Wednesday, March 30, 2011

URBAN SPRAWL

1. The Turramurra apartment blocks are an example of urban consolidation in Turramurra as it focuses on building up the community to accommodate for more people. It is close to the shops and to the train station so it makes it perfect for commuters without cars as it is a easy walk to the train station at to the shops. To accommodate for these apartment blocks houses were bought and knocked down.
An example of urban sprawl in Sydney is Jordan Springs. This is an example of urban sprawl as a new suburb is being created. Jordan Springs is a new suburb that will focus on allowing thousands of new residents into the complex. This suburb is close to the Penrith CBD but far away from the city. It is a brand new community that will have many new opportunities that have not been there before.


2. Jordan Springs - Delfin Lend Lease, Lend Lease, Greens party of Penrith council, Western Sydney Conservation Alliance.  

3.  

Delfin Lend Lease plans on creating a brand new community in which many people will be able to live in. It will offer many jobs and will have a pubic school for children to learn at. They also plan on making it a very safe community with play grounds away from roads. They also plan on including public transport to reduce the risk of cars in the area therefore making it safer for pedestrians.

They plan on building around 2,500 homes in which families can live in. They are making this new complex for $600 million and it will be great business for them. They will also make large sales on the homes when they are completed as they are selling 2,500 homes which will generate a large income for the runners.

The Western Sydney conservation alliance are strongly against Delfin lend leases plans to create Jordan Springs. They disapprove of the fact that the Penrith Council and lend lease have some sort of a friendship and that this should not be taken lightly by the council. A Penrith councillor has been pressured into making sure that this development application be put in front of the whole council so that it stands a better fighting chance.

The western Sydney conservation alliance is trying their hardest in this seemingly one sided war but they will not give up until the end. They are adamant to fight for this land and against lend lease. 

4. The responses to the issue is very mixed. Many believe they are doing a favour by providing many new homes but on the other hand they are destroying land to create the homes. One response was that the natural heritage being destroyed will never be able to be shown to our future generations if it is destroyed. On the other hand one person has said that he believes that the land is not accessible and therefore them building on the land is ok. "Surely a reasonably designed community surrounded by managed parkland is the best compromise." This was one of the responses from the public who believed it is ok as the new suburb will be surrounded by managed parkland for the children to play in.

5. This example of urban sprawl is very effective as it provides a strong example of how urban sprawl works. A new suburb is being created due to the overcrowding of people in Penrith. This suburb will ease the stress of finding a home in the CBD as they can now live only 7km from the CBD. It is a prime example of urban sprawl that crosses all the boxes regarding to what urban sprawl is. People will now be able to have family sized homes while still living close to the CBD of Penrith.

Population Growth in Sydney

Population growth is a major issue towards cities as it means that space is becoming short. Population growth happens due to more people coming into the city wanting a home. This can become an issue when there are no homes for sale and therefore people cannot move into the city. Population growth will continue to increase as the years progress. Sydney being a city next to water makes the issue much larger as it can only increase one way. In 2001 the population was 3,366,542. In 2010 the population of Sydney was 4,504,469. In 2026 it estimated that the population will be 5,487,200 people and by 2056 it is estimated that the population will be 7,649,000 people.

There are two major responses to population growth being urban consolidation and urban sprawl. Urban consolidation focuses on building up in areas that are full. It accomplishes this by knocking down residences and building on top of the land and creating big apartment blocks. Whereas urban sprawl focuses on spreading the population around the city making it bigger. New blocks are bought so that major developments can be started and then more people can be in close proximity to the city but still with decent sized houses.

Urban consolidation is the act of building up in the city. Homes are knocked down and then big high rises or apartment blocks are built on top of the land so that the city can accommodate for many more people. An example of this are apartment blocks located in Turrammurra as they were previously homes that were knocked down so that the apartments could be built. Urban sprawl is the act of building a city spreading outwards increasing in size. New suburbs are created around the city making it larger. Sydney having half its side surrounded by water can only expand one way making it harder for people to get a home in Sydney. An example of urban sprawl is Jordan Springs which is a new suburb being created just outside the Penrith CBD.

The statistics of the population in Sydney should be considered very important as it means that more homes will have to be created. In 2010 the population was 4,504,469 people and urban sprawl and consolidation are major parts of the development of Sydney at the moment. This shows how in 2056 when the population is estimated to be 7,649,000 many more residences will be needed to accommodate for the massive amount of people in Sydney. With people struggling now to find homes this should be taken into consideration on how much development will have to be started in the coming years. If Sydney's population continues to grow so will the number of houses that will have to be developed.

Sydney will become a much larger city spreading outwards rapidly as it only has one way to go because of the water that surrounds half the city. It will increase the economy of Sydney as more people will buy products and food for their living. Sydney will overall have many advantages come out of this massive population growth and so will many businesses. Urban sprawl will definitely benefit Penrith as it will grow and become a much larger city with new suburbs being created it could only become a much nicer place.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Urban Sprawl or Consolidation: Jordan Springs

1. This is an example of urban sprawl as a new suburb is being created. Jordan Springs is a new suburb that will focus on allowing thousands of new residents into the complex. This suburb is close to the Penrith CBD but far away from the city. It is a brand new community that will have many new opportunities that have not been there before.

2. This new suburb is a positive for the surrounding community as it will increase business. The suburb will be subject to gentrification as many wealthy people will come in buying houses as it offers a lot for the people that live their. It has great opportunities for the people that live their, it promotes jobs, schools and it's a great area for kids as it has many facilities including parks and other areas for children to play at. It also includes public transport that hopes to reduce the number of cars on the road. This new suburb does not help Sydney as it means that Sydney has to send out resources all the way to Penrith. Otherwise this community is a positive for the community as it offers so much but it is a very controversial topic.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Summarising the TRESB Project

1. The problem which lead to the TRESB Project.

The problem was that the entrance to the Tweed River at the southern end of the Gold Coast. The entrance was becoming a hazard to shipping because of the sandbars that were forming across the river mouth. These sandbars were becoming dangerous to shipping as it would potentially contact the the ship and cause great damage. The breakwater that had been built was still not doing its job and longshore drift was still pushing sand into the entrance of the river.

2. The solution to the problem.

The solution to the problem was to build the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project that involved building pipes that would run across the river and would go to the other beaches. These pipes would pump the sand from the river entrance where it accumulates. Via a system of pipes the sand would travel to one of four outlets where it would be decided where the sand would be deposited.




3. The result of the project. What areas were effected and how? Do you think that it was a success?


I think that the whole project was a success apart from the fact that the natural process of lonshore drift was totally destroyed. Even though machines are used to replace the need for lonshore drift we have still lost a vital part of the system at the beaches. Apart from this the whole project was a great success as it increased the safety of the ships that enter the river and it is working well. This project replaces the sand lost by using the machines and it is a very expensive process but it is needed.

7.6 The Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project

1. Why did it become necessary to extend the Tweed River breakwaters?


It was necessary to extend the Tweed River breakwaters because the first breakwaters that were there were not doing the necessary job as should have been doing. More sand was building up and was becoming again an issue for the shipping industry.




2. What impact would the construction of the breakwaters have had on the replenishment of sand to the Gold Coast beaches after severe storm erosion?


The breakwaters would have diminished the replenishment of sand to the Gold Coast beaches because they were acting as a barrier to stop sand going into the entrance. With the breakwaters all there then the sand would not be able to move around as it would have done when the breakwaters were not there. The water then would only push the sand into the breakwaters and therefore not be able to replenish the sand at the beach.




3. Why did the Tweed River become unsafe to shipping? Explain the natural process that caused sandbars to form over the mouth of the Tweed River.


The Tweed River entrance had become unsafe to shipping due to the build up of sandbars along the entrance. This would diminish the depth of the water and make it dangerous for large ships to go through. The ships could potentially have scraped across the sand and could have become stuck. The natural process that caused this is longshore drift, the sand was being pushed in through the northerly direction. 




4. Why was the dredging of the Tweed River and the associated beach nourishment program only a short-term solution to coastal management of the area? 


It was only a short-term solution because the sand would once again go down the beaches because of longshore drift. The process would have to be repeated so that when the sand got to the entrance of the river it would have to be dredged back to the other beaches.




5 Describe the way the TRESBP replaces the natural process of longshore drift.


The TRESBP replaces the natural process of longshore drift by pumping the sand from where it accumulates on the southern side of the Tweed River via a system of pipes. The pipes go across the river to one of four outlets where it is decided which beach needs the sand and then it is released.




6 Write a paragraph that explains your opinion of the TRESBP. Why do you think the project is regarded as one of the most successful coastal management schemes in Australia?


I think that the TRESBP is very successful as it fixed the issues at hand. It was built on top of a idea that worked at the moment it was needed but in the long run it couldn't do the job. The TRESBP was big step up from the breakwaters that were applied and it is doing its job well. It does not keep the sand out but it does get rid of it straight away. This project definitely should be regarded as one of the most successful coastal management schemes in Australia.




8 Look at the aerial photographs in 7.28. Describe the changes that have occurred to the mouth of the Tweed River since 1962.


In 1962 when the first breakwaters were installed they were very small as not to look intrusive. This clearly wasn't doing the job so they were increased in 1969 by a long way. The new breakwaters were much larger and definitely looked out of place. These new breakwaters were still not completing their job as the sand was still an issue. So in 1994 the TRESBP was installed and has been doing a great job. It is a significant improvement to the 1962 and 1969 breakwaters.




9 Using the topographic map in 7.25 on page 164, estimate the length of the breakwater along the Tweed River entrance in 1962 and in 1994. 


In 1962 the breakwater was roughly 100m and in 1969 the breakwater was roughly 420m which is an  increase of 320m. This increase still couldn't to the job and to go any bigger would have made the beaches look horrible.





Sunday, February 27, 2011

Big Wave Profile


Homework:
  1. Design a blog post on your blog of a big wave site from different parts of the world. Be sure to describe the geography and the topography of the ocean floor in these areas and how this helps create these massive waves. check out http://www.extremehorizon.com/surf-shop/big_waves.html for big waves around the world.
Teahupoo


Teahupoo is located off the South West corner of Tahiti. This wave is generated by open ocean swells hitting the coral atoll reef with Hawaiian type power. This wave throws forward an immense lip which constructs a tube that a truck could easily fit through.


Big Waves - Teahupoo

Surfing at Teahupoo is very dangerous as it is a reef break and surfers must be cautious when paddling out as not to get hurt by the deadly reefs. It has taken a few lives as it breaks on a shallow reef.

Teahupoo Big Day

The waves are formed by open ocean swells building up immense momentum before smashing into coral reef. Emerging from deep water onto a barely submerged reef, the power of the Pacific is suddenly concentrated, and the combination of heavy waves and a shallow shoreline is extremely dangerous. A wipeout can result in serious injuries or even death, and only expert surfers in peak physical condition stand a chance.



The shallow waters and the dangerous reefs make this big wave spot a very dangerous experience that results in great injury. The power of the wave with the huge mass behind it can shred a persons back very easily.







Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Science of Big Waves

Pre-viewing:

1. Where do ocean waves come from? What gets them started? 

Ocean waves come from the wind. They are started by the wind pushing the water and as the force of wind becoming stronger the waves will become bigger. They are pushed across the ocean and eventually the come into the shore where they are ready to be surfed.


2. What do you think a surfer should know about waves before they try and ride a wave while surfing?
A surfer should know how powerful the wave will be so as to know how to ride it. They should look at it as it comes so that they can determine if it will be a dangerous wave to ride or a good one to ride.




Question for the Video:



1. Observe all the waves that you see and describe how they form and break. Use as many words found in the segment for you descriptions.
There are waves that roll over slowly and some that roll over very quickly. The ones that roll over slowly are great for surfing as it gives you more time at that height that is so incredible at Maverick's. The ones that roll over quickly can be dangerous if not executed properly as they have the potential to dump you straight into the water.


2. Describe how waves are formed, how they originate, and how they are measured?
Waves are formed 1000's of miles away in a place called the wave factory in the north pacific. Using satellite technology the sea is able to be monitored. Meteorologists are able to monitor the growing swell and find out when the waves will strike.


3. What is a maverick wave and what is special about the way it is formed?
A maverick wave is the name given to the waves that form at Mavericks. It is special because it is formed thousands of miles away and it increases during the time it takes for it to get to Mavericks.


4. How is energy stored and transferred during wave?
Energy comes from the wind and is used as the wave travels to shore. As the wind continues to blow over the long distances the wave itself will become bigger as it is being pushed. The further and longer the wind blows will determine the size of the wave.


5. List any kind of advice given by the surfers about how to survive these “big waves.”
They say that all you are thinking about is surviving as it so dangerous to ride. They recommend just riding it for the half mile of run as that is the best part of the surf for the surfers.