Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemPublic transport and disruptive technology. How the past shapes future urban possibilities( 2023-07)Emerging new mobilities innovations in ‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS) and connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to disrupt existing public transport systems. Key literature suggests societal outcomes will be optimised where public transport is integrated with these new technologies to maintain a core role in a city’s transport offering; a ‘transit-fusion’. However, capacity to implement such policies differ significantly; cities are constrained by their past choices. Equally, fleets of private autonomous vehicles may offer very low-cost travel, complicating efforts to integrate the mode with public transport. The principal aim of this study is thus to understand how MaaS and ultimately fully independent CAVs may impact public transport in different city typologies. The research uses an adapted multivalent path dependence framework, addressing the research aim by considering the trajectory of three distinct urban typologies: Los Angeles, Singapore and Melbourne. The multivalent approach suggests outcomes will be influenced by an interplay of technical built form infrastructure, institutional governance arrangements and discursive ‘storylines’ held by policy actors. Historic and contemporary data on technical and institutional elements was gathered from documentary sources. Discursive data was gathered through interviews with policy actors in each city. Los Angeles and Singapore were selected as ‘critical’ cases, representing ‘least’ and ‘most’ likely cities to successfully implement ‘transit fusion’ approaches. Melbourne was selected as a representative case. The findings suggest that path dependent urban forms, governance and ‘storylines’ will have substantial influence over how MaaS and CAVs may emerge and interact with public transport. MaaS presents as a problematic approach, offering little advantage over the dominant existing modes in each city. The market for multi-modal MaaS is limited by public transport which is insufficient in Los Angeles and Melbourne and by transit which is too good in Singapore. MaaS, with current technologies is thus likely to have limited impact on public transport in these typologies – although it may have success elsewhere. However, the advent of fully independent CAVs has potential for disruptive change to public transport. This is facilitated by a complementarity between pre-existing infrastructure supporting private vehicles and the needs of CAVs. In this context, for ‘transit-fusion’ outcomes to succeed, clear alignment of institutional and discursive support is required. On balance this alignment was seen in Los Angeles and Singapore, but less so in Melbourne.
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ItemThe Shaping of Kampungs: Understanding incremental production of urban space in Jakarta’s informal settlements( 2023)One out of every three people of the global urban population lives in informal settlements, with the number of populations expected to rise from one billion to three billion people by 2050. Acknowledging this rapid growth means greater focus should be placed on understanding the complexities of informal settlements. This thesis is based on the premise that to engage effectively with informal settlements, we need to understand how the physical fabric of their settlements is produced and continues to be produced. Meanwhile, the morphological study on informal settlements has been neglected, and while growing research on informal settlement globally looks at multiple socio-economic aspects, study on morphogenesis is still considerably limited. This thesis addresses this gap by focusing on how the physical urban fabric of informal settlements is produced and transformed over time. Using Jakarta’s kampungs as a case study, this thesis employed a multi-scalar morphogenesis mapping to gain a deeper understanding of the logic behind the shaping of informal settlements. The findings illustrate that informal morphogenesis varied depending on their connection to urban areas, topography, expansion and contraction patterns, access networks, public open space design, built-form increments and materials. This thesis argues that any one-size-fits-all type of engagement or one way of thinking on demolition or replacement disregards the diverse nature and complexities of informal settlements. Instead of seeing informal settlements as chaotic, disordered and ineffective ways of building cities, planners, designers, and architects should think of them as a way to understand and address social and spatial inequalities.
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ItemComparison of measured and perceived fundamental characteristics to identify strategies for increasing the rate of daily walking in suburban areas( 2020-07)Future cities will increasingly face health, socio-economic and environmental problems, including disease, social isolation, economic breakdown, excessive carbon dioxide emissions, climate change, and fossil fuel depletion. The planning and design of neighbourhoods which provide high levels of pedestrian accessibility to daily needs destinations such as schools, grocery shops, greenspaces and public transport could contribute to solutions to these problems by the reduction of car-based travel. Future cities need to be walkable based on solutions that can be achieved through better planning and design which takes into consideration accessibility as well as Key Urban Place Characteristics (KUPCs). The author considers walkability to be formed by two factors: the first, accessibility, is the distance to daily needs destinations, and the second is KUPCs, the safety and security, comfort, and attractiveness of the walk to those daily needs’ destinations. Although many suburban neighbourhoods in Melbourne have good access to daily needs, people who live in these areas often choose to drive to their destinations rather than walk. This may be due to negative perceptions of the place and the lack of fundamental place characteristics. The aim of this research is to identify strategies to increase rates of daily walking based on an understanding of the relationship between urban place characteristics and accessibility in suburban neighbourhoods. Therefore, the author has chosen four case studies; two international best practice case studies to validate a theoretical framework obtained from the best practice literature, and an in-depth examination of two local case studies in Melbourne using the validated theoretical framework to assess the scale of walkability in the most accessible areas in selected suburban samples. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used in this study, in keeping with a sequential explanatory design mixed-method approach. Data collection was conducted using mapping, urban informatics, desktop analysis, field observations of KUPCs, and face-to-face interviews with residents. The analysis of walking-related values using key research studies provided opportunities to reveal the most important characteristics needed for walking to daily needs in the case studies. These results were used to identify strategies for increasing the rate of daily walking in suburban areas.
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ItemYard trees in a small to medium sized city in China( 2023-05)This study is the first investigation of trees in private yards in China. Physical characteristics, rural-urban variation, impact factors, individual preferences, and governance regarding private yard trees were addressed in a combination of fieldwork, questionnaires among residents, and interviews with local governors. Six villages and two communities were examined for yard trees in Zhoukou, a city classified as a small-to-medium city. Trees in private yards were small trees constrained by a generally small-sized yard. There was a decline in the number of private yards and a decline in yard trees from rural to urban areas; however, residents and governors showed supportive attitudes towards more planting of yard trees. A small number of species dominated the yard landscape, and they were related to edibility and the symbolism of the tree. Interviews with governors of the villages showed that yard trees should be better protected, especially in rural areas. Although small in size, yards in small and medium-sized cities contribute to the city canopy and the urban forest and there is a need to foster public awareness about the value of trees and tree planting on a wider scale. This study showed that trees in private yards need to be included in decision making. Governments could set specific aims and strategies for both private and public greenspace to enhance urban greening; for example, there is a need to compensate the small number and limited range of species found in private yards with large trees and a greater range of species in public space, especially native species, to enhance species diversity in Chinese cities.
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ItemWhat design elements do users care about in Quasi-Public Space? Reconceptualising Melbourne Central Skybridge with Grounded Theory Method( 2023)The traditional binary distinction between “public” and “private” has increasingly being challenged. Quasi-public spaces, which possess public functions with private characters, are being redefined as spaces open to public within commercial centres for this research. It is evident that there is a high-level of theoretical controversies about these spaces, with minimal research conducted from the perspective of users, who are the ones interact directly with the public spaces. Taking into consider of all these factors, the question for this research was induced as “What design elements do users care about in quasi-public spaces?” Prior research has suggested that users prioritise space qualities over “publicness”. Notably, the concept of publicness is often intervened with ownership, and there is a misconception that “private” spaces are inherently inferior in “publicness”. Besides, the term “privatisation” is frequently misused to describe transitions in social activities which originally refers to ownership transfers. This research therefore failed to differentiate whether users are not concern about the ownership, or to publicness. Despite its limitations, it has suggested two characteristics that users may concerned with: publicness and attractiveness stemming form spatial quality as distinct factors. Hypothesis was made that users may care about ownership, publicness and attractiveness as design elements of quasi-public spaces. Here, attempts are made to make a complete distinction between the two, specifically the publicness pertains to the externality, and attractiveness is about the internality of the spaces. This research employed a mixed-method approach with a sequential explanatory design, focusing on Melbourne Central Skybridge as a case study, to explore the design elements that users care about in quasi-public spaces and provide new interpretations based on entirely primary data. The research methodology comprises two phases, where the first phase involves a questionnaire to test the initial hypothesis followed by preliminary analysis. The second utilised a formal interview format to delve into why users make such evaluations. Descriptive statistics and grounded theory method is employed to restructure the design elements to construct a new normative. The results indicated that users are unconcerned about the ownership of the Skybridge but hold ambiguous attitudes towards publicness and attractiveness, which was presented by all evaluation scores aggregated in the centralinterstices. Users exhibited a degree of indifference towards the Skybridge while collectively desiring for its evolutions and the emergence of similar spaces, and they often provide novel or unexpected interpretations of design elements. The newly constructed normative, derived entirely from user narratives, encompass seven aspects, each of which is further elaborated upon. The new normative elucidate the contradictory in users' evaluations and can guide policymakers in formulating new regulations.
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ItemTransportation disadvantage in Brimbank, Victoria: The importance of local knowledge to improve public transport( 2023)Combs et al. (2016) noted that transportation planning decisions are mainly based on priori determinations of the community's needs based on their socio-demographic features (Combs et al., 2016). This research investigates to what extent people of the City of Brimbank, Victoria, are at risk of experiencing transportation disadvantage (TD). Also, how do secondary data reflect the community's perception of the problem in the study area. A mixed-method research approach was used based on the methodological framework presented by Shay et al. (2016). It includes analysing secondary data as a first step. Then, it uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to visualise seven indicators: age, income, disability, unemployment, single-parent families, English proficiency, and cultural background. Finally, semi-structured interviews with seven community members were conducted to analyse the secondary data through the maps and a guiding questionnaire that addressed transportation topics and perceptions of walking distance to stops, travel times and other PT commuting features. General findings from the research suggest the existence of TD communities in the study area while being unseen by other community members. However, participants showed a general concern about accessibility barriers that the elderly and disabled populations can face while commuting. Additionally, participants demonstrated a lack of knowledge of the reality of suburbs different to where they live or work. PT was perceived as accessible, and a range from 15 to 20 minutes of walking distance was perceived as acceptable. Nevertheless, even when participants generally used PT, they noted they would use private vehicles if possible. This research contributes to the research on TD in Melbourne and generates more insights for TD studies as a general field. The findings will help policymakers, researchers, and advocacy groups to understand better (1) the TD characteristics for the City of Brimbank and (2) to give visibility of the challenges that secondary data present when used for the decision-making process as it could reflect disparities with people’s perception of the problem.
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ItemThe impact of increased urban density on the wellbeing of people in Melbourne( 2023)The aim of this thesis is to provide an empirical investigation of the impact on people’s housing wellbeing in high-density areas of Melbourne. Based on the understanding of the transition of the urban planning theories from garden cities to compact cities, this research studies the development of the urban form of Melbourne which is driven by the growth of density. High-density city development generates various benefits of wellbeing and attracts people moving into the growing compacted cities. However, it cannot be neglected that there are significant disadvantages of high-density cities especially the housing wellbeing of the residents. In order to ensure the wellbeing of the residents living in the high-density cities, this research assesses the existing high density city housing policies and identify the impact of high-density city housing quality policies on residents' well-being by policy analysis and survey with apartment residents. Also, a questionnaire survey is conducted to understand the impact of residents on the wellbeing in high-density residential areas. Research studies have shown that although housing policies have had a positive impact on residents' wellbeing. But their goals have been difficult to achieve, leading to a low level of satisfaction among residents.
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ItemReconsidering the E-scooter Safety Rules from Planners’ Perspectives: The E-scooter Trial in Victoria( 2023)E-scooter, as a sustainable transport device, is widely promoted around the world. With more regions allowing e-scooter use, the occurrence of accidents and injuries increases. Despite illegal riding behaviour, existing safety rules are not sufficient and require improvements. The research identified issues by reviewing the literature and interviewing government officials, and analysed issues via an evaluation framework with indicators of parking infrastructure, dedicated lanes, fleet volume increase, and helmet monitoring. The parking zone and micro-mobility lanes are the next step for future trials. However, an unexpected finding is that non-response and unwillingness of participation of government officials could be caused by lack of data, staffing issue, and policy-making rights issue. Apart from having adequate rules to flexibly enforce and having obligations to raise public awareness of rules, governments should encourage more people should be engaged in the management of e-scooters.
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ItemHealthy Public Space: Assessing the contribution of green space policy & design in Melbourne( 2023)Green spaces provide many benefits for the urban environment and for human health. Strategies in different countries are placing growing emphasis on green areas, and the City of Melbourne is following suit. Melbourne's current strategic planning document advocates the need for sustainable cities and promotes the planning and design of green spaces in the city. However, how policy influences the design of green space and the extent to which policy and practice are aligned for green space is not clear in Melbourne. This thesis first examines the relationship between strategic planning documents and green space, and understands which environmental factors contribute to the green space design. It then, analyses the consistency between policy and design by assessing three parks in Melbourne. The strategies analysed in this research are the Urban Forest Strategy, Open Space Strategy, and Nature in the City Strategy; and the three green spaces in Carlton, are University Square, Lincoln Square and Argyle Square. The analysis shows that there is a high degree of consistency between the three strategies and the three green space plans, with the exception of Argyle Square, where there is some inconsistency in its policies. In addition, University Square and Argyle Square have inconsistencies between their policies and the implementation of designs. The ultimate results of the research indicate the degree of consistency between the policy, plan, design, and actual implementation of the three green spaces. It was also found that Argyle Square, with the oldest park plan, lacks the design features that can more effectively support the delivery of green space benefits and functions. As such, the research highlights the roles of maintaining up-to-date park planning and design, to ensure parks can continue to support healthy public spaces.
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ItemFor what is Artificial Intelligence likely to be useful in Victorian urban planning?( 2023)The prevalence of artificial intelligence has led to various industries expanding their use of AI technology to assist them in their daily work. However, there is currently no precedent for the use of AI in urban planning in Victoria. In a wide range of sectors, it has been demonstrated that artificial intelligence can assist personnel and help them achieve outstanding results. Would people better contribute to urban sustainability and use AI to revolutionise urban planning with the assistance of AI? This article focuses on the prospects for the use of AI in the Victorian planning system. The article uses pattern matching, seeking examples and interviews with people from different parts of the Victorian planning system. Through the mix-method, it assesses whether AI might be able to navigate 'what planning does' and 'planning challenges' better than current methods. According to research, artificial intelligence can assist with urban planning in Victoria. This can be accomplished through the provision of support in the identification of spatial environmental factors, the improvement of consultation efficacy with various planning institutions, the facilitation of policy formulation and planning decision-making, and ultimately, the mitigation of planning risks. The lack of widespread adoption of AI in planning systems and the constraints of AI technology contribute to a lack of public confidence in AI, which is one factor impeding its advancement in urban planning. Moreover, 'planning challenges' such as political negotiation, community engagement, and other intricate planning endeavours that influence society greatly will be beyond the capabilities of AI due to its deterministic nature. This study demonstrates the significance and trajectory of artificial intelligence, or digitalisation, in the context of Victorian urban planning.