How The Calculations Were MadeHow The Calculations Were Made
The 2011 Australian National Census has given us a powerful tool to analyse the
population density impacts of tall boundary-to-boundary apartments that are now
appearing in our tightly packed inner city neighbourhoods.
It is worth noting that tall apartment buildings do not necessarily show
high population densities, at least the ones I have analysed in Flemington.
There are three steps you must follow if you wish to calculate population density.
Use Google Maps to find the name of some streets near your place.
Then you must establish
the number of people who live in your SA1.
This is an area in your neighbourhood that has roughly 300 to 500
residents. You can find this number
by typing in a street address. An
interesting web address to use is
http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/2112102?opendocument&navpos=95. This
link will show you what the search provides if you are successful!
Now try your own address. You
will need to find the link
http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/map. You
must use the address search option to find the map and information about your
block.
The final step is to find
the useful area around your house. Do not include drains, tollways or railway lines.
You can walk around your block with the appropriate iPhone app or use
this mapping tool.
http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/pmo.jsp
Divide the number of
residents by the area selected. You can now show that “hot spots” around
Melbourne match some of the highest population densities in the world.