‘A Fantasy to Get Employment Around the Area’: Long Commutes and Resident Health in an Outer Urban Master-Planned Estate

Abstract

The Selandra Rise master-planned estate (MPE) in Melbourne’s south-east growth corridor was designed to create a “healthy and engaged community” through the provision of parks, physical activity opportunities and community facilities. A 5 year longitudinal study researched the impact on residents. Over one third of residents spent 2 to 3 h per day commuting and high levels of dissatisfaction with commutes were found. Longer commute times were associated with poor physical activity and weight outcomes. The paper concludes that provisions for health and wellbeing within an MPE are insufficient when opportunities for local employment are limited and broader locational, connectivity and transport disadvantages are not addressed.

墨尔本东南增长带的总体规划项目赛兰德拉莱斯（Selandra Rise）的设计目标是提供公园、健身机 会和社区设施，创建“健康和参与性社区”。一项持续5 年的纵向研究项目研究这一项目对居民的影响。居民中超过三分之一的人每天上下班的路上要花2 到3 个小时，对交通状况很不满意。 上下班路途长，健身运动的时间就短，体重也就会增加。本文认为一旦就近就业的机会不充足， 对较大区域内联结和交通不便的问题不重视，总体规划项目就无法提供充分的健康和幸福的机会。

Keywords:

• Master-planned estate
• health
• commuting
• greenfield
• physical activity
• residential development

Acknowledgements

We thank all the participants for their generous involvement. An earlier version of this paper was delivered to the 2015 State of Australian Cities Conference.

Notes

1. Pseudonyms are used.