Consolidate or Spread: What Urban Form Should Melbourne Develop In The Future?

Melbournes prominent rise as the forefront in urban development across the nation has accented the citys steady population growth and economic prosperity over the years. In a recent study conducted by ABS, population growth in Greater Melbourne has been found to equate up to 87% of Victoria's total growth in the years 2011 to 2012 (ABS, 2013). It is evident that Melbournes role as a Global City will inadvertently exert pressure on its increasing population growth and continuous urban expansion. This matter has received extensive dispute concerning the citys prospects on urban consolidation, or urban sprawl, both of which could impose certain constraints in the context of livability and sustainability. This essay seeks to contend that urban consolidation is more advantageous by providing a juxtaposition of the two urban forms mentioned, in terms of their social and environmental significance. This essay also attempts to distinguish the concerning issues of high-density urban development to aid in a more effective implementation of consolidation within the city in the future. Urban sprawl can be defined as the increased development of suburban and rural areas outside of their respective urban centres; or more simply, the gradual decentralisation of human occupancy (CaRDI, 2010). In contrast, urban consolidation is referred to in the Melbourne 2030 Strategy, as an urban implementation to minimise outward growth and new green-field development and make greater use of existing infrastructure and facilities (McPherson and Desyllas 2005:5). With a population projection to 6.5 million over the next 40 years where Melbourne is presumed to gain the majority of international migrant growth within the Victoria region (DPCD, 2012), the city has to inevitably develop additional infrastructural amenities to accommodate the multiplicity of occupants in the coming years. However, there is a prevailing governmental predicament to whether urban development should persist within existing municipality or expand outwards to rural regions. Urban consolidation conveys the visualization of a compact city (Newman 2005:12), where it builds upon the advantages of the conservation of valuable land through a more intensive use of existing urban areas (McLoughlin 1993:19). With that, high-density development will allow the preservation of natural landforms such as water catchment areas, and also strengthen the efforts to conserve the prevailing agricultural and recreational lands (Smith 1997:4). Meanwhile, urban sprawl has been found to be a major contributor to the loss and degradation of valuable lands around the Melbourne municipality (Robinson 2005: 52). Furthermore, recent studies suggest that high-density development could better conserve regional water quality as it has lesser land consumption (Richards 2006:32). Not only that, there presents a rationalization that urban consolidation significantly centralized energy efficiency and savings in terms of sustainability, through the increased use of public transport system that is predominantly centralized in the metropolitan area (Heather 2008:17). In contrast, low-density development has been held responsible for a higher energy and water consumption to accommodate the large dispersal of housing areas and private gardens (Cahn 2005:5). This subsequently gives emphasis to Newman and Kenworthys (1999) notion that urban

sprawl and automobile dependency are inextricably interrelated. As such, this provides a premise to advocate urban intensification, as well-mixed land uses and connected transport options will reduce the reliance on automobiles, which will advertently lessen global warming emissions (Betanzo 2007: 29). Additionally, from a social perspective, high-density urban development offers a high degree of accessibility and convenience to public amenities. Such close proximity between people and places can consequently facilitate social interaction and consolidate better sense of community, than that of the sprawl counterparts typically separated by fences in private spaces (Ng, 2009). The uniform approach in high-density living breaks down the barrier of ethnic segregation that commonly takes place within urban sprawl forms, thus promoting cultural acceptance (Ragusett 2012: 141). International literature also reveals notable association between intensive mixed land use and reduced crime rate and an increased sense of personal security, also known as passive surveillance (Petersen,1998; Research Solutions, 2001 cited in Holden and Gjerde, 2009). Even with the governments current proposition to enact consolidation policies to put Melbournes growing urban boundary to a standstill, rural developments are still being authorized resulting in the continuation of urban sprawl today (Dowling, 2010). Proponents of urban expansion have claimed that the arguments of urban consolidation are currently contentious, as many existing issues have been neglected (McLoughlin 1993:20). In his paper, Searle (2004) distinguished the long-term constraints on highdensity development, all of which arise from the complication that the maximum capacity of the urban fabric may not be able to support urban intensification. The underlying barrier to increasing density is the overloaded transport, service and social infrastructure that exist in most metropolitan areas already (CABE 2005: 16). Moreover, increased traffic congestion and likelihood of public transport system failures are potential pitfalls of urban intensification. From an environmental approach, a more intensive land use may dramatically reduce green spaces and trees that often has unforeseen side effects (Betanzo 2007:40). With that, the high proportion of built-up mass and the loss of greenery from high-density developments are causes of the urban heat island effect (Ng, 2009). One of the effects of UHI includes disruptions to the local climate and result in weather complications such as thunderstorms (Heather 2008:19). The intensified heat will then result in an escalated consumption of energy for air-conditioning in the municipality, which will then result in a cycle that contributes largely to global warming (Grimm et al. 2008: 758). The expansion of impervious surfaces, a major contributing factor to UHI, is also a primary factor to stormwater runoff problems in the municipality. In comparison, suburban houses and their private gardens are found to combat environmental problems as the large amount of urban greenery present can reduce the effects of UHI, as well as have a larger ground absorbance to rainwater that consequently decreases stormwater flow. Socially, Yates (2001) research indicates that Australians still maintain a conventional preference for single-family homes rather than high-density housing among families, and financial restrictions and a preference for home ownership is the leading factor to high-density selections. Additionally, the high-density experience of overcrowding pressures individuals to undergo undesired social contact and cause psychological stress, which is uncommon in low-density developments (Ng, 2009). Over the years, proponents of urban sprawl have founded their justifications

fundamentally on the potentials limitations of consolidation policies. However, from the aforementioned arguments, it can be discerned that consolidation is more beneficial than sprawl in the context of sustainability. As a measure for Melbourne to continue accommodating its exponentially rising population density, it is found that the more sustainable mode of urban development, consolidation should be implemented at a metropolitan level. It is evident that no single urban planning policy can deliver in consistency (Cahn, 2003). Henceforth, the government must prioritize the notion of identifying and working around these issues to better resolve contemporary urban management complications. In this context, governments can find that cities that integrating effective public transport, service structures and amenities are easier to maintain secure, healthy and civilized operational conditions within their boundaries (Ng, 2009). For as Ng (2009) concludes, The quality of the environment we can provide today will be reflected in its social and environmental durability in the future. As an exemplar, if the outer suburb of Templestowe in Melbourne were to be implemented urban intensification policies, a more efficient mode of public transport system is essentially required for the convenience of local residents. Reliability, capacity and frequency are crucial components to avoid the overloading of public transport services and lessen the severity of traffic congestion. Moreover, sustainable architecture should be taken into consideration for all recent developments around the area for the purpose to substantially reduce operational and embodied energy consumption in highdensity developments. On the other hand, urban greenery and open spaces must be preserved to aid in managing environmental issues such as the UHI effect and increased stormwater runoff. The concept of sustainability must be adapted to contemporary policy implementation where it is vital for us to look at Melbourne as a broader picture rather than a collection of individual demands and needs. After much review, urban consolidation is presented as the most advantageous choice for urban planning, for it provides a promise to resolve the number of principal issues encountered presently. At present, the most difficult impediment that government consolidation policies will have to prevail over is the need to change Australias social paradigm about housing preferences. This is crucial, as social transitions like this demand a long period of time to take place. As a global city, Melbourne must now adjust to the reality of the dynamism of such a prominent standing. Thus, with a majority of the human population currently living in urban cities, and the projected population proliferation of global cities like Melbourne, it is pivotal for urban consolidation policies to succeed, in the hopes of a more sustainable future for our younger generations, our cities, and our world.

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