Urban Decay and renewal

Urban Decay• The deterioration of

the urban environment. It occurs when urban infrastructure falls into disrepair and buildings are left empty for long periods of time.

The Doughnut effect

• Development occurs around a central location, (CBD of city) and then is surrounded by residential, industrial. etc\

• Industry and jobs move to the suburbs leaving disused land in the CBD and that creates a hole.

• the hole is an area of urban decay

The demographic, technological, economic and cultural factors making

inner city living popular again

Technological Factors

Major technological advances were required to break the association between the inner city and manufacturing and warehousing. These included:

• Changes in factory production technology• The development of major urban freeway networks• Cost reductions in short distance trucking operations

Factors

Demographic Factors• Changes in family size affecting the need for room for

the family (families are getting smaller)• Age that people are getting married and having children

has risen (average age of having children has increased from 24 yrs of age to 32 yrs of age in the last 3-4 decades)

• Change from women staying at home rearing the children to women joining the workforce and not being at home

Economic Factors

Economic Factors• Most manufacturing operations such as textiles, footwear

and clothing, required frequent contact with local buyers and other firms, remained in the inner city well into the 1960s

• Mid 1970s its impacts were felt most keenly in the manufacturing sector. Industries such as footwear, textiles and clothing were most affected. Many were forced to close down, with the greatest impacts on inner-city manufacturing land uses.

Cultural Factors

Cultural factors• change from spending time in the home to spending time

elsewhere • Domestic chores/duties are being outsourced.

- eating out more

- child care not done in home

- informal activities at home to formal organised sports and cultural activities.

• Environmental concerns of living in larger houses.

Features of the inner city lifestyle

• Close to business/ shops• Close to entertainment

(opera, concerts, theater, cinemas, races)

• Restaurants (world class restaurants and family style restaurants)

• Sporting activities (Olympic activities)

• Shopping• Work location

Urban Decay and renewalSydney (Pyrmont/ultimo)• 19 century terrace houses• The farmers wool storehouse being

converted to offices and apartments• Unit development in park land space• Sydney and the NSW department of

planning and development are trying to revitalise and old, superbly located part of inner Sydney.

• Building heights vary from 4-12 storeys high.

Examples in Wagga

Wagga• Flour mill being knocked down and replaced by new

apartments which are located in a prime spot• The Home base