Build your city along the coastline – Lets become a tourist city!

1. Well, hello there!So – a little birdy told me you want to build a sustainable Australian city…Well, its not all sunshine and rainbows you know!Ok, so lets discuss our options. Do you… Develop an existing city – if something is broken, you fix it – you don’t throw it away! Construct your city amongst Australia’s famous and scenic bushlands! Build your city along the coastline – Lets become a tourist city!

2. Ok, so you have decided to base your city in the bushlands! Now - what are we going to do with all these trees? Cut down trees and use their wood to reduce import of building materials Build your city in the tree-tops, like one big eco-friendly treehouse!

3. Make way trees, development in process!Wait…there seems to be a problem….Your reduction of natural bushlands has resulted in the elimination of the last of the critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frogs! As a result, your bug problem gets out of hand. People move away for fear of bug-spread diseases.

4. You discover you have built your city in the breeding ground of the dangerous Funnel Web Spider! Do you… Attempt to stamp out the species – no way you are wasting all that money because of a few spiders! Cut your losses and relocate your city to another area

5. Your attempt to stamp out the spiders is long and costly. People move away, unwilling to risk their lives until you have the problem under control. You have now spent millions on a city to be occupied only by the arachnids.

6. You choose to build your city somewhere else. You have already spent millions on an unliveable city. The pressure is on. What do you do? Develop an existing city – if something is broken, you fix it – you don’t throw it away! Build your city along the coastline – Lets become a tourist city!

7. You decide to develop an existing city! Lets start bulldozing! Now, should this city be….. A low density city – The Australian Dream here we come! A high density city – everything anyone could need in one place!

8. A low density city of course! However, all this space does cause a problem… How are we all going to get around? Public transport! Cleaner and greener! Cars! How else?

9. Lack of public transport has led to a congested city with high pollution levels. Your population has become so stressed because they spend so much time sitting in traffic everywhere they go. They start to move elsewhere, and your beloved city grinds to a halt.

10. City roads are organised and not congested. The public transport network you designed is incredibly slow, but it works, and minimizes congestion. However, because your population is so spread out, buses and trains cannot reach everyone. Do you… Introduce automobiles for those who do not have access to public transport Bring the city to the suburbs, so no one has to travel!

11. Your city is balanced out by cars and public transport. There is congestion in some areas, but overall your city is free of build-up. It isn’t perfect, but people are happy. Overall, your city is a success!Click on the gold star to proceed…

12. You decide to bring the city to the suburbs…jobs, shopping and health-care are now easier to access, because they are located in all the suburbs. However, you have built an unsustainable, high-pollution city due to urban sprawl and lack of community structure. People move away.

13. People are packed in like sardines! It has become your slogan. But people are complaining that there is too much pollution too close to their homes. Do you… Build parks and trees to provide more air and make the city more attractive! Persevere! They don’t know what’s good for them!

14. People are still complaining, but the air is healthier and your city is walkable because it is so dense. You city is reasonably sustainable!Click on the gold star to proceed…

15. People start to move away because their opinions aren’t being taken into consideration, and their health is being compromised. Your city is unsuccessful.

16. Now the focus of the tourist destination will be – the beach! Ok, so where to build the high-rise apartments? 5 minute walk from the beach! The views will be spectacular! Right on the water! A minute’s walk to paradise!

17. You didn’t take into account global warming! You city goes great for the first few years, but as the sea levels begin to rise, they begin to flood your apartments. You spend millions relocating them back inland, but people have already begun to move away.

18. Your city is close enough to the ocean that the tourists flood in. But – you have a problem. All these tourists are accidentally destroying the coral by stepping on them with their fins! What do you do?! You decide to invest in the creation of a fake reef to give the real one time to repair… Ignore it. If you start telling off tourists they wont come back…

19. After a couple of years, the situation becomes critical. The reef is dying, and people are starting to point fingers in your direction, asking why nothing was done sooner to protect the reef and its ecosystems. You blame the tourists. Its not YOUR fault that they stepped on the reefs! You accept responsibility for not acting earlier, and begin creating a fake reef right away!

20. You blame the tourists, but the fish aren’t biting! People begin protesting in the streets, the story goes up on national news, and the government is now investigating the issue. Your city quickly empties. No one wants to go on holidays in what has become a sombre grey coral graveyard.

21. Well, people aren’t happy. It is too little, too late. The reef is almost entirely dead, and marine specialists inform you that some corals take hundreds of years to grow to full size. It is evident that your restoration program will not succeed any time soon. The city empties as the ocean becomes a sombre grey coral graveyard.

22. You begin to build fake reefs right away! However, these planted, fast growing selection of coral take a few years to grow. In the meantime, you: Allow tourists to continue going out to the reefs, but rise the prices to discourage them. Restrict access to the reefs and build a museum to enable tourists to see how the reef once was.

23. Your museum is a hit, and most tourists appreciate the need to repair the reefs. However, this is not a long term solution, as you begin to wonder how you will better protect the reef next time. Do you… Discontinue scuba diving and snorkelling, but instead allow tourists to explore with glass bottom boats. Restrict access to the reefs altogether. The museums will suffice

24. Years after your museum was built, your tourist industry starts to die off. People are becoming bored, with nothing new and exciting to be seen or experienced. People start to holiday elsewhere, and your city quickly empties.

25. Your glass bottomed boats are successful! Tourists can still view the reef in all its glory, and worries for the survival of the different coral species are long gone. Your city continues to flood with tourists every year, and becomes famous for its beautiful reefs and conservation programs.Click on the gold star to proceed…

26. People are unhappy with the rising costs of a swim amongst the already dying reefs. They argue that the price isn’t worth seeing a bunch of dead sea plants, and begin to holiday elsewhere.

27. Congratulations!You have produced a successful city!Whew! That was a lot of work, but it was worth it in the end! Three gold stars for sustainability!!! Now head on home and explore other ways you could build a sustainable city…