Planning and Management of Darling Harbor

You are asked to walk around Darling Harbour and undertake an examination of the precinct to identify possible issues, problems or challenges that might need to be addressed in the ongoing planning and management of the area. The specific tasks in this field exercise are as follows: 1. Observe/Discuss the physical character of the place, the mixture of land uses and activities, the types of people using the place and the range of things they do. Consider how people move around the precinct. Does it cater for all users - locals and tourists? For example wayfinding (directional signage etc.) - is it adequate/appropriate for non english speaking users? Consider disabled access etc. To supplement your observations you may wish to talk to a number of people within the precinct to get a better understanding of their perspectives, although this is an optional extra. 2. Make an evaluation of the precinct with respect to how well it ‘performs’ as an urban tourism precinct. In this exercise you should be trying to think broadly about how others might see it, rather than just giving a personal response. In doing this evaluation you should: a. Consider initially how well it performs with respect to all users - including locals and visitors; b. Come to some conclusions about the destination in terms of sustainability. Is Darling Harbour a sustainable tourism destination? Consider all the resources available for tourism and how they are managed and protected. You should make notes during your visit/discussion and, as a group, write up your observations and responses to the above points. (Minimum 500 words)