GTAV MAP Learning Exercises: year 7

Each year, cities around the world are ranked by The Economist newspaper which uses a number of social, environmental and economic factors to measure liveability. For the last seven years (until 2018), Melbourne was considered the most liveable city in the world. Melbourne scored maximum points in healthcare, education and infrastructure and has improved in its culture and environment. In 2018, Vienna topped the liveability ranking in front of Melbourne.

PART ONE: VISUALISING HEALTH

Opening the GTAV Map

• Go to the GTAV – AURIN map website: https://gtav.aurin.org.au/

• Click I agree to the disclaimer

Adding a map layer

• On the left side, click on the blue Add data button
• Click on the Year 7 Place and Liveability heading and click on the APMRC – Metro ARIA (SA1) 2014.
• Click Add to the Map. See screenshot below.

• Zoom into Melbourne so it fills the screen. The information on this map shows the ease or difficulty people face accessing health services and is based on the measurement of road distances people travel to reach health services such as hospitals.

1) Use the map to complete the following:

a) Look at the key/legend to determine what the colours mean. What colour is used for very high accessibility? What colour is used for limited accessibility?

b. Fill in the gaps to describe the pattern of where the areas with very high accessibility to health care have are located.

Areas with very high access to healthcare are clustered around ___________ Melbourne within _______ km of the CBD. This includes suburbs such as __________, ______________ and _____________ in the inner areas of Melbourne. These areas also extend out of this area, to suburbs in the _________________ such as Dandenong, and Ringwood to the __________ of the CBD.

Words to use: Central, Kew, Richmond, Footscray, south-east, east, 10km

c. Using the structure in the question above, describe where the areas with very low accessibility to health care have are located.

The following map shows the location of major public hospitals in Melbourne (Source: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/maps/downloads/mhs/all/downpdf.pdf)

2) Use the map above to answer the following questions:

a. How many hospitals are located within the CBD? Hint – look at the box labelled X which shows hospitals in central Melbourne.

b. According to the map, do you think the accessibility to healthcare is linked to the location of hospitals?

c. Name two hospitals that are located within areas of very high care accessibility to support your answer

PART TWO: ANALYSING HEALTH

In the GTAV Map, zoom into the suburb of Chelsea, located by the bay in south-east Melbourne

3) Answer the following questions:

a. Which two levels of accessibility to health care are shown in this suburb?

b. If you lived in Chelsea, how far would it be to get to Frankston hospital as the crow flies? Using the measuring tool measure the distance from Chelsea train station to Frankston hospital, by clicking on one location and then the other. (See screenshot below)

c. Why is access to health an important part of liveability?

d. How far is it as the crow flies from your house to the nearest hospital?

e. Write a letter to the Health Minister for Victoria to persuade them which two areas should get new hospitals in Melbourne. Your letter should include the following points:

i. In which suburbs would you put these new hospitals and why.

ii. For each one, provide the name of the suburb you choose, the current level of accessibility to health care and the distance to the nearest hospital. For this last point, use Google Maps and calculate the driving distance from that suburb to the nearest hospital.

Liveability and transport Despite most places in Melbourne having good access to healthcare, a report by RMIT University’s Centre for Urban Research shows that Melbourne needs to improve its liveability in areas such as car-free access to services and facilities.

PART ONE: VISUALISING TRANSPORT

Opening the GTAV Map

• Go to the GTAV – AURIN map website: https://gtav.aurin.org.au/

• Click I agree to the disclaimer

Adding a map layer

• On the left side, click on the blue Add data button
• Click on the Year 7 Place and Liveability heading and click on the APMRC – Metro ARIA (SA1) 2014.
• Click Add to the Map.
• Ensure you select Metro ARIA Transport from the drop-down menu. See the screenshot below

1) Zoom into Melbourne so it fills the screen

a) As you move your mouse around, note that the location of each place comes up as coordinates of latitude and longitude at the bottom of the screen (see map below).

b. In the above example the area highlighted is Rowville. Compare the accessibility of transport between Coburg (37.741S, 144.965E) and Timbertop Drive, Rowville (37.934S, 145.223E). You can copy and paste the latitude/longitude into the “Search” panel. It then appears in “Locations” and click on the symbol to take you directly to that location. Click on the X in “Search” to bring up the legend again.

c. Zoom into the Coburg region. If you lived on the corner of Victoria St and Nelson Street, to the west of Coburg train station, what is your distance to Coburg Station? To measure distance click on the ‘measure’ tab, as shown below, and express your answer to the nearest metre

d. Zoom into the Timbertop Drive, Rowville region.

e. Imagine you live in Timbertop Drive, Rowville. Give two reasons why you would be reliant on your car, using evidence from the map.

PART TWO: ANALYSING TRANSPORT

In order to address the problem of low accessibility to transport, Melbourne has an ambitious plan to improve the access that people have towards public transport. As part of this a target has been set to ensure 95 per cent of residences (homes) are located within a 400-metre walk to a bus stop, 600m to a tram stop or 800m to a train station. In 2018, only 69 per cent of residences in Melbourne meet this target.

2. Use the GTAV map to complete the following:

a. Consider the distance from your house to the nearest bus, train or tram stop. Use the measuring tool to calculate these distances. Using the same criteria as the map legend, how would you rate your access to public transport?

b. Is your house within a 400-metre walk to a bus stop, 600m to a tram stop or 800m to a train station? Provide measuring data in your answer.

c. Take photos in your local area to demonstrate the access to transport. You may want to take photos of signs, roads, car parks and railway stations. Overall in your local area is it easier to travel by car or public transport?

d. Conduct a survey in your class to find out how people travel to school. How many people live within a 400-metre walk to a bus stop, 600m to a tram stop or 800m to a train station? Construct column graphs to show the results. Add an appropriate title and axis labels to your graph.

By 2028, Melbourne is projected to be Australia’s largest populated city. Here is an article about the rapid growth of Melbourne and some of the issues faced.

1) Read the article and complete the following

a. By how much is Melbourne’s population growing each year?

b. How many more trips will need to be catered for on public transport by 2050?

c. Compare the aerial images of Point Cook. What was the land used for in 2010?

d. Look at a map to find out where Point Cook is located. Describe its location in relation to other places. (Clue: where is it compared to Melbourne’s CBD? Where is it in relation to Geelong?)

Opening the GTAV Map

• Go to the GTAV – AURIN map website: https://gtav.aurin.org.au/

• Click I agree to the disclaimer

Adding a map layer

• On the left side, click on the blue Add data button
• Click on the Year 7 Place and Liveability heading and click on the ABS – Estimated Residential Population (SA2) 2004-2015. 
• Click Add to the Map.
• Zoom into the suburb of Point Cook in Melbourne, by typing Point Cook into the Search box, and clicking on the name Point Cook, VIC that appears under Locations (shown below).
• Click on the X in “Search” to bring up the legend again.

• Click on the calendar icon which will bring up a timeline of data (see below) and select 2004 from the options

2) Use the map to answer the following questions:

a. What was the population of Point Cook in 2004?

b. Click on the calendar icon again – what was the population of Point Cook in 2015?

We’re now going to add a second layer of data onto the map to compare population size with access to transport in Point Cook.

Before you add a new layer of data:

• Click on the calendar icon and scroll down to select 1/1/2015 as the date (ensure it is still on 2015 from the previous step)
• Click on the Add data button and add the layer called Metro ARIA Public Transport
• To see both the population and transport layers to compare them, click on the split screen button on the right side of the page (Number 1 in image below)
• On the left side of the screen where the layers are listed, select ‘left’ for public transport and ‘right’ for residential population. (Number 2 in image below)
• se the slider across the screen (Number 3 in image below) to compare the population and access to public transport. Make sure you can see both legends.

3. Use the map to answer the following questions:

a) What do you notice about Point Cook’s population size and growth, compared to access to public transport?

b. How might this influence the type of transport used in Point Cook?

c. If you lived in Point Cook and needed to travel to Etihad (Marvel) Stadium by 7pm this coming Saturday, what would be the fastest time it would take you:

i. by car?

ii. by public transport?

To calculate the above, search for Point Cook in Google and open the Google Maps option for it. Click on the Directions option (see arrow below)

You can scroll through the options and change the date and time of travel using the tabs given (see below).

Extension activity:

Investigate another area and analyse its population growth and access to transport.

Write three sentences that summarise what you have learnt about:

• Liveability in Melbourne

• Access to transport in your area

• Using GIS maps to investigate data and patterns.