Metropolitan Governance in Sydney: A Case of ‘Joint Decision-Making’

This article analyses metropolitan governance arrangements in contemporary Sydney. Debate about the efficacy of these arrangements typically degenerates into an argument about the pros and cons of institutional consolidation. The article moves beyond this dispute, drawing on the concept of ‘actor-centred institutionalism’ to argue that Sydney's urban sprawl, combined with its rigid institutional setting, has produced what can be described as a ‘joint decision system’ of governance. Effective metropolitan governance in Sydney mainly depends on the ability to reach negotiated agreements within this system. However, a rising level of conflict between the New South Wales State government and local councils located within metropolitan Sydney increases the likeliness of undesirable blockades within the joint decision system. The article concludes that a cautious exercise of new overriding powers by the State government is crucial to promoting more effective metropolitan governance in Sydney.     

Wired Communities in the City: Sydney,Australia

Questions relating to the ability of particular groups in society to access information and communications technologies (ICTs) have become a growing part of the academic and policy literature. The issues raised in this literature have revolved around a number of themes, many of which can be subsumed under concerns about a growing digital divide whereby society is being divided into information rich and information poor sectors. This differentiation can be between particular social groups irrespective of place, or between people in particular places be these large regional areas (e.g. metropolitan versus non‐metropolitan) or localities and communities within an urban area. This paper focuses on the existence of a ‘digital divide’ across the Sydney metropolitan area. Using ABS 2001 census data the paper presents an analysis of computer and internet access and use for clusters of local communities and focuses on how usage differs across communities as differentiated by socio‐economic status, household and family status and ethnic background.     

Multiple Suburban Publics: Rethinking Community Opposition to Consolidation in Sydney

Since the late 1980s urban consolidation has become the dominant strategic planning paradigm across Australian cities; however, sites of densification are increasingly becoming sites of community resistance and conflict. In the context of the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy, this paper explores Ku‐ring‐gai in Sydney's northern suburbs as a site of community resistance centred on opposition to urban consolidation. Moving beyond more traditional constructions of community resistance as a form of NIMBYism, we present here a typology of community resistance groups and explore the complex relationships between these groups, which are used to challenge development. In addition we draw on understanding of urban publics to explore the ways in which these groups attempt to engage and act on behalf of a diverse set of publics operating across scales.     

珠三角中心镇城市化对区域城市空间结构的影响——基于CA的模拟和分析

在珠三角的城市化过程中,中心镇的城市化对区域城市空间结构的形成和发展具有重要的影响,定量地研究中心镇的城市化对揭示珠三角地区城市化过程与城市空间结构的变化具有重要意义。本研究以东莞市为例,运用城市元胞自动机模型,模拟市域内1988-2004年的城市扩张过程,分析中心镇城市化对整个城市空间结构的影响。主要结论:1988-1993年,中心镇的城市化对区域城市空间结构影响较小,城市主要沿道路扩张,城市在空间布局上相对松散;1993-1997年,中心镇对区域城市空间结构影响增强,城市以中心镇为中心的扩张非常明显,城市空间沿道路的扩张,基本形成了渐进扩散式的"点-轴"空间发展模式,形成沿道路和中心镇扩展的格局;1997年以后,中心镇的辐射作用进一步增强,形成了"点-轴-集聚区"的城市空间扩展模式,城市空间扩展区在空间上更集中于中心镇。     

TOWNS AND TOWN HIERARCHIES IN SAXON ENGLAND

Summary. The extent to which archaeological evidence can be used to identify and account for an urban hierarchy in England between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD is assessed in this article. Using the later medieval evidence as a control, it is suggested that the archaeological data could be used not only to compare the relative condition of towns but also to reconstruct the general economic trends which may have been responsible for emphasising differences between towns. Despite the apparently rudimentary character of the urban network in the eighth and early ninth centuries, the strength of the economy may have been underestimated. In contrast, the development of a three-tier hierarchy coupled with ubiquitous urban growth in the tenth century may have been overemphasised. Town planning programmes in the south and midlands may not have been accompanied by rapid urban development whereas there is plentiful evidence for town growth in the north. This differential development may be explained by a greater economic vitality in the north which was not experienced in the south until the later tenth century. The later tenth and early eleventh centuries may have marked a period of pronounced and rapid urban growth and differentiation in the south.     

Urban and Rural Estimates of Poverty: Recent Advances in Spatial Microsimulation in Australia

This paper reports on the calculation of poverty rates for small areas in Australia using a spatial microsimulation model. The spatial microsimulation methodology used involves reweighting data from confidentialised unit record files (CURFs) from surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to small area census data, also from the ABS. The method is described in this paper, and then maps of poverty using poverty rates derived from this small area estimation method are shown for the eastern coast of Australia and its capital cities. Further analysis of poverty rates in capital cities is then conducted. We find that areas of higher poverty risk can be clearly identified within Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. We also find that areas of high poverty are frequently ‘buffered’ by areas of moderate poverty. This is not always the case since, in some areas, we find a high poverty area neighbouring a low poverty area but, generally, there appears to be a moderate poverty ‘buffer’ in most capital cities.     

Tracing resident antagonisms in urban development: agonistic pluralism and participatory planning

This article draws on research with resident action groups and other alliances in Sydney. It investigates the ways in which citizens work beyond the formal planning system to approach and achieve their urban development goals. The post‐political treatment of community voices in planning relies on the centrality of consensus politics in current participatory planning regimes. By providing a democratic outlet that is far removed from the actual development outcome, powerful urban actors can silence through inclusion. Planning theorists have posited that one pathway beyond this post‐political moment in urban planning is provided by Chantal Mouffe's critique of Habermasian communicative theory and consensus politics, which she bases on her theory of agonistic pluralism. Following Mouffe, to achieve a productive agonistic politics, any rigid antagonisms between “enemies” need to be moderated to more mutable “adversarial” positions. However, we have little knowledge of the conditions that might precipitate such a change in praxis. To address this gap between theory and praxis, we use focus group data to show how local resident action groups and urban alliances work through three modalities of antagonism to achieve their urban development goals. We add empirical weight to the idea that citizens can shift from rigid and fundamental antagonisms to the potentially more productive adversarial politics of agonistic pluralism but therein expose some limitations with how Mouffe's ideas are being applied to urban planning.     

Rural settlement and economic development in Southern Italy: Troia and its contado, c.1020 - c.1230

The history of urban life in Southern Italy during the eleventh and twelfth centuries was particularly disjointed. At varying points many of the regions' cities were subject to the domination of petty Lombard princes, Byzantine emperors, Norman dukes and, as one passes into the twelfth century, Sicilian kings and German emperors. This paper uses the case of the northern Apulian city of Troia to show that, below this surface of political discontinuity, it is possible to discern a different understanding of an urban history. In highlighting the significance of the economic development of Troia's surrounding territory and the manner in which this created a damaging rivalry with the neighbouring settlement of Foggia, this essay emphasises the need to take into account local (and not only wider-ranging political) influences on the shaping of medieval south Italian urban life. In this context the paper also considers the importance of the development of a stable local government and a burgeoning civic conscience at Troia.     

Models of urban change: Sydney 1820–1870

Established models of urban change do not adequately allow for the complex interactions between the forces and relations of production and the effects of changes in these factors on urban settlements. A proposed, extended model includes a transition stage which can best be described as the mercantile or early capitalist city which hadnot yet adopted the modern technology developed in the Industrial Revolution. Sydney and its growth and development between 1820 and 1870, a crucial period, is viewed against this suggested framework. During this period, Sydney was clearly going through such a transitional phase.     

Identifying Functional Regions in Australia Using Hierarchical Aggregation Techniques

This paper continues our work focused on developing a new socio-economic geography for Australia such that the chosen spatial aggregation of data is based on an analysis of economic behaviour. The underlying hypothesis is that the development of a geographical classification based on underlying economic behaviour will provide new insights into critical issues of regional performance, including unemployment differentials, the impact of industry, infrastructure and changes in local public expenditure on local labour markets. As a precursor to detailed work on the 2006 Census of Population and Housing data, we establish the proof of concept in this paper of the Intramax methodology using 2001 Journey-to-Work data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the state of New South Wales. The functional regionalisation generated by the Intramax method is then tested using ABS labour force data. We compare 2001 ABS Census of Population and Housing data aggregated by the ABS labour force regions to the same data aggregated using our functional regions. The results demonstrate the potential value of this technique for the development of a new geography.     

基于空间特征的秦巴山区农村居民点整理分区与潜力测算

整理分区划定和整理潜力测算是农村居民点整理的核心内容。本文综合地形位、缓冲区、可达性、景观指数和Voronoi 图,引入空间分异特征指数,定量分析农村居民点用地特征,实现整理区合理划分;改进潜力测算模型,结合经济社会、土地利用、农户意愿因素,构建整理潜力综合评价指标体系,以秦巴山区竹溪县为例进行实证研究。结果表明：竹溪县农村居民点空间分异特征指数值位于0.0433-0.8038 之间;全县农村居民点可分为优先整理区、重点整理区、优化调控区和城镇发展区,现实潜力904.63 hm²,仅为传统潜力的65.42%;根据各乡镇潜力系数,划分为3 级潜力区。空间分异的潜力测算、整理区和潜力区划分,为确定因地制宜的整理模式和符合实际的整理时序提供依据。     

从政治地理结构变化看边疆城市空间发展方向选——以哈尔滨为例

城市空间发展方向选择是城市规划中的重要问题。本文引入政治地理学中的政治地理结构概念,以哈尔滨城市为例,对边疆城市空间发展方向选择的影响因素进行分析,发现:在特定时期,政治因素可能成为决定边疆城市空间发展方向选择的主导因素;但是,一旦政治地理结构趋于稳定,多因素的综合作用将显著上升,边疆城市空间发展选择应因时、因地制宜。     

Spatial Variability of Controls on Downstream Patterns of Sediment Storage: a Case Study in the Lane Cove Catchment,New South Wales,Australia

This study uses GIS techniques to examine the spatial distribution of stream power along major streamlines in the Lane Cove catchment in northern Sydney, Australia. Channel gradient estimates derived from a 5 m resolution digital elevation model (DEM) are combined with streamflow data to estimate stream power along river courses. Stream power and its constituent components are then related to a detailed field‐based assessment of sediment storage along the trunk stream and primary tributaries. At the catchment scale, sediment storage per unit length decreases as channel gradient and gross stream power increase. However, local controls such as variability in valley width and occurrence of confluence zones exert a greater influence upon sediment storage, disrupting systematic catchment‐wide relationships. The total volume of storage along each streamline has a strong linear relationship to the area of the subcatchment, but the distribution of sediment along streamlines varies between subcatchments. The GIS framework employed in this project allows generation of continuous, empirical data, thereby providing catchment‐specific predictive capacity that can accompany theoretical approaches to stream power modelling.     

Making Space and Place for the Knowledge Economy: Knowledge-based Development of Australian Cities

The impact of what has been broadly labelled the knowledge economy has been such that, even in the absence of precise measurement, it is the undoubted dynamo of today's global market and an essential part of any global city. The socio-economic importance of knowledge production in a knowledge economy is clear, and it is an emerging social phenomenon and research agenda in geographical studies. Knowledge production, and where, how and by whom it is produced, is an urban phenomenon that is poorly understood in an era of strong urbanization. This paper focuses on knowledge community precincts as the catalytic magnet infrastructures impacting on knowledge production in cities. The paper discusses the increasing importance of knowledge-based urban development (KBUD) within the paradigm of the knowledge economy and the role of knowledge community precincts as instruments to seed the foundation of knowledge production in cities. This paper explores the KBUD, and particularly knowledge community precinct development, potentials of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and benchmarks this against that of Boston, MA.     

The Sydney 2000 Olympics and Urban Entrepreneurialism: Local Variations in Urban Governance

Hallmark events are important redevelopment tools utilised by entrepreneurial governments. The features of these events are analogous to those of entrepreneurial urban governance. This study examined the local impacts of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, particularly in relation to its social and political legacies, in three local government areas which hosted Olympic venues. It also investigated the nature of urban governance in Sydney, Australia, as it was manifested in the planning of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Examples of entrepreneurialism in planning for the Olympics included the centralisation of planning powers, the increasing involvement of the private sector in government activities, and the relaxation of planning processes, resulting in reduced openness, accountability and public participation. Examples of resistance to the anti–democratic tendencies of entrepreneurialism were however evident in some areas, with managerial and democratic concerns remaining important to some local governments. Local community activism was imperative to achieving civic participation and ensuring commitment by local government to these managerial and democratic concerns. Activism also enabled some local communities to secure significant benefits from the Olympic Games.     

改革开放以来广佛都市区空间扩展分析

利用遥感和GIS技术对改革开放以来广佛都市区的空间扩展情况进行分析,从1982年的地形图、1995和2008年的遥感影像中提取城镇建设用地和路网数据,从扩展强度、方式和效率等方面对其扩展情况进行定性定量的测度分析,发现:其建设用地具有扩展强度大、速度快的特点,但土地利用方式不甚合理,具有一定的低度不连续开发现象和较显著的道路沿线开发特征;扩展效率不高,新增用地的集约化程度、人口承载力度和经济产出水平均低于原有用地水平。这种高速、低效和无序的扩展特征表明其快速发展存在蔓延倾向。     

Residential relocation and settlement adjustment of Vietnamese refugees in Sydney

Throughout the 1975-85 decade, most of Australia's Vietnamese refugees were housed initially in migrant centres located in major urban areas. In this study, the locations of the migrant centres in relation to subsequent relocation processes and patterns of settlement were examined The majority of secondary residential movements within the metropolitan area were within an 11 km radius of the migrant centre through which the Vietnamese entered Sydney. Patterns of visiting and shopping behaviour reinforced the strong consolidation of resettlement and activity behaviour within Sydney's southwestern metropolitan corridor, especially those areas with existing multi-ethnic concentrations of people. The growth of earlier clusters of settlement continues, accompanied by some reconcentration in the inner west and some emerging dispersal It is suggested that this sample study may reflect similar trends within the total Vietnamese community in Sydney.     

Effects of residential exposure to steel mills and coking works on birth weight and preterm births among residents of Sydney, Nova Scotia

The Sydney Tar Ponds in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, have been referred to as the most contaminated industrial site in the country. Area residents, aware of the contamination for close to 25 years, are very concerned about their health: past, present and future. In particular, they are concerned about cancer; this is followed closely by reproductive health concerns. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of birth weight and preterm birth among residents living in proximity to an industrial site contaminated with a mix of industrial wastes arising from a former steel mill and coking works (the Tar Ponds) in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. A telephone survey was administered to 500 randomly selected women living in proximity to the site to document reproductive histories. The respondents reported 904 live birth pregnancies occurring in Sydney. The mean birth weight reported for live birth pregnancies was 3,391 g (standard deviation: 570). The reported prevalence of preterm births was 7 percent. Linear regression analyses showed a reduction in birth weight of approximately 85 g among residents in a zone estimated to have higher levels of deposition of airborne effluent from the site. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed a decrease in the risk of preterm birth as residential distance from the site increased (odds ratio 0.65, 95 percent confidence interval 0.42, 0.98). These data suggest that community exposure to industrial contaminants had some, but little, impact on reported birth weights in this sample of respondents. The apparent increase in risk for preterm births suggests further investigation may be warranted, particularly in light of community concerns. Follow‐up investigations using validated birth records and more sensitive measures of environmental exposure could be used to confirm the findings and further explore the intra‐urban variation in health outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of ongoing clean‐up efforts in Sydney.     

细胞自动机及在南京城市演化预测中的应用

细胞自动机(Cellular Automata)是一种具有时空计算特征的动力学模型,其最主要的特点是复杂的系统可以由一些很简单的局部规则来产生,特别适合城市等空间复杂系统的时空动态模拟研究。本文利用地理信息系统(GIS)和细胞自动机的有机集成而构筑的CA-Urban模型模拟南京市的土地利用的动态演化过程。对南京三个开发区的发展以及南京能否跨江发展等存在争议的问题作了预测和评估。通过设置不同的转换规则、参数,从一个侧面为我们展示了城市系统的宏观演化的可能模式,为城市规划等提供了辅助决策。最后提出了模型的缺点及其展望。