Geography of Settlements and Urban Sustainability Lecture Notes

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering settlement patterns, urban hierarchy, urbanisation impacts, and sustainability case studies in Oslo, Kenya, Tamworth, and Green Square.

Tamworth Population

$67k$ residents.

Tamworth Economic Base

Agricultural and light industrial sectors.

Tamworth Housing Cost

An average of $670k$.

Sydney Population

$5.3\,\text{million}$ people.

Sydney Housing Cost

$1.73\,\text{million}$ average cost.

Sydney Healthcare Facilities

$14$ hospitals and specialist medical care.

Port Botany Container Volume

$2.3\,\text{million}$ container units per year.

Australian Coastal Settlement Pattern

$75\%$ of Australia's population lives within $50\,km$ of the coast.

Global Coastal Population Proximity

$40\%$ of the world's population lives within $100\,km$ of a coastline.

Fish Global Protein Contribution

Fish provide $17\%$ of the world's protein.

China Seafood Export Value

$12\,\text{billion}$ worth of products each year.

South East Australia Average Temperature

$19^\circ\text{C}$ average temperature.

Arid Interior Population Density

$0.5\,\text{person/km}^2$ in restricted water areas.

Kalgoorlie Population Stability

Maintains a population of $30,000$ residents after rapid gold rush growth.

Alpha ++ World Cities

New York and London.

Alpha + World Cities

Tokyo and Paris.

Tokyo Population

$37\,\text{million}$ people.

Paris Headquarters Example

Louis Vuitton, a leading fashion company.

National Primate City (Australia)

Sydney, which dominates finance, corporate headquarters, and connectivity.

Australian Secondary Cities

Melbourne and Brisbane.

Quirindi Population

Approximately $3500$ people.

Australian Urban Residence Percentage

$67.6\%$ of Australians live in urban environments.

Rural Australia GP Density

$1.4$ general practitioners per $1000$ people.

Rural Kenya GP Density

$0.2$ general practitioners per $1000$ people.

Rural Australia Hospitalisation Risk

Residents are $20\%$ more likely to be hospitalised for a preventable condition.

Rural Kenya Healthcare Proximity

$50\%$ of people are more than $5\,km$ away from the nearest facility.

Rural Australian Education Statistic

$18\%$ of people aged $15-24$ are not in schooling or the workforce.

Rural Australia University Attendance

$30\%$ less university attendance compared to cities.

Nepal Secondary Education Enrollment

$60\%$ enrollment in remote areas.

DRC Population Projection 2025

Projected to be over $50\,\text{million}$ people.

Urban Heat Island Effect (Western Sydney)

$6-10$ degrees hotter than coastal suburbs on average.

Western Sydney High-Temperature Days

More than $15$ days per year above $35^\circ\text{C}$.

Sydney Homelessness Growth

Increased by $37\%$ between $2011$ and $2021$.

Warragamba Dam

Rural catchment area providing $80\%$ of drinking water for $5.3\,\text{million}$ residents.

Murray Darling Basin

Affected by urban water use which reduces flow and stresses rural ecosystems.

Urban Waste Disposal (Sydney)

Urban areas ship $5\,\text{million}$ tonnes of waste per year to rural landfills.

Sydney Food Source Interdependence

Roughly $95\%$ of food comes from Australian rural agriculture.

Australian Rural Product Sales

Provides $16\,\text{billion}$ worth of sales to farmers every year.

Oslo Cycling Percentage

$17\%$ of transport.

Oslo Car Space Removal

$700$ spaces removed and replaced with cycling and pedestrian paths.

Oslo Electric Vehicle Market Share

Between $80-90\%$ of cars bought between $2023$ and $2025$ are electric.

Oslo CO2 Reduction

$30\%$ reduction since $2009$.

Marka Boundary Law (1997)

Protects $170,000\,km^2$ of boreal forest from development.

Oslo Life Expectancy

$83$ years.

Oslo HDI Score

$0.96$, one of the highest globally.

Green Square Emissions Reduction

City operations emissions have fallen $78\%$ since $2006$.

Green Square Facility Electricity

Council-run facilities use $100\%$ renewable electricity.

Green Square Open Space

Provision of over $40$ parks and green streets.

Curbitana Brazil BRT System

Roughly $2\,\text{million}$ passengers per day using bus rapid transit.

Curbitana PT Usage

$70\%$ of commuters take some form of public transport.

Green Square Stormwater Drain Project (GSSD)

A large-scale sustainability initiative involving a $2.4\,km$ underground tunnel.

GSSD 2018 Performance

Successfully diverted floodwaters during a $1\text{-in-}100\text{-year}$ storm event.

Green Square Public Infrastructure Investment

Estimated at over $1.8\,\text{billion}$ dollars.

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR)

Regrowing trees on farmland in rural Kenya involving $1600$ households.

Tamworth LED Upgrades

Large scale streetlight upgrades and solar panels reducing CO2 by $1500$ tonnes per year.

Tamworth Soil Fertility Strategy

Rotation of paddock grazing to reduce land degradation.

Waterloo Swamp and Dam

Physical hydrosphere context of Green Square requiring flood management.

Green Square Flood Line

Requirement to keep lowest floors above the $2.3\,m$ flood line.

Green Square Geosphere Challenges

Sandy and wet soils with industrial contamination like the Zetland incinerator site.

Urban Decay in Green Square

Vast industrial departure post-$1950s$ due to globalisation.

Green Square 1996 Population

Roughly $2000$ residents remained during industrial decline.

Green Square 2021 Population

$31,000$ residents after urban renewal.

6 Star Green Star LGA Award

A recognition received by Green Square for its renewal and environmental efforts.

Zetland Chinese-born Population

$32\%$ of the population.

DINKs

Dual Income No Kids; a demographic associated with the gentrification of Green Square.

YUPPIES

Young Urban Professionals; a demographic replacing blue collar workers in Green Square.

Green Square Station Patronage Increase

$80\%$ increase between $2014$ and $2017$, from $11,680$ to $21,000$.

Ampol Headquarters

Australia's largest market share fuel company, which relocated its HQ to Green Square.

Metropolis of Three Cities Plan

A political plan including the Eastern Economic Corridor that affects Green Square.

Green Square Projected Population

$63,000$ people.

Projected Density (Green Square)

$25,000$ people per square km.

Economic Shift in Green Square

Transition from manufacturing to tertiary/quaternary information and knowledge sectors.

Planned Local Jobs in Green Square

$22,000$ jobs planned to reduce commute costs.

Dormitory Suburb Risk

The risk if Green Square's commercial development lags behind residential growth.

Green Square Cycleway Length

$2.4\,km$ of cycleways connecting five suburbs.

Zetland Cultural Indicator

Extremely high Chinese restaurant density and Mahjong clubs for grandparents.

Remote Nepal Enrollment

$60\%$ in secondary education.

Tamworth Social Sustainability Investment

Reinvestment of energy cost savings into parks and community centres.

GSSD Localised Impact

Benefits are mostly confined to the Green Square precinct, not broader Sydney-wide.

Urban Growth in Oslo

Regulated and monitored growth to drive economy and concentration of services.