抄録
A number of articles have been written on the relationship between cities and suburbs around the globe. However, surprisingly few studies have been undertaken on Australian cities. This paper is an attempt to examine city development and a series of evolving processes occurring in residential areas in Melbourne, Australia. The paper begins with an archival-based discourse on how Melbourne has formed its structure. It is followed by succinct comparative observations among Melbourne, European and US cities. The key findings are: (i) Melbourne extended urban rail lines into open countryside to create new suburbs, particularly in the "land boom" of the 1880s. Melbourne's basic city function as transit-oriented was made at that time. (ii) The city saw sprawling tendencies, throughout the 1960s and 70s, and was moving towards a car-based city like those commonly observed in the US. (iii) Melbourne is, at the moment, located somewhere between an Asian or European transit-oriented city and an American automobile reliant city. These physical differences of city structure are affected by precedent economic, socio-demographic and cultural elements.
