New York is arguably one of the most populous cities in the world, not just in the United States, but it is subject to scrutiny. Meanwhile, Sydney, Australia's largest city, is relatively populated and has a vibrant nightlife that is important for science (Versus.com n.d.). In this respect, it is important to emphasize the spatial setting of both cities depending on the neighborhood and surroundings. The working paper thus seeks to make a comparison of New York and Sydney by making comparisons in the population structures, economic drivers, the city plans, transport network, potential and threats in the future.
Current Population Profile and Spatial Footprint
Considering its metropolitan area, the New York city has a total population of 16,626,000 and is composed of 6 percent of the national population (Inc. The Gale Group 2000a). Worldwide, New York is ranked at 5 with an annual growth rate of 0.4 percent. It is located on an area of 800 square kilometers. On the other hand, for Sydney, the Metropolitan area is ranked among the most populous areas in the world as it is ranked at number 71 as it is a lesser population and smaller geographical area (Inc. The Gale Group 2000b).
Urban Density and Form
The New York City is also called the Big Apple or the Empire City. The current urban population of 7,333,000. The ethnic composition is composed primarily of white who comprise 63.9 percent, blacks constituting 28.7 percent and the Asian and Pacific Islander who make up 7 percent (Inc. The Gale Group 2000a). These figures are comparable to Sydney where it is noted that the population is 3,665,000 that is composed of an area of 1735 square meters. The annual growth rate of the Sydney population is 0.4 percent with the central business district being named the Sydneysiders (Inc. The Gale Group 2000b). From the assessment of the parameters, the population of the New York metropolis is much higher than that of Sydney. Furthermore, the population density and the spatial footprint of New York dwarf that of Sydney based on the populous nature of the American city. Despite these differences, the annual population growth rate in both country cities is the same at a rate of 0.4 percent.
The Physical Setting
The New York structures constitute the city’s symbol of financial power and economic success. Towards the North is the colorful Chinatown and Tribeca that has been turned into a warehouse of artists’ galleries and lofts, hence ending up as a trendiest upscale residential city. Towards the north of Tribeca is the chic SoHo that has a rich history following its rejuvenation (Inc. The Gale Group 2000a). Between the 14th Streets and Houston is the Greenwich Village that prides itself of many artists, musician, and political radical which completes a city with a broad range of innovative options. Image of the 42 nd Street Canyon, New York. Image obtained from Thumb Press (Editorial Staff 2016) Meanwhile, in Australian, Sydney is located in 600 suburbs that are between the Blue Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the national parks that border the south and the north. It covers. The CBD is the South of Parramatta River and houses the government’s major buildings, shops and office towers (Inc. The Gale Group 2000b). The neighboring towns that are close include restaurants, King’s Cross and many other historical buildings. Thus, by making a comparison of the two cities, one would notice that because they are the metropolis, there are many key buildings and skyscrapers around the CBD that distinguish each of them. In fact, both boast a neighborhood of art and innovation here the Houston city in New York is comparable to the suburbs in the Sydney setting.
The Economy
New York’s economy is arguably stronger from the fact that there are over 200,000 businesses in the city. The cost of living in New York is higher than that of Sydney though both have a strong industrial base (Numbeo 2017a). The manufacturing sector plays a huge role in the city’s overall economic structure as it is home to 20 industrial parks and 11,000 manufacturers. The garment industry alone employs an estimated 75,000 people as the city is known for its appreciation of fashion. Meanwhile, for Sydney, the service economy is primarily funded by the government. It shares in the manufacturing sector as a prime of the economy as 75 percent of the jobs are in New South Wales and offers over half of the city’s total employment (Inc. The Gale Group 2000b). In total, almost half of the workforce is in the manufacturing sector, implying that both cities’ economies are founded on a culture of the manufacturing industry.
Major City Plans and Strategies
New York city plan is centered on its highways, bus and rail road service, and airports. The highways are particularly a huge boost as the city is known for the traffic and congestion. The New Jersey Turnpike becomes the Cross Bronx Expressway and heads north to the coast of New England. It then directs to become the Major Deegan Expressway as it approaches the north (Inc. The Gale Group 2000a). The plan of Sydney city, however, is centered on the availability of a vast harbor composed of bays and inlets. North and south sections result from the division of the harbor tunnel as the heart of the city if contained in 13 square kilometers. The two differ because while the setting of New York is from an inland perspective, Sydney is a coastal city (Meer 2016). The coastal plan of Sydney. Image obtained from Photography Blogger (2017)
Public Transport Availability
Because of New York’s rampant congestion, public means is developed and available with bus and railroad options being the most common, although airports also enhance public transportation. The bus service is offered by Amtrak and has stations at Chicago, Miami, New Orleans. Other bus services and rails include Metro-North and Long Island Railroad and New Jersey Transit (Inc. The Gale Group 2000a). Meanwhile, in Sydney, a similar scenario is noted as the city has a well-developed bus service having terminals at Wynyard, Circular Quay, Central Station, and the Town Hall (Inc. The Gale Group 2000b). The difference, however, is that while buses are interchangeable for rail roads in New York, the Sydney setting ensures that buses serve where there are no rail lines. Furthermore, while there is a developed ferry service in Sydney operated by the Sydney Transportation Authority, there is none in New York as it is an inland city.
Potential Future Threats and Opportunities
The greatest threat heading into the future for both cities is the problem of terrorism that is proving to be a huge challenge to counter. Lately, a man has been spotted to state that he would cause an attack on forecourt in Sydney (ABC News 2016). A similar statement has since been issued by a driver in New York (NBC Newyork 2016). Such threatening features thus make the cities a threat and a challenging environment even though the crime rate is higher in New York (Numbeo 2017b). Again, there are key threats that are applicable in the Australian town, like terrorism. Nevertheless, given the large population and stable economic setting of New York, there is still potential in the city. Meanwhile, in Sydney, the fact that it borders the sea ensures that it has advantages of importing with ease from all over the world, boosting trade, hence a future opportunity.
Conclusion
In summary, it is important to highlight that the cities of New York and Sydney share various key features that differentiate them. Physically, New York is more populous based on the large population that is responsible for the growth of the city. There are many similar features that characterize both cities including the fact that they both have a similar annual growth rate, boast a rich history in the building and neighborhoods, and the fact that both economies depend on the manufacturing sector. Thus, while there are differences, the binding factors ensure that the experience in New York would be similar to the one in Sydney.
References:
ABC News, 2016. Sydney Opera House threat: Man charged with making threats on forecourt. ABC News. Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-09/sydney-opera-house-man-accused-of-making-threats/7828460. Editorial Staff, 2016. 40 Amazing Pictures of New York City. Thumb Press. Available at: http://thumbpress.com/40-amazing-pictures-of-new-york-city/. Meer, E. Van Der, 2016. The massive difference between Sydney and New York City. News.com.au. Available at: http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/north-america/the-massive-difference-between-sydney-and-new-york-city/news-story/721792368b1cd939442a5464021dd66e. NBC Newyork, 2016. Driver Talked About Wanting to Attack NYC: Officials. NBC Newyork. Available at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/Terror-ISIS-Threat-in-NYC-304583301.html. Numbeo, 2017a. Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and New York, NY. Numbeo2. Available at: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Australia&city1=Sydney&country2=United+States&city2=New+York%2C+NY. Numbeo, 2017b. Crime Comparison Between Sydney and New York, NY. Numbeo. Available at: https://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Australia&city1=Sydney&country2=United+States&city2=New+York%2C+NY. Photography Blogger, 2017. 30 Pictures of Sydney, Australia. Photography Blogger. Available at: http://photographyblogger.net/30-pictures-of-sydney-australia/. The Gale Group, I., 2000a. New York. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities. Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/places/united-states-and-canada/us-political-geography/new-york#ECONOMY. The Gale Group, I., 2000b. Sydney. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cities. Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/places/australia-and-oceania/australian-and-new-zealand-political-geography/sydney#GETTING_AROUND. Versus.com, New York vs Sydney: 36 facts in comparison. Versus. Available at: https://versus.com/en/new-york-vs-sydney.
