Activity centre
Encyclopedia
Activity centre is a term used in urban planning
and design
for a mixed-use urban area where there is a concentration of commercial and other land uses. For example, the central business district
s of cities (CBD) are also known as “Central Activities Districts” (CAD) (also known as Downtown
in North America
or "Central Activities Zone" in the United Kingdom
) in recognition of the fact that commercial functions are not the only things that do or should occur there. The term activity centre can also be used to designate an area for mixed-use development, whatever its current land use happens to be.
Activity centres can vary greatly in size from the central districts of large cities to regional commercial areas to neighbourhood shopping centres and strips. They can also refer to specialised agglomerations of activities such as urban university campuses or research institutes. They are an important concept in urban planning for Transit-oriented development
or TOD
, which seeks to intensify landuses around public transport
nodes to facilitate greater sustainability
in the way people and goods move around cities.
Activity centres are a key component of contemporary strategic planning for large dispersed cities like those in Australia, Canada, the USA and New Zealand. Examples of such planning include the Melbourne 2030
strategy for Melbourne
and the City of Cities metropolitan strategy for Sydney
.
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
for a mixed-use urban area where there is a concentration of commercial and other land uses. For example, the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
s of cities (CBD) are also known as “Central Activities Districts” (CAD) (also known as Downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
or "Central Activities Zone" in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) in recognition of the fact that commercial functions are not the only things that do or should occur there. The term activity centre can also be used to designate an area for mixed-use development, whatever its current land use happens to be.
Activity centres can vary greatly in size from the central districts of large cities to regional commercial areas to neighbourhood shopping centres and strips. They can also refer to specialised agglomerations of activities such as urban university campuses or research institutes. They are an important concept in urban planning for Transit-oriented development
Transit-oriented development
A transit-oriented development is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership...
or TOD
TOD
Tod may refer to:Surname:* James Tod, British East India Company army officer and political agent, author of Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan* John Tod, 1779-1830, an historical member of the U.S...
, which seeks to intensify landuses around public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
nodes to facilitate greater sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
in the way people and goods move around cities.
Activity centres are a key component of contemporary strategic planning for large dispersed cities like those in Australia, Canada, the USA and New Zealand. Examples of such planning include the Melbourne 2030
Melbourne 2030
The Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030 is a Victorian Government strategic planning policy framework for the metropolitan area of Greater Melbourne, intended to cover the period 2001-2030. During this period the population of the metropolitan area is expected to grow by a million people to over 5...
strategy for Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and the City of Cities metropolitan strategy for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.