neo Classical The combination of beaux art and neo classical style of architecture found on the Emily McPherson building represents the typical “American style” of building. The Emily McPherson building was constructed in 1972 and reflects the American influence on Australian society in the early 20th century. Some features of this unique style of architecture are neat refined lines, minimalist appearance and free-standing pillars on a large scale buildings. (Goad, 1999)
LEGEND Federation Homes
Edwardian Baroque
Beaux Art/Neo Classical
Figure 18: Map of Heritage Buildings (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
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C) Preserving Heritage Through Repurposing (City Baths) Melbourne’s heritage is also preserved through the repurposing of old buildings for modern use. The purpose of this is to preserve old architecture wile catering to the modern needs of society. This preserves the old city baths façade while catering to the health and exercise needs of the community.
D) Preserving Heritage Through Protection Of The Old Melbourne Goal Preservation of heritage through protection of old significant buildings allows Melbournian history to be preserved. The old Melbourne Gaol, built in 1842 preserves an important piece of Melbournian history. This has been the site of may historically significant events such as the hanging of the famous bush ranger Ned Kelly. According to the Victorian Heritage Council the site is also significant at an archaeological scale as remains of many significant figures may be buried there. As a result the building and the ground beneath it is protected.
User Demographics For City Baths
Users 7:00am
Users 1:00pm
Users 7:00pm
The Old Melbourne Gaol is in a district of other heritage significant buildings such as the old magistrates court which are located along Russell street. Which make up a significant tourist destination for Melbourne history. As a result, tours of the Gaol are provided. Tour Costs
seniors
students/ adults Source: date collated 25/8/17 Young adults
seniors
students/ adults Young adults
seniors
students/ adults Young adults
The building is significant for the preservation of Victorian history. According to the Victorian Heritage Council (n.d.), the baths are significant as they are “one of the most distinctive Edwardian Baroque buildings in Melbourne and as an important work of the noted Victorian architect, J. J. Clark.”. They preserve the architectural history of Melbourne and preserve the work of this famous Victorian architecture. They are also significant as they depict what Melbourne would have been like during its early development, with public bathing houses being essential for hygiene.
Tour cost Type of ticket Cost
Adult
Concession
Child
Family
$28
$23
$15
$65
Photo of theinbuildings in theDistrict Heritage District alongStreet Russell Street Photo of the buildings the Heritage along Russell
Figure 20: Old Melbourne Goal (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Figure 19: Melbourne City Baths(Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Entrance Cost
Entrance cost Casual entry Membership (fortnightly)
Adult $21.55 $49.30
Student $17.25 $34.80
Concession $12.95 $27
Figure 21: Old Magistrate’s Court (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
Figure 22: Former Working Men’s College (Author: Chelsea Ohlson)
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SWOT Analysis 1. Strengths Commemoration (8 Hour Work Day Monument) The strength of the monument is that it commemorates a significant event in Melbournian history and serves as a reminder to protect and be grateful for current workers’ rights. Aesthetics (Architecture) The architecture represents different stages of Melbournian history and reflects the international influences our society has experienced. The preservation of old architecture styles also makes our city visually diverse. Repurposing (City Baths) The preservation of the façade of the City Baths preserves the old architecture, and heritage of shared bath houses. They also provide a modern and up to date gym for the wider community. While creating an economic opportunity for Melbourne City who own the baths. Protection (Old Melbourne Gaol) Preservation of the Gaol means that people can see Australian history firsthand. The history of many infamous Victorians is preserved here.
2. Weaknesses Commemoration (8 Hour Work Day Monument) The abstract shape of the monument means the meaning of the monument is only clear after reading the small plaque on the side. As a result it is difficult for pedestrians on the footpath and especially those in cars driving past to derive the meaning of the statue by just looking at it.
3. Opportunities Commemoration (8 Hour Work Day Monument) The monument is located at the busy intersection of Russell and Victoria street. This node for traffic provides plenty of opportunity for the monument to be seen and acknowledged by those driving by.
4. Threats Commemoration (8 Hour Work Day Monument) A threat to the monument is that heavy traffic in the area causes air and noise pollution and threatens the use of the area. The lack of trees and shade and seating mean the area is unusable for the general public to spend extended periods of time there.
Aesthetics (Architecture) Building sky rises above these buildings such as is Aesthetics (Architecture) occurring at the multiplex is an opportunity for old Rapid development of Melbournes architecture Aesthetics (Architecture) The preservation of the façade creates physical barriers architecture to be incorporated in modern development. means that these building are underthreat from new developments that are disadvantaged from being when constructing behind or inside these buildings. bound by this old fashioned architecture. for example the multiplex is restricted on space and Repurposing (City Baths) natural lighting from windows while trying to protect the The location of the baths provides the opportunity for RMIT and University of Melbourne students to Repurposing (City Baths) Brewery façade. exercise and become members of the gym. The gym The high membership and casual entry fee means that provides classes from 6:15am-7:30pm and virtual the baths are off limit to many citizens that are unable Repurposing (City Baths) A drawback to the repourposing of the baths is that personal sessions which caters for a wide range of to afford these high entry costs. Therefore the baths are only available to those in society that can afford it. the iternal heritage has been altered. The modern gym demographics. and pool are practical and are not reflective of the Protection (Old Melbourne Gaol) Protection (Old Melbourne Gaol) heritage. The location along the Russell St heritage district Threats to the building include the development of provides the opportunity for tours to be provided as modern buildings such as RMIT. RMIT has made use of Protection (Old Melbourne Gaol) Unfortunately, the tours themselves that go inside the this history rich area attracts many school groups and many other significant buildings around the area such as the working mens college and has used them for Gaol are expensive, meaning that the inside of this tourists. educational rooms piece of Melbourne’s history is off limits to those who cannot afford the tours. As a result, these people are unable to experience this important piece of Victorian heritage. Areas Of Issue Some of the main issues surrounding the protection of Melbournian Heritage that the preservation of buildings and facades that were built for outdated purposes can impose on the needs of the present. These features may get in the way of future development such as the Gaol blocking the expansion of RMIT University or cause for compromise in building new infrastructure such as the new multiplex being built behind the façade of the old Carlton brewery. These buildings may also need to be altered in order to compensate for modern needs such as the interior of the City Baths which causes a loss of original heritage infrastructure. Another overall arching theme is that these heritage buildings often require money to access the interior, which means that the internal heritage of these buildings can only be accessed by those in the community that can afford it.
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4. TRANSPORT Importance Of Transport Transportation provides accessibility for both travelers and goods, since commuting is an important activity in our everyday lives. Transport planning is also related to the economic, social and environmental characteristics of urban areas. Development of transport infrastructures are directly linked to major economic investment, and creates great opportunities of employment as well as reshapes the using functions of the land. Thus, transportation plays as an important role in urban planning and our chosen site. The site is located in the corner between Victoria Street and Swanson Street, includes the RMIT University City campus, Melbourne city bath, several commercial buildings and residential buildings. Victoria St is the main street for people accessing to the North Melbourne, Carlton, Fitzroy and Collingwood, also Swanston street are the major path that linking the University of Melbourne RMIT university and Melbourne CBD together. The transportation characteristics in this location have great effect for people accessing the city or suburbs and for student’s access to the two major universities. Therefore, both Victoria Street and Swanson Street are one of the trunk line within Melbourne city area, which makes transportation crucial in the chosen site. The site is a nodes which links the city to the suburbs.
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Tram line access to the site Vehicle line access to the site Site Area Boundary
1Km
Figure 23: Map of Melbourne Tram and Vehicle Access. The site is a nodes which links the city to the suburbs. (Author: Chang Liu)
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Analysis Of Site Transportation The site is bounded by Victoria Street, Swanston Street and Franklin Street. Victoria street is dominated by automobile and Swanston Street is dominated by active transport which may result in environmental consequences. For the majority of residential buildings in this site, 70% of the resident do not own private cars, and their daily transport is based on walking, bike or public transport. (Australia Bureau of Statistic, 2016).
Figure 24: Registered Motor Vehicles (Author: Chang Liu)
LEGEND Tram Walking Path
Bike Path Motor Vehicle Path
Figure 25: Map of Transportaion on Site (Author: Chang Liu)
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SWOT Analysis 1. Strengths Easy to access On Swanston Street, eight different trams lines are passing and stopping on the site. The trams are linking the site to Camberwell, east Malvern, south Melbourne beach, east Coburg, East Brighton, Kew, St Kilda, Carnegie, Glen Iris, Malvern, Moreland and Melbourne University. Victoria St, as a 6lines traffic roads, it linking to the north, and north eased suburb areas. Convenient public transport system The trams stop on Swanston Street are convenient and frequently, during the day time, there is a tram will passing the site in every two minutes. Each tram can drive passenger shunt between Melbourne University and Melbourne CBD Well serviced bike line Swanston street is well managed and designed for cycle-ability, the street provide smooth and wide enough bike line, also offers bike parking area and facility. (photo) Walkability and Safety In RMIT university cat campus, on Swanston Street, the rode use excluding mortar vehicle use, by separate the pedestrians from the traffic can decreased the rate of car evident, thus the separation car use can protect the safety of pedestrian.
Figure 26: Bike Path along Swanston Street (Author: Chang Liu)
2. Weaknesses Insufficient tram capacity during peak hours During the peak hour 10 am or 5pm on weekday, the capacity is not enough for passenger travel to their destination.
3. Opportunities Population growth drives the development of multiple public transport As the population increase, higher urban density and larger population provides opportunities for multiple public transportation system.
Traffic jam along Franklin Street On the week day, in peak hour, the speed of the traffic on Franking and Victoria street are below the average Increase the volume and capacity of the public speed, the crowed traffic provides air pollution and transport noise for the residents who live in this area. The capacity and volume of the tram can be increased by using redesigned larger trams, without developing Single options of public transport new public transport system, increasing the capacity of The tram on Swanston Street is the only public transport the tram system is another opportunity to reply on the options that driving people shunts between CBD and growing population. RMIT also Melbourne University. If, there is emergency issue on happened on tram system, without walking, the Bike safety on the site, share bikes passenger has no other substitution options to access Well maintained and bike road on Swanston street this area. provide safety and healthy opportunity for bike rider, also the new share bike provided in Melbourne, people can travel by bike whenever and wherever possible. Poor Cycleability on Victoria Street and Franklin Thus, the bike convenient and safety environment on Street Swanston street will increased the opportunity for There is no bike road on Victoria and Franklin street, people to use share bike. the bike rider has to occupied on main traffic line or walking street, it’s unsafe to for both bike rider and Transportation not on single layer pedestrian, also to occupied on motorway will slow Under the population growth, the capacity of done the speed of the traffic. transportation has to increased, yet, the ground area on the site are already fully occupied and developed by infrastructure. Thus, the transportation has opportunity to develop vertically and in different layer. Such as: overpass between buildings for the pedestrian and underground public transportation.
Figure 27: Crowded tram during peak hour (Author: Chang Liu)
4. Threats Rising Population Due to population growth, the capacity of traffic road and public transport will be not enough for people’s daily trivial. The over crowed traffic drive poor urban air quality, noise pollution, high demand of roads and parking. No substitution options on the site There is no public transportation and bike lines on Victoria Street. Motor vehicle is the only options for people to travel on this street. Victoria street as a highly car dominate area, it is inconvenient for people who without cars to access this location. Environmental threats Without public transport, the energy consumption on Victoria Street are much higher, also it provides more carbon dioxide pollutions.
Figure 29: Green house gas emissions (Author: Government of Victoria)
Areas Of Issues Transportation issues are predominantly along main streets such as Swanston, Victoria and Franklin. These include the lacking of sufficient public transport, only a single option travel, poor cycle-ability and walk-ability and traffic pressure.
Figure 28: Projected population growth (Author: Government of Victoria)
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5. HOUSING Importance Of Housing Housing is the most important realm of social planning due to its significant and direct social impacts. For all the authorities, planners and planning agencies, every decision they make would consider significant factors; an example is housing price. Housing price is what buyers and tenants examine in the first place since no one can live in somewhere they could not afford. Consideration results in differentiation. Therefore, social issues occur. For those whom could not afford any apartment, they are likely to end up on the streets as homeless. Moreover, the existence of rich neighborhoods and slums leads to issues of segregation which could be both of race and class. To analyze the housing issues in this area, we should firstly figure out who are the planners planning for. The site covers Carlton and the CBD. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016), 61.8% of the residents in Carlton were studying in an educational institute, and 57.3% of them work in CBD. On this point, residents aged between 20 to 24 belongs to the largest group of population which accounts for 35.1% of population in Carton (2016 Census QuickStats, 2016). It is the same and that ratio is 31.3% in CBD (2016 Census QuickStats, 2016). The population of local Australians are only 7.6% in Carlton and 4.5% in CBD (2016 Census QuickStats, 2016). We can also see that from the graph that this area is mainly dominated by RMIT buildings. The majority part of their city campus is included within in this area. Therefore, we can conclude that international students who mostly attends tertiary educational institutes are the main talents or dwelling owners in this area, and they are very likely from RMIT.
LEGEND RMIT Buildings
Figure 30: Map of RMIT buildings (Author: Peiyao Li)
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Types Of Dwelling There are three types of housing available for the students studying in this area. They are the traditional apartment, serviced apartment, and student apartment. Traditional apartments in this region refer to those apartments that can be either rent or bought by tenants, and local property agents are involved in the transactions. There are three choices of traditional apartment in this area: Swanston Square (531 Swanston Street), Verve Apartment (483 Swanston Street), and Franklin Lofts (87 Franklin Street). The second type of housing in this area is serviced apartment. Unlike the traditional apartment, serviced apartment combined both the features of hotels and that of the traditional apartment. It operates as hotels, tenants have to check-in and check-out at the reception, and daily housing services are offered. Moreover, it offers residential apartment including studio, one and two-bedroom apartments furnished with amenities such as a kitchen. There are three serviced apartments in this area: Arrow on Swanston (488 Swanston Street), Ibis Melbourne Hotel and Apartments (15-21 Therry St, Melbourne VIC 3000) and Milano (8 Franklin Street). The third type of housing in this area is student apartment. There are two student apartments in this area: Uniloge D2 (9 Earl Street) and Arrow on Swanston (488 Swanston Street). Arrow on Swanston, as mentioned before, is a serviced apartment, and it also offers student accommodation.
LEGEND Student Apartment Traditional Apartment Figure 31: Map of Housing Types(Author: Peiyao Li)
Serviced Apartments 18
SWOT Analysis 1. Strengths Firstly, this area is very close to the City Campus of RMIT. As we can see, the city campus has made up the most of this area. The dwellings in this area are all not far from it, and the dwellings are all not far from it. Unilodge D2 is inside the campus. Arrow on Swanston is right in front of the library of RMIT. Apartments such as Swanston Square and Verve Apartment are not in the same block of RMIT, but all the tenants need to do is only cross a road. Secondly, living in this area can enjoy the livability of the city to a large extent. This area is within the heart of Melbourne. There is cycling track and parking space here. Except that, tram is available too, and there is tram heading to CBD every minute.
2. Weaknesses As the housing price keep raising overwhelmingly, housing affordability has been one of the hottest issues Australians consider ever since. As the data shows, most of the residents here are international students, and from their point of view, housing affordability is also a huge problem. According to Duangpracha, (2012), ‘living in overly expensive accommodation.’ is one of the greatest difficulties and challenges to students. In fact, housing price increases insanely in this area. Take Arrow on Swanston for example, its 2-bedroom apartment is composed of a standard room and a master room, and the rent for the master room has increased from 320 dollars per week to 380 dollars per week during 2016 to 2017. This price is insane when we consider the income of residents. The median weekly income is 437 dollars in CBD and 338 dollars in Carlton. It is clear that, for those who work here, their income can hardly pay their rents.
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Figure 32: Arrow On Swanston (Author: Peiyao Li)
3. Opportunities Housing in this area offers two opportunities for the society. Firstly, the housing need of international students has driven the local economy. According to the annual report of Foreign Investment in Australia (2016), 40, 149 overseas applications were approved for investment in residential real estate which worth over 72.4 billion and this number is increasing. The residential investment of international students is the main one in this. Secondly, international students bring cultural diversity to local communities (Couch, 2016). Nowadays, more and more students from all over the world are gathering in the heart of Melbourne. The arrival of them has to been transforming Melbourne into a more culturally vibrant city.
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4. Threats There are also threat behind the housing condition in this area which is congestion. According to the diagram of Median population density by SA2, we can see that this area is becoming much more crowded than before. In 2016, there was 0.7 person per dwelling in this area, and the number jumps to 2.7 in 2016. This high density of population would lead to many social problems such as traffic congestion, which causes adverse impacts on the sustainability of society.
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Figure 33: Comparison of Housing Density (Author: Peiyao Li)
Areas of Issue In conclusion, the housing in this area is composed of traditional apartment, serviced apartment, and student apartment. The majority of the residents in this area would be international students (probably from RMIT). Considering the housing in this area, its strength of living in this area is close to school and convenient transportation. Its weakness is unaffordable housing prices. Its opportunity is driving economic development and promoting cultural diversity while its threat is congestion.
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6. CONCLUSION In conclusion, through observations and data collections, we have identified that issues surrounding the chosen site includes: insufficient street trees within the environment, declining efforts in heritage preservation, problems arising from current transportation infrastructures and unaffordable housing prices. With proper attention and careful detail in planning, this area can be significantly improved for users and residences within it.
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7. REFERENCES Australia Bureau of Statistic. (2016). 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved from http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/ quickstat/206041122?opendocument Australia Bureau of Statistic. (2016). Number of registered motor vehicles. Retrieved from http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/206041122?opendocument Burden, D. (2006). Urban Street Trees: 22 Benefits Specific Applications. Retrieved from http://www.walkable.org/download/22_benefits.pdf. Central Coast Council. (2010). Street Tree Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Street_Tree_Strategy_-_ Final.pdf. Couch, C. (2016). Urban planning: An introduction. New York: London: Palgrave Macmillan. Dover, J. W. (2015). Green Infrastructure: Incorporating Plants and Enhancing Biodiversity in Buildings and Urban Environments. Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge. Duangpracha, K. (2012). The Accommodation Challenges of International Students. Retrieved from https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/eserv/rmit:161345/Duangpracha.pdf Foreign Investment Review Board. 2015-16 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://firb.gov.au/about/publication/2015-16-annual-report/ Goad, P. (1999). Melbourne architecture. Watermark Press. Heritage Council Victoria. (2017). City Baths. Retrieved from: http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/811/download-report Loader, C. (2017). Greater Melbourne mesh block density analysis 2006-2016 v2. Retrieved from https://public.tableau.com/profile/chris.loader#!/vizhome/ GreaterMelbournemeshblockdensityanalysis2006-2016v2/Dwellingdensity Miller, G. T., & Spoolman, S. E. (2014). Environmental Science. Boston, Massachusetts: Brooks Cole. Monuments Australia. (2017). 8 Hour Day Monument. Retrieved from: http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/social/display/32235-eight-hour-daymonument Plan Melbourne. (2017). METROPOLITAN PLANNING STRATEGY PLAN MELBOURNE 2017-2050. Retrieved from http://www.planmelbourne.vic.gov.au/__ data/assets/pdf_file/0007/377206/Plan_Melbourne_2017-2050_Strategy_.pdf Reynolds, G. (2016). Greenery (or Even Photos of Trees) Can Make Us Happier. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/the-picture-ofhealth/?mcubz=0 Victoria State Government. (2017). Victoria Tram Lines, Retrieved from http://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/createAllOrders.html
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