Profile of Fitzroy Neighbourhood, Australia - Case Study Example

STUDENT NAME: XXXXXX TUTOR: XXXXXX TITLE: Neighbourhood Profile DATE: XXXXXX ©2016 Neighbourhood Profile Case Study of Fitzroy Neighbourhood, City of Yarra, Queensland State, Australia Figure 1: Fitzroy Neighbourhood Plan[Goe09] Introduction A neighbourhood profile is a description of a specific geographic area. It mainly comprises of detailed facts about the people, places, services, infrastructure and activities which contribute to the identity of the area in question. The development of a neighbourhood profile is an essential step in the Neighbourhood Planning process. The kinds of engagements that typically exist among neighbours have been viewed as taking different forms. The relations between neighbours and social ties of other forms have weakened over the course of time, with neighbours being reduced to apathetic strangers, with very little care for one another, remaining keepers of a minimalist moral order (Sennet, 1998) and (Baumgartner, 1988). This view is held by those concerned about the eroding effects of globalization, mobility and individualization of social life. Running concurrent to these theoretical propositions, are empirical studies showing that the provision of local forms of support are closely related to thriving relations among neighbours, thus of great importance (Unger D., 1985), social integration (Henig, 2012), higher levels of neighbourhood satisfaction (Parkes A., 2002) and the provision of informal social control and concomitant reduction in fear of crime (Sampson, 2003). In an attempt to reconcile these views, a third school of thought has arisen, which is of the notion that contemporary notions of privacy limit the interactions between neighbours, but also maintaining meaningful relationships through adherence to norms of ‘friendly distance’[Cro02]. This is generally considered to be most indicative of neighbour relations in a particular locality. Case Study - Fitzroy Neighbourhood The Fitzroy neighbourhood is one of 10 neighbourhoods in the City of Yarra, located in Queensland, Australia. It is named after Sir Charles Fitzroy, who was Governor of New South Wales from 1846 to 1855. To the north, it is bounded by Alexandra Parade, Smith Street to the east, to the south, Victoria Parade and Nicholson Street to the west. The neighbourhood covers an area of approximately 140 hectares, with a population density of 58.91 people per hectare, higher than the average for the City of Yarra, of 35.54 people per hectare (2006) (Goeman, 2009). Fitzroy is a mixed- use area, with residential, commercial and light industrial areas. Development of the area dates originally from 1839. St Vincent’s Hospital, the areas main health center, was constructed in the 1890’s [Goe09]. The Wurundeji are acknowledged to be the first owners, but other Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people are recognized as indigenous population. There have been new migrants to the area since the Second World War, such as Italians and Greeks in the 1960’s and more recently from Africa and Asia. Gentrification occurred in the area during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The essential social amenities in the area include schools such as Fitzroy and Sacred Heart Primary Schools, Academy of Mary Immaculate Secondary School, higher education centers such as Australian Catholic University and medical facilities such as St Vincent’s Hospital, among others. (Goeman, 2009) Demographics The total population of the neighbourhood is 8,822 people. Out of these, most are mainly between the ages of 18 and 64 (totalling up to 78%). 8.8% of the population are between the ages of 65-84, with less than 1% being over the age of 85. Fitzroy has a relatively similar percentage of young people with the City of Yarra (12.4% and 13% respectively.) (Goeman, 2009) The percentage of males in the neighbourhood is more (51%) compared to the females (49%), which is the opposite of the figures for the Yarra municipality (50.9% female and 49.1% male). The household size in Fitzroy is about 2.09 people on average. Overseas born residents in Fitzroy form a higher percentage of the population (33%), compared with the City of Yarra in general (27.7%). The main countries of origin for these overseas residents are Vietnam (4.8%), United Kingdom (4.3%), China (3.6%) and New Zealand (3.1%). Nearly a quarter of Fitzroy residents (23.9%) are from non-English speaking backgrounds, which is higher than for Yarra as a whole (19.4% of the Yarra population are from non-English speaking backgrounds). Nonetheless, 56.4% of the Fitzroy population was born in Australia. Population projections for Fitzroy have the neighbourhood increasing to 10,092 by 2021. Local Facilities The Fitzroy neighbourhood consists of various facilities in the immediate area. These are a maternal and child health center, seven childcare and pre- school centers, two primary schools, a secondary school, an adult education campus, a library, two hospitals, two community health centers, 2 aged facilities and a Neighbourhood House. Crime and Incident Data Empirical studies conducted on social behavior have shown that the rate of crime in a neighbourhood is related to the economic well- being of the residents, with low-income areas being the most prone to own crime and damage to property (van Eijk, 2012). Isolated incidents also occur in middle-class and affluent neighbourhoods. The population distribution in the Fitzroy neighbourhood concerning Queensland, according to their economic status is shown below; Figure 2: Graph of Population Distribution by Index of Relative Socio- Economic Disadvantage Quintiles[Que03] On average, the population of the Fitzroy statistical district is a bit worse of compared to the population of Queensland regarding economic status. It can get deduced that the crime rate in the statistical division is expected to be slightly higher than that of Queensland as a whole. Figure 3: Graph of broad Offence Rates[Que03] The crimes committed in the Fitzroy area can broadly get categorized as offences against persons (such as homicide, assault or sexual offences), crimes against property (such as unlawful entry, arson or stealing) and other offences (such as prostitution and drug offences). The prevalence of such crimes, concerning Queensland is shown in figure 5; Fitzroy neighbourhood has higher rates of offences against the person and other offences than the state as a whole, but the offences against property are significantly lower than that of Queensland. The results obtained may be attributed to the lower economic status of the neighbourhood, making crime more prevalent. Figure 4: Crime Statistics[Que03] In general, offences against property are the most perpetrated crimes in the neighbourhood, with property damage and automobile theft being the most prevalent. Drug offences and Good order offences are also significant concerns in the area. Figure 5: Pie chart of crimes committed in the City of Yarra[Goe09] The crimes against property form the lion’s share of the offences committed in the City of Yarra, which is in line with the Fitzroy neighbourhood. Drug offences are also rampant throughout the city, not only in Fitzroy. Victimization data The City of Yarra has seen an increase in the number of assaults and robberies reported. A recent survey found that one in three Australian women and one in two Australian men had directly been affected either physically or emotionally by violence as from the age of 15 (Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and Their Children, 2012). Young females of around 20 years of age are at the most risk of physical or sexual assault. Male violence against women impacts significantly on the safety, health and well – being of the Yarra community (Our Watch, n.d.). Moreso, violence is the single factor most likely to contribute to death, disability and illness in Victorian women aged between 15 and 44 (Anon., 2012). Residents who were familiar with the neighbourhood (about 92%) and knew their fellow residents (about 68%) felt relatively safe in their community. In general, the survey found out that the residents of Fitzroy area feel less safe (about 34%), compared to the Yarra average of 49% (Goeman, 2009). Problem priorities in the neighbourhood An investigation of the Fitzroy region got conducted by the Yarra Community Survey in 2008 (Goeman, 2009). From the results, the residents participating in the survey felt more strongly about the following issues, significantly more compared to the Yarra City average; Security About 10% of the respondents feel unsafe in the neighbourhood, compared to the 1% Yarra average. The rates of crime in the neighbourhood are alarmingly high, with people and property being most at risk from break- ins and motor vehicle theft. Traffic Poor traffic management and lack of speed limits have been identified by 33% of the respondents as being a major issue, compared to the 15% Yarra average. This poor management may have resulted in congestion during rush hour, causing loss of precious man hours. Setting up of speed limits and their proper enforcement could help reduce motor vehicle accidents, preventing loss of lives and damage to property. Environment 17% of the respondents identified the lack of tree cover in the neighbourhood as an issue that required tackling. A further 23% were repulsed by the dirty streets and another 23% by the noise generated by the various activities taking place in the neighbourhood. Potential solutions ‘Neighbourliness’ The neighbourhood is located in an urban area, and the level of interaction between neighbours is naturally very limited. It means that there is no mutual trust between the residents. Social forums should be encouraged to help develop interpersonal relationships amongst the population. This could contribute to reducing the incidences of break-ins and theft as the person perpetrating these acts, being in need could very easily get assistance from his fellow neighbours. The leadership of the neighbourhood could help promote such social gatherings, as it could also provide them with additional forums to put their opinions on the policies they wish to implement to the residents. However, this may be of no consequence if the criminals are motivated by malice, instead of basic human need. Increased police presence The residence feels that the ratio of police officers to the neighbourhood population is imbalanced, meaning that the law enforcers are overwhelmed by the responsibility on their hands. Deployment of more police officers and more routine patrols would help reduce the incidences of property damage and automobile theft. The increased police presence would also discourage dealers in prohibited substances, mainly drug peddlers and merchants, from doing business in the neighbourhood. It would require corporation of the Queensland State Police Department to actualize the demand. Proper traffic management Implementation of measures that will help reduces traffic congestion. The establishment and strict implementation of speed limits in areas that are prone to accidents, such as near schools, will contribute to reducing accidents resulting from speeding. This will require the formation and pass of by- laws by the leaders of the neighbourhood to govern the behavior of the residents. Critique of Neighbourhood Profile The picture portrayed of the Fitzroy neighbourhood may not be an accurate depiction of the actual condition of the street. This could have been brought about by various factors that could have resulted in error in the data collected from the survey. Some of the significant factors include; Data gathering process The suitability of the process employed in conducting the investigation of the residents of Fitzroy neighbourhood to obtain correct data is dependent on various factors, such as; Sample population The statistics of the Yarra Community Survey (2008) were based on a relatively small sample number and only acts as an indicator of the whole population. This could differ significantly from the actual situation on the ground if a wrong sample population were chosen to undertake the survey. This could result in the issues a majority of the residents of the neighbourhood care about being neglected. Method of sampling The different methods of sampling in use have various degrees of error when used to conduct a survey. This error needs to be accounted for and corrected to obtain accurate data Accuracy of Responses The perspective and preferences of the respondents play a significant role in the type of answers given during the survey. Residents who like the neighbourhood have been shown to give more favorable responses while residents not particularly impressed would likely fixate on the negative aspects of the community. This error due to bias needs to be corrected as well to provide an accurate representation of the actual condition of the neighbourhood. Data Intelligence Used Data information can be defined as the analysis of different types of data to deduce information useful to companies in expanding their services or investment (Technopedia, n.d.). In this context, the local authorities could use the data collected in the Yarra Community Survey to provide much-needed services and facilities to the residents of the Fitzroy neighbourhood. The crime rate occurrence and distribution records could be used to identify the regions that are most prone and measures taken to curb these vices. The victimization data also gives the local authorities a guide as to the section of the residents most exposed to crime and assault to offer better protection to these groups of people. Intelligence gaps Though the sampling method, sample size and the method of data collection employed meet the minimum requirements for the survey, the data collected may fall short in addressing some issues which are unforeseen or be realistically be accounted for during data collection. Some of these problems include; Foreign population Being an urban area, the Fitzroy neighbourhood experiences an influx of visitors from adjacent areas. This influx population is not accounted for in the survey conducted; thus, the neighbourhood profile is inaccurate. This could account for a significant number of the offences carried out in the community, as they have the advantage of anonymity among the residents, thus making them harder to track down. This data can be corrected for in the neighbourhood profile by studying the movement patterns of people in the City of Yarra and the Queensland State in general. This will give a general depiction of the visitors expected in the neighbourhood, and those suspected to be of malice intent more easily identified and curtailed. Responder bias The responses received during the survey are subject to the respondents’ preferences and prejudices and can cause inaccurate inferences being made. Changes need to be made to data to correct for these errors. Alternative Sources of Intelligence In any survey of population conducted, it is expected that there will be various shortcomings and challenges arising from the size of the population to be surveyed, the method of sampling and data collection employed, the willingness of the residents to give accurate responses, among others. In an ideal world, the errors arising from these commonly used methods are non - existent, or have been accounted for and corrected appropriately. Other sources that could have been used to gain further information for the neighbourhood profile include; Previous surveys Studies conducted earlier in the neighbourhood could help provide information about emerging trends in the population of the area. This trends could identify deficiencies in the social amenities, thus allowing for adjustments be made to cope with these changes, such as annual crime data surveys give information about the changing rates of various crimes to show the issues the local authorities need to address. Official statistics The conduct of a study is a relatively expensive endeavor. Records of statistics undertaken by the formal organization tasked with demographic studies provide information about the neighbourhood, which would be essential in the formation of a neighbourhood profile. In this case, records for Fitzroy could be requested from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. A survey of the neighbourhood, focusing on information considered crucial for the neighbourhood profile but not in the official records, could then be conducted to give a more detailed description of the community. This helps reduce the cost of the survey as relatively little data is required to be collected. References Goe09: , (Goeman, 2009), Cro02: , (Crow G., 2002), Goe09: , (Goeman, 2009), Que03: , (Queensland Police, 2002 - 2003), Read More