Interrogating Urban Renewal Scenarios Using Skyline Analysis in Fishermans Bend, Melbourne

Cities are often abstracted through their skylines. They reflect the interactions between historical, social, cultural, and economic forces in their societies (GASSNER 2009). As the skylines of many Australian cities continue to be shaped by urban renewal master plans, planning restrictions define the visual properties of such urban landscapes. In this paper, we take Fishermans Bend in Melbourne as a case study and propose a workflow that allows designers to test scenarios that incorporate variable bulk and height of future built forms. This is accomplished by reconstituting Google Earth 3D building information into photometric point cloud datasets, in order to measure and analyse visual and environmental impacts of future developments. We interrogated three urban renewal scenarios against existing conditions through the following skyline variations, 1) approved applications to be constructed, 2) suggested development application, and 3) future development in Fishermans Bend. Two vantage viewpoints, along the West Gate Freeway and New Quay in Docklands, respectively vehicular and pedestrian, were identified. In this scenario, we conclude that the sky factor ratio the measure visible sky, based on the unwrapped skyline diagram from the vehicular entry is reduced from 88% in the existing condition to 38 % by the planned future developments. This is a considerable change to the level of visibility and enclosure relative to the public vantage viewpoint, as the sky ratio is comparatively reduced from 75 % to 70 % by the future Fisherman Bend development. Using this method, we are able to quantify the impact of the development proposals. The unwrapped 2D diagram of skyline provided an inclusive method to study visual relationships of between existing and future building heights. In doing so, we weigh the significance of impacts of these scenarios within the realm of public spaces in order to manage the community's expectation and perception of their urban environments.