Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the general public (see for example Laird
et al.
2001, and the Australian State
of the Environment Reports for 1996 and 2001, as well as Warren Centre,
2003). These ideas are that:
•
cities are shaped by transport infrastructure
•
car dependence has been the dominant Australian urban paradigm
for 50 years and so our cities are now excessively sprawling with
inadequate infrastructure for alternative, more sustainable transport
options
•
most Australian cities are trying to avoid car dependence in their
planning systems, e.g. Melbourne's 2030 Strategy, Brisbane's SEQ
2021, NSW's Strategic Plan and Perth's Network City
•
but most cities have difficulty resolving density issues and funding of
alternatives to the car.
Reducing car dependence requires a combination of better infrastructure
for sustainable transport options - trains, buses, bikes and walking - and
encouraging land use that fits this infrastructure. In particular, urban
centres are needed that are more than just shopping centres. There are plenty
of underused rail facilities in Australian cities where it makes sense to build
housing and jobs nearby so that people can use the services already in place.
There are also new suburbs that can be built around true urban centres that
encompass residents and commercial activity, and provide new residents
with sufficient local shops, education, health and other services so that they
can walk, bike, bus or take a short car ride rather than travel longer distances
for these services. Such centres are best developed around a rail node so that
users can still reach the rest of the city for other urban services (e.g. universi-
ties, major health facilities and specialised services) without needing a car.
This approach to reducing car dependence means that people can still
own and use cars when they truly need them but they are not so totally
dependent that they are chained to a car. Australian suburbs are full of fami-
lies with far too much of their total income going on transport (in some
cases this is rising to 40 per cent) due to a deep car dependence that has now
become an entrenched culture of unsustainable activity. The data on cities
we have collected over the years is very clear on car dependence: it is not
good for the economy of cities, the environment of cities or the community
of cities.
