Overview of places and their challenges Flashcards
Define Urbanisation
The increasing proportion of a population living in urban areas of a country
Implications of Urbanisation
uncontrolled urbanisation can lead to a lack of infrastructure, housing and services
Economic and Environmental Interdependance of Urban and Rural Places
Economic
Rural places provide resources (fresh produce, grains, natural resources)
Urban areas provide a market for rurally produced goods; also provide infrastructure to process them
Urban places provide infrastructure, services – hospitals, schools,
Environmental
Semi-rural areas upstream of the Swan River – run off of fertilizer affects water quality in Perth
Mining occurring in rural areas can affect the air quality of urban areas
Spatial Distribution Pattern of Urban and Rural Places
- Australia’s average population density is 3 people per km2
- Majority of the population is concentrated in coastal regions along the southeast, east and southwest of the continent
- Eastern Australia contains the largest number of people spread across the largest area
- Eastern seaboard experiences relatively high population density - 50km moderate population densities between 200-400km inland, low densities in the Great Dividing Range
- Sydney displays the highest population density in Australia; 14000 people per km2
- Western Australia has a population over 2.5 million - 80% living in Perth
- Average population density of around 1 person per km2
- Maximum population density of 310 per km2 - within Perth
- Rest of WA population is 0.2 people per km2
- Extremely low population density within interior, north, northwest of Australia
- Extensive agriculture, remote mining and fishing activities, national parks, tourism
- Northern Territory contains 1% of Aus total population, average population density of 0.2 people per km2
- 60% of Northern Territory’s population live in Darwin; maximum of 2620 people per km2
Historical Factors - Spatial Distribution of Urban/Rural places
Urban
1778 – Commencement of European settlement
1000 people landed at Sydney Cove – following establishment, population gradually expanded
Capital cities based on original colonial capitals
Developed commercial trade-based economy – administrative, transport centre; commercial ports, manufacturing, industrial functioning
Settlement sites have arable land, fresh water, near a harbour
Rural
Development of intensive farming near water sources, arable soil – crop and livestock production
Remote areas settled for valuable resources
Early gold rushes: 1851 - Bathurst, Ballarat, Bendigo Creek
1850s – Kalgoorlie
1890 – Coolgardie
Discovery of gold increased immigrants – 370 000 immigrants in 1852
Large influx of Chinese, European people
Contributes to the spread and uneven pattern of settlement
Cultural Factors - Spatial Distribution of Urban/Rural places
1800 (prior to gold rushes) – British and Irish settlers dominated/influenced legal, civil and political systems
During the gold rushes – large influx of Chinese immigrants; stayed
Economic Factors - Spatial Distribution of Urban/Rural places
Remote areas settled for valuable resources
Early gold rushes: 1851 - Bathurst, Ballarat, Bendigo Creek
1850s – Kalgoorlie
1890 – Coolgardie
Discovery of gold increased immigrants – 370 000 immigrants in 1852
Large influx of Chinese people
Europeans (Italians, Greeks, Poles, Maltese, Russians, French) established and expanded wine industry
1842 – English and German settled Barossa Valley
Following gold rush – strategies implemented to reduce population loss, sustain economic growth
Focus on viable agricultural industries – cheap land, finance, transport networks established
Town systems formed linear patterns along railway lines
Environmental Factors - Spatial Distribution of Urban/Rural places
Cheap land following gold rush
Define Urban Sprawl
uncontrolled expansion of urban areas
Problems associated with urban sprawl
provision of infrastructure and services, encroachment, car centric/lack of public transport
Define Invasion and Succession
one land use function enters another land use zone; succession occurs when the invading function become the invading function becomes the dominant land use
Generally occurs in the transitional zones
Define Renewal
breathing new life into urban neighbourhoods; involves creating communities with new residential and commercial opportunities, public open spaces
Eg. Claisebrook, the Bronx
Define Planning
focuses on some of the major challenges facing society, including the population explosion
Define Inertia
a process that acts to limit change within an urban or rural area - land uses tend to remain in an area after the original advantages of locating there have declines/disappeared
Define Agglomeration
an extended city/town area comprising the built-up area of a city and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area – the grouping together of different/related land use functions that benefit from each other’s operations/shared infrastructure
Age and Gender Population Distribution
Capital cities contain a higher proportion of people aged 20-39
Education, employment, social opportunities
Capital cities contain smaller proportions of older adults (40+)
Sea/tree changes, downsizing etc
More females than males in cities; more males than females in country towns
Higher proportion of females over 80 than males
Longer life expectancy
Ageing population – number and proportion of 65+ is increasing
Improved living, health conditions, nutrition leading to better life expectancy
Access to birth control, cultural changes leading to lower birth rate
Cultural Characteristics - Population Distribution
2015 – 60% of population growth due to migration
Change from European to Asian (India, China)
82% of overseas born living in capital cities; 66% of all people in Australia
Tend to live in areas with family/same ethnic background, economic benefit, employment opportunities
Socioeconomic Characteristics - Population Distribution
Populations in regional/remote areas have lower incomes, reduced access to services, declining employment opportunities, employment disadvantage – distance and isolation
Cities and regional centres – engines of economic and cultural growth; large sources of employment opportunities
Population loss - Rural Challenges
Driven by post-war industrialisation and economic growth, mass international migration, rural-urban migration
Young people move to urban areas for tertiary education, employment opportunities (decline in rural job opportunities - increased global competition in agriculture)
Development of larger regional centres - availability of services and commerce
Resource Degradation - Rural Challenges
Land use deteriorates quality of biophysical environment
Soil degradation - overgrazing leads to overgrazing, severe soil erosion
Dryland salinity - extensive land clearing
Land Use Conflict - Rural Challenges
Mining companies vs conservation groups, Aboriginal land rights
Eg. Margaret River coal mine - unsuccessful bid due to threat to groundwater, viticulture
Mabo High Court case 1992
FIFO Work Patterns - Rural Challenges
Mining company doesn’t need to provide services, infrastructure; causes economic leakage in rural areas
Employees take their income back to home towns
Loss of community - town is just a place to work
Social problems - prolonged removal from family, mental health and personal wellbeing problems
Isolation and Remoteness - Rural Challenges
Rural areas generally have low populations, therefore it’s not economically viable to provide services
Medical support is generally situated far away - RFDS
Availability of consumer goods; fresh produce isn’t local, must be transported hence lower food quality
Wet season in the Northern region of Australia - can be cut off for long periods of time
