Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemUrban consolidation and transport( 2004)There has been wide debate about the way that Australian Cities are developing and the ensuing travel outcomes of that development. Concerned commentators have suggested that by altering the way these cities are developing may result in reduction in the use of automobiles for mobility and an ensuing rise in walking, cycling and public transport use by increasing residential densities through Urban Consolidation policy and other instruments available to planners. In Melbourne since the early 1990s there has been a boom in residential development in and around the inner city, yet at the same time other areas close by have remained relatively unchanged from these population and dwelling stock increases. The focus of this report was to compare the commuting and car ownership characteristics of exiting areas with those altered b the policy of urban consolidation. This was done in order to see whether travel patterns were indeed changed by the re-population and revitalisation of dwelling stock and if the ensuing patterns showed reductions in car travel, more walking, cycling and public transport as suggested y advocates of the Compact City notion. Although there were variations in the travel patterns of both areas, the comparison shows that there are generally lower mode shares in public transport, similar shares of driving and differences in walking and cycling in the selected consolidated areas compared to the travel patterns produced from existing development. Thus this research challenges the conventional wisdom amongst contemporary urban planners that substantial increases in density will improve public transport, walking and cycling mode shares at the expense of car travel.
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ItemUrban threads( 2007)Urban Threads is the account of a critical, spatial praxis in interstitial sites in the city of Melbourne. A creative collaboration between architect, academic and author of this thesis and a group of homeless women resulted in an installation that investigated the ways in which those who have no land, money or power can shape the urban fabric, and in particular the way private space can be claimed in the public realm. The thesis takes as a given that good urban design ought to create more equitable and inclusive cities. This view is supported in Melbourne by State Government planning strategies. However, the signs indicate that as general prosperity increases the opposite is likely to eventuate. How can architects respond? Is not our practice circumscribed by those who hold power and wealth? Cultural theorist Michel de Certeau observes that even those without apparent power have 'tactics' at their disposal to usurp place momentarily for their own ends. It is with this in mind that the creative works in this thesis begin. What results is a model for place-making that is ephemeral, performative and contingent, arising out of 'discursive' interactions between the city and its most marginal citizens. Discursive is defined broadly to include conversation, urban writing (graffiti and other surface inscriptions) and choreographies of movement, making and marking. The thesis is thus presented as a discourse between different genres of writing and image, each retaining its own distinct qualities. While the 'voices' are all those of the author, they seek to represent a variety of viewpoints: personal and experiential, historical and theoretical, woven around a narrative thread. Neither the visual nor the textual are privileged in the account that follows. At times they blur from one to another, as views often do.
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ItemTourism planning and community consultation in metropolitan Melbourne( 2002)This thesis explores consultation in relation to tourism plans and tourism aspects plans. It examines the extent to which councils involve the community in plan formulation, and the main methods used for the purpose. Community consultation and participation have been investigated by a number of authors. It is a topic that originated in the 1960s and its importance has grown enormously over the years. It has now become a pre-requisite for many projects. In the area of planning, consultation and participation are terms that are used almost synonymously. In this thesis the terms consultation and participation are both used to indicate the involvement of the community. This study evaluates the actual extent of community participation, from an assessment of the approaches of councils, to the points on the Shand-Arnberg Participation Continuum that the consultation methods reach. The study has a number of revelations regarding the people involved in the consultation process, cost and time factors, and the extent to which the community is actually involved in the tourism plans that are formulated. The literature on the subject has indicated that this process has a tendency to exclude the ethnic communities, low income and other minority groups. The trend so far has been to involve the middle class and the articulate groups that dominate a community. However, major findings of this study include that consultation is neither related to the demographic characteristics of society, nor the income of councils. The findings of this research have implications for both, the councils and the general public, and the way tourism developments are planned.