Urban Renewal and Urban Consolidation

Major impacts of urban growth

Urbanisation has created many issues in Australian environments. While more people may translate to economic benefits, ever-expanding populations have brought with them a range of problems for both the physical and built environments. As our big cities have grown away from the centre to accommodate people's settlement needs, suburbs have mushroomed outwards, producing what is referred to as 'urban sprawl'.

This process means that the natural environment suffers as more space is required for the construction of houses and the development of industry. As more ecosystems are disrupted and habitats are destroyed, urban growth leads to an even greater reduction in the biodiversity of areas surrounding cities. The problems of pollution and sewage disposal are also made worse by increases in population size.

In terms of the pressures it places on the built environment, urban sprawl increases the monetary and environmental costs associated with infrastructure, waste disposal, the use of natural resources and energy consumption. It also has the potential to negatively affect the social cohesion of cities, as it often results in a lack of equity amongst urban residents, particularly in terms of access to infrastructure and other essential services provided by the city. Another impact is that, as fewer people live in the city centre, the quality of the original urban areas falls into decay. The process of cities expanding outward and then starting to deteriorate is known as 'urban growth and decline'.

Major challenges presented by urbanisation

Intense urbanisation has presented Australia with many environmental challenges which governments have tried to respond to with policies aimed at achieving 'urban consolidation' or 'urban renewal'.

The need for 'urban renewal' and 'urban consolidation'

To counteract the many challenges created by urban decline, governments have started to introduce housing and planning policies aimed at achieving 'urban renewal or 'urban consolidation'. These terms describe how planners have begun trying to halt the spread of populations outward into fringe suburbs, by focusing on rejuvenating buildings, roads and public spaces that have gone into decline closer to the city centre. This planning strategy can decrease some of the infrastructure and equity problems, by allowing more people to access the services provided in the city.