Part.2
Context
I live in the inner-city suburb of Paddington and for a weekend trip I went with some friends to the Blue Mountains for some hiking. It was a relatively straightforward drive, an easy two hours to the tranquil beauty of Katoomba and Leura.
Yet coming back in to Sydney on a Sunday afternoon, the traffic was chaos. Three and a half hours later we were home, frustrated, angry and dishevelled. What was the problem? Why was the traffic so horrendously congested?
While Sydney's growing population, high disposable income and the low cost of cars has led to an increase in the use of private vehicles, at the heart of Sydney's traffic congestion problem and a host of other issues is URBAN SPRAWL.
History
Post-World War 2, the NSW Govt intended to keep Sydney's 'green belt', the ring of agricultural and forest land around the city, to ensure that it would act as a natural barrier to the sprawl of the City. In the 8 Metropolitan Plans that have been introduced by the NSW Govt since the 1951 County of Cumberland Plan, the Green Belt has progressively lost its significance and protection.
The rapid population growth of the 1950s post-war immigration put pressure on the Govt and one-third of the belt was rezoned for urban development in 1959. Since the 1960s, the Green Belt has not been a high priority in the subsequent metropolitan plans. There was no reference to the Green Belt in the 1968 plan; it was labeled a “special use corridor” in the 1988 plan and given reference but no significance in the 1995 and 1998 strategies. In the 2005 Plan, green zones were put in place to halt urban sprawl, yet that was abolished in 2006.
The Result
As a result of the Green Belt being taken over by suburban, low density residential development, Sydney has spread slowly but surely into the west. Due to cheaper land prices, larger land areas and lower density living, Sydney's suburban area has grown from the CBD all the way west to Penrith, some 60km away.
Unfortunately, as given by UNSW professor Liz Farrelly, the paradox of low density living is that it produces high density traffic. To reduce traffic congestion, she contests, you must increase living congestion.
So the main issue for Sydney is that the CBD is still the dominant hub of the City. Yet, it is not at the heart of Sydney. The CBD is tucked into the eastern corner, which means that for workers living in Penrith, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Cronulla and other suburbs over 30-60km away, it translates to a long commute into the City.
The Government has tried to dilute the importance of the CBD by attempting to create a 'City of Cities'. This meant that North Sydney, Parramatta and others would become their own CBD and Sydney would be a less congested, less polluted city.
Unfortunately, due to the shifting political landscape, the Metropolitan Plan that set out the City of Cities in 2005 was replaced when a new State Government were elected. Who then decided to pursue their own strategy to combat sprawl. And the process starts again.
The Problems
Sydney's sprawl is unsustainable for a number of reasons and will continue to create problems for decades to come. To conclude, here is a list of what I believe are the main concerns with Sydney and its sprawl:
1. Traffic Congestion, traffic pollution and commuting issues: The distance into the City and the lack of adequate public transport means a high use of private vehicle use. This has economic, environmental and social repercussions.
2. Loss of agricultural and farm land: Sydney has spread into its agricultural land, meaning food must be imported from further and further away. Making Sydney highly unsustainable (in that it can't provide its own food to survive).
3. High cost of infrastructure: Roads, sewage and electricity must all be stretched across a large and expanding area to accommodate the spread out population, causing economic issues.
Personally for me, Sydney is a frustrating city because of its traffic hazards and lack of reliable, fast public transport. It has lost its appeal as an attractive city due to its terrible roads and inability to move anywhere.
What can Sydney do? Will it push hard for high density living?
For my next post, I will contrast Sydney's sprawl and land planning by discussing a city that I visited for 2 weeks in 2014, the high density concrete jungle that is Shanghai.
**For a greater view of Sydney's planning history, and if you have time, check this out: http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/planning
**To look at more problems with Sydney and its sprawl have a look at this article http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/city-sprawl-is-the-road-to-madness-20110309-1bnu2.html
****Look at Liz Farrelly's article on Urban Sprawl for an interesting read http://elizabethfarrelly.net/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=344:green-belt&Itemid=69
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