I have had
a little bit of a lull in my blog writing, mainly due to the influx of Uni
assignments that are all due within days of each other.
For my last couple
of posts I thought I would briefly explore the concept of Urban Regeneration
and Urban Renewal, which are proving to be very popular and successful in a
number of Australia’s major cities.
So what is Urban Regeneration and Renewal?
Essentially, it
involves the rebirth or renewal of urban areas that are inner city suburbs or
areas that are facing decline.
Sydney has been a
prime example of urban regeneration. Currently there are multiple projects that
are under construction that are focused on urban renewal and regeneration.
Barangaroo was a
former port facility for Sydney Harbour and is being transformed into a brand
new waterfront, mixed-use precinct. Darling Harbour Live will rectify the
mistakes of a past renewal project and will further link the CBD and Pyrmont.
Green Square is a former industrial area that is being transformed into a
sustainable urban community, and the list goes on.
These projects are
long-term and require huge amounts of funding, man-power and organisation. So
what are the benefits of these urban renewal projects for a City?
Specifically,
- It can help rejuvenate areas and suburbs with new infrastructure
and an influx of workers, residents and infrastructure
- Creates jobs
- Put in place more sustainable and modern infrastructure and
technology that will be more envioronmentally friendly
- Creates more housing opportunities, with affordable housing a
priority
The Western
Corridor of the Sydney CBD will see enormous benefits from Barangaroo and
Darling Harbour Live with a new community and sustainable infrastructure in
place. However, there are some potential drawbacks of these large, long-term
projects.
The negatives are:
- Can change and disturb historical elements of a community
- Can cause division amongst the local populace (such as the
Pyrmont/Ultimo revitalisation)
- Funding issues
- Scale of development can mean it will be too influential on the surrounding
areas (which backfired for the 1980s Darling Harbour renovation which was
a failure)
However, it is
important to note that the majority of these projects are doing fantastic
things to neglected, inner city areas in Australia.
I want to
specifically explore a number of these projects that are currently occurring in
Sydney. These are Barangaroo, Darling Harbour Live and Green Square.
By looking at these
Urban Renewal projects, I can gain a greater understanding of their influence
and what they will bring to Sydney.
More info on Urban
Renewal can be found here:
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