Global Information Systems, very usefull technology for planners. It connects databases to maps. Therefore allowing for the layering of data.It seems pretty complex program to use and my understanding it takes time to fully understand how to use it effectively From the reading the major componants are sofware, data sources, and data structure types within this system. This chapter whilst interesting found it hard to understand. However I know this type of software will be used in the future for planning . What does everyone else think about GIS? would you learn to use it, or pay someone to use the software for you? At this stage I think I would pay someone personally. My mind is open, but it seems to incorpoate lots of things into one system which pre GIS would have been harder to intergrate.
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Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Metropolitan plan: Week 12 Blog
This reading explores the settlement patterns of people spanning out into the suburbs causing the regions to expand. Such increases have caused cities to begin to creep in on each other. As this physical distance vanishes the infrastructure needed is a joint venture between the two becomes a responsibility of both towns and governments. Therefore the need for an inclusive metropolitan plan is needed. These plans transcend city boarders but incorporate entire regions. The example used many times within the text was the north-eastern sea board in the United States of America that spans 600 miles from Washington to Boston. To a lesser extent one could consider the South-East region of Queensland with its dense population to be considered a whole metropolitan area.
As the metropolitans continue to grow new phenonmenons are occuring; The megalopoplis, the edge city and the edgless city. The megalopolis refers to a very large metropolitan area with a dense population( of at least 10 million). An example of this would be Tokyo- Yokohama, which is pictured below. The edge city is about industrial estates; where their ae lots of high rise commercial buildings and industry but very little residential zone but their is a defined zone. Whilst an edgeless city is spiratic development of commercial and industrial zones. There is no defined edges, hences the name edgeless. However over time, this will generally turn into an edge city but not always.
Taken from:http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19252364
This reading got me thinking about Australia and how hard it would be to do these metropolitan plans due to our three tier-governments. Especially from Tweed heads up to north of Brisbane, where it crosses two states boarders, interferes with numerous state and local government and is the route for national infrastructure ( pacific-highway). Do you think it would be possible to do a metropolitan plan for this area? Or do you think it would have to stop before the boarder of New South Wales?
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As the metropolitans continue to grow new phenonmenons are occuring; The megalopoplis, the edge city and the edgless city. The megalopolis refers to a very large metropolitan area with a dense population( of at least 10 million). An example of this would be Tokyo- Yokohama, which is pictured below. The edge city is about industrial estates; where their ae lots of high rise commercial buildings and industry but very little residential zone but their is a defined zone. Whilst an edgeless city is spiratic development of commercial and industrial zones. There is no defined edges, hences the name edgeless. However over time, this will generally turn into an edge city but not always.
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| Yokohama- High density continues around the bay of Japan until after Tokyo |
This reading got me thinking about Australia and how hard it would be to do these metropolitan plans due to our three tier-governments. Especially from Tweed heads up to north of Brisbane, where it crosses two states boarders, interferes with numerous state and local government and is the route for national infrastructure ( pacific-highway). Do you think it would be possible to do a metropolitan plan for this area? Or do you think it would have to stop before the boarder of New South Wales?
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Town Plan: Week 11 blog
The authors of this chapter are the guru's on the new urbanism approach to planning. The husband and wife team of Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk designed Seaside in Florida ( a total new urbanist town) and Kentland in Merrylands (Retrofitted it towards new urbanism). Their approach to planning was about stopping suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment. As planners they tried to design traditional town centres and retrofit others where they could. The reading itself therefore is very one sided, but never the less I found it usefull in my own understanding of the new urbanist movement and found myself agreeing with many of the elements. With many of the elements in designing a town corresponding with earlier works with Jane Jacobs, especially on the ideas of mixed use, transit and struture of the neighbourhood.
Taken from: http://nymag.com
Taken from: http://nymag.com
“The principles of true urban design may have been forgotten but they are not lost. By emulating the past the designers can make new places that are as impressive as the towns that inspired them” p.326
This quote started the reading and have found it very interesting to think about. As the new urbanist approach really is about going back to traditional town centres. Therefore if we can try to emulate some of these ideas on design, can we look back on a town in 100 years and find it as impressive?
The reading look at where to build a town and its regional considerations. Therefore infilling places before building new ones and building new places on proposed transit links rather then places disconnected from these. It looks towards mixed development within a 5 minute walking radius around downtowns to stop automobile use. And that its the planners role to give the people the ingredients to allow them to create a new urbanist community. Such ingredients are direct transit from the downtowns, narrow streets which are interesting within the downtown, buildings which add to pedestrian life, hidden parking spaces and architecture that enhances sense of place rather then take away from it. I think the most important principles is about having everything within the 5 minute radius ( or slightley more) . As it limits automobile use and adds to street life. In an age where we always seem to isolate ourselves by technologies and car, its time to interact with people ,and get back to the streets!
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