Pressures affecting the built environment

Built environment (2016, 2011)

Pressures affecting the built environment

Urban footprint

Land continues to be developed on the fringe, placing significant pressure on land for agriculture and environmental significance

Year(s):

2016

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Urban footprint

20162011

Built environment

Pressures

Approach/Process

Qualitative assessment was based on expert opinion, informed by peer-reviewed literature and publicly available reports.

The 2016 assessments were made from the same components as in 2011. Expert workshop participants assessed urban footprint as a pressure against the urban population centre sizes as specified in the 'State and trends' section. From those assessments, an aggregated assessment was made and further reviews based on data, content, expert peer review, and experts via online survey.

Data/Information sources

All sources are referenced in the 'Pressures' section.

Comments

Component pressures varied depending on population centre size (e.g. from very high for major cities to low for smaller centres), but the aggregated assessment was weighted towards places where most people lived.

Topics

Increased urban footprint

Increasing population is placing significant pressures on the land required for Australian cities, including agricultural land and other land of significant environmental value.

Year(s):

2011

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

Increased urban footprint

Traffic

Per-person car use continues to decrease, and public transport use has increased, but traffic congestion continues to increase in growing cities because of population growth

Year(s):

2016

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Traffic

20162011

Built environment

Pressures

Approach/Process

Qualitative assessment was based on expert opinion, informed by peer-reviewed literature and publicly available reports.

The 2016 assessments were made from the same components as in 2011. Expert workshop participants assessed traffic as a pressure against the urban population centre sizes as specified in the 'State and trends' section. From those assessments, an aggregated assessment was made and further reviews based on data, content, expert peer review, and experts via online survey.

Data/Information sources

All sources are referenced in the 'Pressures' section.

Comments

Topics

Increased traffic

Traffic congestion will continue to increase in major cities as a result of population and economic growth, unless recent trends of reduced car use continue

Year(s):

2011

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

Increased traffic

Pollution

Air and water quality is generally good and meet relevant guidelines. However, where they fail, they have a high impact on populations and communities

Year(s):

2016

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Pollution

20162011

Built environment

Pressures

Approach/Process

Qualitative assessment was based on expert opinion, informed by peer-reviewed literature and publicly available reports.

The 2016 assessments were made from the same components as in 2011. Expert workshop participants assessed pollution as a pressure against the urban population centre sizes as specified in the 'State and trends' section. From those assessments, an aggregated assessment was made and further reviews based on data, content, expert peer review, and experts via online survey.

Data/Information sources

All sources are referenced in the 'Pressures' section.

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Increased pollution

Although pollution levels in Australia's cities are generally satisfactory, measures may not be in place to mitigate increased emissions resulting from population and economic growth.

Year(s):

2011

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Limited

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

Increased pollution

Consumption

Australian consumption rates are high, and continue to place pressure on water and energy resources. However, elements of energy and water consumption within the built environment have slowed in recent years, and amount of waste to landfill has decreased

Year(s):

2016

Stable

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Consumption

20162011

Built environment

Pressures

Approach/Process

Qualitative assessment was based on expert opinion, informed by peer-reviewed literature and publicly available reports.

The 2016 assessments were made from the same components as in 2011. Expert workshop participants assessed consumption as a pressure against the urban population centre sizes as specified in the 'State and trends' section. From those assessments, an aggregated assessment was made and further reviews based on data, content, expert peer review, and experts via online survey.

Data/Information sources

All sources are referenced in the 'Pressures' section.

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Increased consumption

Increasing consumption continues to place pressure on environmental resources, although there is some evidence that increases in the use of water and energy may be slowing. Waste generation, however, is continuing to grow faster than population

Year(s):

2011

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Limited

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

Increased consumption

Extreme climate events

In recent years, heatwaves, floods, fires and storms have occurred more frequently in many cities, and the frequency of these events is expected to increase

Year(s):

2016

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Extreme climate events

20162011

Built environment

Pressures

Approach/Process

Qualitative assessment was based on expert opinion, informed by peer-reviewed literature and publicly available reports.

The 2016 assessments were made from the same components as in 2011. Expert workshop participants assessed extreme climate events as a pressure against the urban population centre sizes as specified in the 'State and trends' section. From those assessments, an aggregated assessment was made and further reviews based on data, content, expert peer review, and experts via online survey.

Data/Information sources

All sources are referenced in the 'Pressures' section.

Comments

Nil.

Topics

Increased extreme weather events

Climate change is likely to lead to an increasing frequency of extreme weather events that affect the built environment

Year(s):

2011

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

Increased extreme weather events

Changes in sea levels

Sea levels are expected to continue to rise, and these changes place pressure on coastal locations and infrastructure. When the sea encroaches further onto the land, space for development is reduced

Year(s):

2016

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Somewhat adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Somewhat adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Somewhat comparable

Changes in sea levels

20162011

Built environment

Pressures

Approach/Process

Qualitative assessment was based on expert opinion, informed by peer-reviewed literature and publicly available reports.

The 2016 assessments were made from the same components as in 2011. Expert workshop participants assessed changes in sea levels as a pressure against the urban population centre sizes as specified in the 'State and trends' section. From those assessments, an aggregated assessment was made and further reviews based on data, content, expert peer review, and experts via online survey.

Data/Information sources

All sources are referenced in the 'Pressures' section.

Comments

Nil

Topics

Increased sea levels

Climate change is likely to lead to higher sea levels, leading to increased inundation of coastal areas in the built environment

Year(s):

2011

Deteriorating

Confidence (in grade):

Adequate

Confidence (in trend):

Adequate

Comparability (to previous reports):

Not assessed

Topics

Increased sea levels

Assessment Summary Key

Grades

Very low impact

The pressure has a negligible impact on the livability and efficiency of the built environment

Low impact

The pressure has a limited impact on some dimensions of the livability and efficiency of the
built environment

High impact

The pressure has a significant impact on some dimensions of the livability and efficiency of the
built environment

Very high impact

The pressure has a significant impact on many dimensions of the livability and efficiency of the
built environment

Recent Trends

Improving
Stable
Deteriorating
Unclear

Confidence

Adequate: Adequate high-quality evidence and high level of consensus
Somewhat adequate: Adequate high-quality evidence or high level of consensus
Limited: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Very limited: Limited evidence and limited consensus
Low: Evidence and consensus too low to make an assessment

Comparability

Comparable: Grade and trend are comparable to the previous assessment
Somewhat comparable: Grade and trend are somewhat comparable to the previous assessment
Not comparable: Grade and trend are not comparable to the previous assessment
Not previously assessed

Coleman S (2016). Built environment: Pressures affecting the built environment. In: Australia state of the environment 2016, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra, https://soe.environment.gov.au/assessment-summary-102-pressures-affecting-built-environment, DOI 10.4226/94/58b65a5037ed8

The assessment summaries in State of the Environment reporting provide snapshots of key information, and focus on identifying areas for continued or more concentrated attention on strengthening environmental systems to cope with pressures in the future. Assessment summaries are provided for state and trend, pressures and management responses in each of the themes. The summary text in the assessment tables should be read in conjunction with the explanatory text in each section of the theme chapters.

The authors have indicated the strength of the evidence for assessments with a ‘level of confidence’. If adequate high-quality data were available or consensus was high, confidence is indicated as high. If there were only limited data or consensus to determine grades, confidence is indicated as low. Where data are insufficient to attempt scores, this is also indicated, and the component remains on the list to remind readers that it is still an important aspect of the Australian environment, and that more information is needed to improve our understanding and capacity to respond to environmental challenges.

Ms Sarah Coleman

Pressures affecting the built environment