The Pros and Cons of Suburban Living in Australia
1. Introduction
Suburbs in Australia are geological places or zones that use dissimilar names and postal addresses so that they can be located well. For instance, the City of Brisbane has dissimilar suburbs like Ascot, Indooroopilly, and Everton Park. The City of Sydney has suburbs like Bondi, Surry Hills, and Potts Point. In Melbourne, there are over 300 suburbs while Perth has more than 200 suburbs. Generally, a suburb is any urban area that is located outside the city limits but within the metropolitan area. Most of the time, these areas are residential but may also include commercial and industrial areas.
There are different types of suburbs in Australia which include:
– Blue-collar suburbs: These are the areas where most of the residents are working class people. An example of a blue-collar suburb is Rockingham in Western Australia.
– White-collar suburbs: These are the areas where most of the residents are from high class or middle class families. An example of a white-collar suburb is Toorak in Victoria.
– Grey-collar suburbs: These are the areas where most of the residents are from low class families or are unemployed. An example of a grey-collar suburb is Broadmeadows in Victoria.
2. What are suburbs in Australia?
Suburbs in Australia refer to those places that have been set up for residential living outside the main city area. This is because; as cities continue to grow at an alarming rate so does population and as a result, space becomes limited within these areas especially for accommodation purposes. It should be noted that even though these places have been named differently they all fall under one municipality umbrella which is why they share similar postal codes and sometimes phone numbers as well. The term ‘suburb’ was first used during the Roman Empire and it referred to an outlying district where high class people lived. In Australia, the term has been adopted to refer to those places that surround big cities and have been developed for people to reside there (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999).
3. The rise of suburbs in Australia
The rise of suburbs in Australia can be accredited to different factors which include globalization, changes in market trends as well as changes in literacy levels among others. Globalization refers to the process through which countries become more interconnected with each other as a result of increased trade and investment (Jarvis, 2011). One of the effects of globalization has been increased migration which has led to increased pressure on resources within big cities hence leading to sprawl as people move to adjacent areas so as to find accommodation (Newman & Kenworthy, 1999). In addition, changes in market trends have also contributed to the rise of suburbs. This is because; as industries continue to experience growth so does their need for more workers hence employees have no option but to relocate to areas that are closer to their workplace (Burke & Whelan, 2011). Moreover, changes in literacy levels have also contributed to this trend because as people become more educated they tend to want better living conditions away from crowded and noisy city centers (Burke & Whelan, 2011).
4. The benefits of suburbs in Australia
Despite the challenges that come with living in suburbs, there are also a number of benefits associated with this way of life. One of the benefits is that it provides an opportunity for people to own their own homes. This is because; unlike city apartments which are quite expensive, houses in suburbs are relatively cheaper and this makes it possible for people from different economic backgrounds to own a home (Burke & Whelan, 2011). In addition, living in suburbs also provides an opportunity for people to have larger living spaces. This is because; unlike city apartments which are usually small in size, houses in suburbs are usually larger hence providing more space for families to live comfortably (Burke & Whelan, 2011). Moreover, suburbs also provide residents with an opportunity to have a better quality of life. This is because; unlike city centers which are usually congested and polluted, suburbs are usually more spacious and have cleaner air hence providing a better environment for people to live in (Burke & Whelan, 2011).
5. The challenges of suburbs in Australia
Despite the benefits that come with living in suburbs, there are also a number of challenges that need to be addressed. One of the challenges is increased traffic congestion. This is because; as more people move to suburbs so does the number of vehicles on the roads hence leading to increased traffic congestion especially during peak hours (Burke & Whelan, 2011). In addition, another challenge that needs to be addressed is increased crime rates. This is because; as suburban areas continue to experience growth so does the number of criminal activities being reported such as burglaries and robberies (Burke & Whelan, 2011). Moreover, another challenge that needs to be addressed is the issue of social cohesion. This is because; due to the increased number of people moving to suburban areas, there has been a decrease in the level of social cohesion as people tend to live in isolated communities which makes it difficult for them to interact with each other (Burke & Whelan, 2011).
6. Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be seen that suburbs have both positive and negative impacts on those who live there. However, it should be noted that the positive impacts far outweigh the negative ones hence making suburban living a desirable way of life for many people. Some of the positive impacts include increased opportunities for home ownership as well as larger living spaces. On the other hand, some of the negative impacts include increased traffic congestion and crime rates.