Urban Places - Urban Renewal Case Study

Experience a unique case study of sustainable urban development at a post Olympic site.

Sydney Olympic Park has a rich and dynamic history. The 640 hectares of land has been transformed from an industrial wasteland into a vibrant specialist economic centre, integrating world class venues and parklands to create a new sustainable community for workers, residents, students and visitors alike.

This Urban Renewal case study field trip takes students on a journey through the dynamic changes that have occurred in and around this site over the past 250 years. The journey will start's from Aboriginal custodianship, through to European arrival and colonial industries that began as far back as 1790. The journey will then take them onto the post war boom period with industries including the brick works, abattoir and naval armaments depot. Students see first hand the adaptive re-use of the heritage buildings that were built during this time period.

As we weave our way through the new suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, students will learn about the urban dynamics that occurred throughout the 20th century. Students will get to see first hand, the results of one of Australia’s largest urban renewal projects that resulted from the successful bid for the 2000 Olympic Games. Students with be able to see the sustainability principles and practices that went into the design and development of the ‘Green Games’ and the sustainability legacy they have left today. Students will look toward the future and understand that the Master Plan 2030 provides the blueprint for future urban development within this vibrant township. Geographic skills include field sketches, annotating photographs, taking photographs, using GIS, interpreting historic photographs, data collection through surveys and population data analysis.

Students will learn about:

• synthesising and evaluating fieldwork data about the dynamics of change in a country town or suburb.
• Urban Dynamics
• a case study of the results of the urban dynamics in a large city selected from the developed world including its social structure and spatial patterns of advantage and disadvantage, wealth and poverty, ethnicity
• changing economic character, nature and location of residential land, commercial and industrial development
• culture of place as expressed in the architecture, streetscape, heritage architecture, noise, colour, street life, energy, vitality and lifestyles
• growth, development, future trends and ecological sustainability

Outcomes:

The student:

H1 - explains the changing nature, spatial patterns and interaction of ecosystems, urban places and economic activity

H3 - analyses contemporary urban dynamics and applies them in specific contexts

H7 - justifies geographical methods applicable and useful in the workplace and relevant to a changing world

H8 - plans geographical inquiries to analyse and synthesise information from a variety of sources

H9 - evaluates geographical information and sources for usefulness, validity and reliability

H10 - applies maps, graphs and statistics, photographs and fieldwork to analyse and integrate data in geographical contexts

H11 - applies mathematical ideas and techniques to analyse geographical data

H12 - explains geographical patterns, processes and future trends through appropriate case studies and illustrative examples

H13 - communicates complex geographical information, ideas and issues effectively, using appropriate written and/or oral, cartographic and graphic forms.