N O R T H E R N A U S T R A L I A Studio De velopment Exercises
Natalie Chow 732634 The University of Melbourne Urban Design Studio B | 2015 Studio Leaders | Gideon Aschwanden & Mark Burry ABPL 90273
Newman, Western Australia Source: Newman Visitor Center
Settlements in Northern Australia
SPACE SYNTAX
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UR BAN RUL E S
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ATL AS
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CONTENTS
Nieuw Townsville
The Community is a Golf Course Airstrips, Prosperity & Progress Northern Australian Rules Matrix
PRO JECT The Future Development of Pilbara Site Analysis: Post-Production
Site Strategy: Pilbara-Powered Design Details: Post-Production
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DARWIN
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CAIRNS
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Townsville
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Port Hedland Karratha
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Newman
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Utopia
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Kintore
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Yuendumu
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ALICE SPRINGS
NATALIE CHOW
SETTL E M E N T S IN N ORT H AUS T R A L IA This study attempts to create a comparative portrait of indigenous and mining settlements. These settlements are numerous and scattered throughout the desert. Both the settlements and its inhabitants have a transient nature that contradicts the permanent nature of the housing and infrastructure.
INDIGENOUS SETTLEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
LOCATION
MINING SETTLEMENTS
Since the 1810s, indigenous people have been dispossessed of their traditional lands and forced to live in European settlements to ‘civilise’ and ‘assimilate’ into the culture of the colonisers. Currently, there are no known indigenous tribes who live a traditional nomadic lifestyle. Dispossession and the degradation of traditional lands, food and water sources make the traditional hunterTEMPORARY
They have adapted their semi-nomadic lifestyle to the fixity of housing provided. Travelling between outstations, settlements and camps, or moving between houses in the same settlement. The reliance on State funding for indigenous settlements means many necessities, maintenance and improvements are delayed or not delivered. PERMANENT
REMOTE COMMUNITIES - YUENDUMU
In an attempt maximise the outcome of funding efforts, only 20 of the 700 settlements are selected to be developed into Territory Growth Towns that will function as regional centers. Many remote communities and outstations may be closed, while funding is reduced for those that remain.
Australian mines have a median life expectancy of 7-18 years, some are profitable after 20 years. Mining settlements are generally removed or relocated and the land is rehabilitated after the mine is exhausted. Mining settlements are funded and owned by the private corporation. The concern for the welfare and efficiency of employees has in the recent years been
TEMPORARY
WORKERS’ CAMP - NEWMAN
the impetus for planning initiatives. Suburban environments have been planned for workers’ families who choose to settle. This more permanent housing and infrastructure is more easily sold to the government and normalised. A large proportion of investment is made in entertainment facilities and town amenity to make living in a
mining town more attractive to those looking to settle, and ease the mental stress of isolation and long shifts of workers. The high cost of transport materials and skilled tradespeople limit the construction methods and materials of Newman. The lack of specialists, such as elevator and crane trades, also limit the building of apartments.
PERMANENT
SUBURB - NEWMAN
SETTLEMENT TYPES
OUTSTATIONS - UTOPIA
gatherer way of life harsh and difficult.
NATALIE CHOW
POPULATION GROWTH - INDIGENOUS SETTLEMENT
POPULATION GROWTH - MINING SETTLEMENT PERMANENT
PERMANENT Settlement Normalisation
4000
# of People
4000
# of People
3000
Funding Re-allocation
2000
TEMPORARY
Forced Settlement
2000
TEMPORARY Settlement Removal & Rehabilitation
1000 Time
0
YUENDUMU - NT
Time
0
YUENDUMU LOCALITY & OUTSTATIONS
NEWMAN - WA. PILBARA
NEWMAN LOCALITY
Road
Population: 1000-1300 Town Area: 7 Km2 No. of buildings: 450
CASE STUDY
3000
Declining settlements
1000
Population: 5478 +1500 (Transient) Town Area: 170 Km2 No. of buildings: 2300
Water Bore Outstations
Road
Water Bore
Rail
Outstations
Dam
Mine
River/Creek
Tanami Rd to Alice Springs
3000 Unsealed road to Nyrripi
2000 0
0.5
Airport 0
1 Km
Power Station Solar Array Dam
0.5
1 Km
0
Central Land Council Housing Association Council
Sewage Ponds
General Store
Borefield Power Station Railway Solar Array Swales Telstra
Police
Swales
Air Port
Post Office Police Council
Pharmacy Hospital
Park Reserves Golf Course Rifle Range Oval
Woolworths Bottle Shop Banks Petrol Kiosks
Swimming Pool
Restaurants
Racecourse
Hotels
Senior High Primary School
RELIGIOUS
Church
EDUCATION
Adult Education
HEALTH
School
COMMERCIAL
CEDP Office
Swimming Pool
RECREATION
Art Centre
Oval
RELIGIOUS
HEALTH
Ablutions
Clinic
EDUCATION
Air Strip
Youth Centre
RECREATION
Landfill
COMMUNITY SERVICES
INFRASTRUCTURE
Borefield
0
10 Km
Time
0
Road
10 Km
INFRASTRUCTURE
# of People
4000
1000
TOWN AMENITY
Mine Closure
COMMUNITY SERVICES
TIMELINE
Territory Growth Town
Church Mosque
TV Station Caravan Park
POPULATION
Telstra
AGE
AGE 85+ 75-84 65-74 55-64 45-54 35-44 25-34 15-24 0-14
Typical Age-Gender Distribution In Indigenous Settlements
Household
$1270
Personal
$450 0
1000
Community & Personal Service Workers Jobs as employed by industry
2000
3000
85+ 75-84 65-74 55-64 45-54 35-44 25-34 15-24 0-14
Household
$2900
Personal
$1900 0
1000
2000
3000
Mining Weekly median income
Age-Gender Distribution In Newman
Jobs as employed by industry
Weekly median income ($)
NATALIE CHOW
HOUSING TYPES
TEMPORARY
PERMANENT
TEMPORARY
PERMANENT
HUMPIE / SHACK
STATE HOUSING
‘DONGA’ UNIT
SUBURBAN HOUSE
1 Families / 3-5 People 1 Family / 4-7 People
4 Workers/ 4 People
2-3 Families / 11-20 People
4 Workers/ 4 People 10m
0 1 2 3 4 5
10m
MATERIALS
0 1 2 3 4 5
Lightweight steel framing
Colourbond Steel
Standard Prefab Components
Sheet Metal
Concrete Blockwork
Standard Prefab Components
Found Objects
ENERGY
Container Accommodation
178MW gas-fired power station
Kintore Aerial
Newman Aerial
LANDSCAPE
Solar Concentration Dish Power
NATALIE CHOW
SPACE SYNTAX The roads/areas that are most integrated take on three urban forms:
TOWNSVILLE EXISTING
TYPE 01: THE STRIP
TYPE 02: THE LARGE BLOCK
TYPE 03: THE SMALL BLOCK
Integration N
NIEUW TOWNSVILLE
02
01
CREATE NEW URBAN TYPES ALONG THE WATER
02
EXTEND LINEAR INTEGRATED ROADS ALONG THE WATER
03
02
01
WALKABLE WATERFRONTS
02
03
03
Proposed Street Network
NATALIE CHOW
CREATE NEW URBAN TYPES ALONG THE WATER
02
EXTEND LINEAR INTEGRATED ROADS ALONG THE WATER
NIEUW TOWNSVILLE EVALUATION
01
Integration N
03
Choice N
WALKABLE WATERFRONTS
?
0K
X
01
02
03
Cannot determine from space syntax
Extending integrated roads increases Golbal ‘choiced’ connections
Unable to create continuous waterfront walkability despite intensifying street network
Choice 800
NATALIE CHOW
URBAN RULES A Community Is A Golf Course
STEP 1: PLAN THE GOLF COURSE AS THE CENTER. • •
Creates a defined and inclusive ‘center of town’ Higher foot traffic
GOLF COURSES ARE POPULAR Mining companies often fund and plan the golf course on the onset of the town itself. There has been more than 5% increase in the golf population in the mining regions of N.Australia in the year of 2013. Source: Golf Australia Database
GOLF COURSES ARE MAINTAINED Golf clubs are private organisations that fund the high maintenance course through membership fees.
STEP 2: INTEGRATE THE COURSE WITH STREET AND PARK NETWORK. Amenities are available for public use The center of the town will be a green park/ plaza • A well-serviced and green environment will encourage the community to spend time at the golf course • •
GOLF COURSES ARE GREENEST Expensive reticulation systems and large volumes of water keep the landscape green. The WA government has also supported the Fortescue and Karratha golf courses by allocating grants under the Pilbara Regional Development Scheme to the reticulation systems. Source: Government of WA
GOLF COURSES HAVE AMENITIES These fees also allow the provision of club amenities such as security, toilets, course lighting, functions rooms, etc.
STEP 3: GIVE EVERYONE AFFORDABLE GOLF MEMBERSHIP THROUGH COUNCIL RATES Foster a sense of ownership and belonging • The center of the town will be a green park/plaza •
GOLF COURSES ARE MOSTLY UNOCCUPIED Golf clubs have opening times and only members have access to the course. Members do not play frequently. Source: Golf Australia Database
NATALIE CHOW
URBAN RULES
What if Singapore is North Australia lacking road infrastructure, public transport, separated by inundation 6 months of the year each neighbourhood needed an airstrip to be accessed?
02
03
To stay competitive and connected with the rest of the island, each district invests a large proportion of their resources on airstrips and transport infrastructure. May the highest performing heartland survive.
O R G A N I S AT I O N S OWN HELICOPTERS
SETTLEMENTS HAVE
AIRSTRIPS
NATALIE CHOW
LANDMARKS
RULE ORIGINS :
02
• They are used for tourism, agriculture, cattle, mustering, park maintenance and as a mode of transport in emergencies. • During the wet season, roads to Central Australia are inundated and can only be accessed by small plane or helicopter.
• Roads are less important connections.
RULE ORIGINS :
03
• Airstrips appear to be a rudimentary neccessity in small communities. • Airports are major transport investments for cities and mining settlements. • Most established settlements require an airstrip because road infrastructure is poor or travel destinations are long or untraversable.
NOT
URBAN IMPLICATIONS :
• Infrastructure in the form of bores affect the natural landscape. • Water extraction affects the groundwater dependent ecosystem.
OWNED
05
• With no alternative form of transport, populations of remote communities have limited mobility. • The cost of food and supplies increases and are flown in less regularly.
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• Dispersed and scattered nodes settlements are reinforced. • Since all settlements have an airstrip/airport, usually quite close to the settlement itself, the airstrip becomes a measurement tool and the amenity of the airstrip can be an indicator of the population size and economy of the settlement.
• The sport has become increasingly popular in mining reigion of Pilbara and Queensland.
PAVEMENTS ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR NONE
• Golf courses remain defiantly green, irrigated by a high percentages of the settlement’s water usage. • Golf courses take up large areas of land and reshape the land to look like a gold course.
• Golf clubs offer these small populations a sense of belonging with a club structure.
GOLF TOGETHER
• A high priority for aircraft landing reveals
• Golf is not a team sport, but takes place in clubs that require membership to play in.
• Small populations of males seeking competitive sport may find it difficult to participate in a footy team and have no opportunity to attend the footy.
COMMUNITIES PLAY
• Businesses charter flights for tourists.
OWN HELICOPTERS
RULE ORIGINS :
IS
• Government and welfare organisations use helicopters to carry out aeromedical transfers and maintain national parks.
ORGANISATIONS
SETTLEMENTS HAVE AIRSTRIPS
• 50% of the country’s helicopters are registered in N.Aus.
• Water licenses are separate from land titles.
• The town does not need to compete or complement the presence of the rocks since the identity and experience of the place is about the land.
URBAN IMPLICATIONS :
ARE
URBAN IMPLICATIONS :
ROCKS
• Water licenses are allocations by volume, or entitlements to water attached to the the land title.
• The location of existing and approved future borefields affects the growth of new development and mines.
G R O U N D WAT E R
URBAN IMPLICATIONS :
BIG
• Buildings are conventional and indistinguishable, because of limited funding, construction methods and materials.
• N.Aus attracts tourists to rock landmarks, but rarely acknowledges or advertise the town as a destination.
• Groundwater is surface water that percolates through the ground and is stored in porous soils and rocks.
• Pavements are provided on one side of the street in most suburban areas. • Remote communities have no pavement or road infrastructure. Buildings are built straight from the ground and fences delimit the road width.
URBAN IMPLICATIONS :
• The landform and rock appearance of each part of N.Aus is unique and stands out in the relatively flat coastal and desert landscape.
04
RULE ORIGINS :
• Instagram, Flickr and archive photographs reflect locals’ and tourists’ perception of places in N.Aus.
• Place names are known by the most significant landform. i.e. Ayers Rock, The Olgas, Pinnacols, Kings Canyon, etc.
RULE ORIGINS :
• Most geotagged photos of cities and places in N.Aus feature rocks.
URBAN IMPLICATIONS :
RULE ORIGINS :
01
• Pedestrians interact with vehicles more when crossing to a continuing pavement or negotiating the width of the road. • One/no pavement for each road reduces the cost of construction and maintenance.
NATALIE CHOW