While cities often seem like concrete jungles, the modern city is a much more complex mixture of natural and built environments. While Covid prompted many to question whether we’re seeing the death of the city, the reality is that their onward march continues.
This was highlighted by Australia’s State of the Environment Report, which reveals the continued growth of Australian cities over the past five years. The report highlights how this growth has increased the demand for various resources, but especially energy and water, while also contributing to things like pollution and urban heat, which can threaten both the sustainability and livability of cities in the country.
Good and stable
Despite these challenges, the report found that the state of the urban environment in Australia was good and stable, due in no small part to the work done by officials to make cities resilient to climate change and also good places to live.
The report reveals that 75% of Australians live in 18 cities, each of which has at least 100,000 inhabitants. The growth of these cities has been over 20% in the last ten years, with much of this happening since 2016. This has coincided with a fall in the remote area population.
The property sector has responded to this by increasing the production of apartments and semi-detached houses, but the government has largely stepped back from the sector, and now develops fewer than 1% of new dwellings. With the average size of each dwelling increasing slightly while the average plot size has shrunk, this means a reduction in open space available, with what backyards that do exist often paved.
This helps contribute to higher temperatures and reduced biodiversity that has not been adequately compensated for by the increase in green cover provided in public areas.
Liveability gap
It’s also interesting to note an apparent livability gap between inner and outer areas of bigger cities, with inner-city areas generally benefiting from access to green spaces, higher walkability, and more available services.
This contrasts with the outer areas, which tend to have longer commute times and poorer access to services. Far the biggest challenge faced by cities is that of climate change, however.
This is especially so in Australia where drought, bushfires, and extreme rainfall are all an increasingly common occurrence. The growth of cities has also created challenges around pollution, waste generation, and general resource consumption.
The report reveals that state and local governments have attempted to manage urban sprawl and better protect public green spaces. They’re also investing in more integrated infrastructure so that public transport, cycle paths, and walkways work effectively together.
This kind of inter-agency and public-private collaboration is likely to be key if cities are to continue to grow in size while also remaining liveable and sustainable. Policies can also be better implemented and followed up to continue improving management of the pressures on urban areas, which in turn will improve the well-being of people and the environment.
