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The
photos for this semester's web site were taken at Streets
Beach in Brisbane, Australia. Going to the beach is often cited as
an essential feature of Australian culture. Looking at a
map of population density
for Australia, it is easy to see that most Australians live near the coast.
Brisbane, however, is located some distance from the coast on a river.
The Streets Beach offers residents and visitors a safe and clean place
to swim. The Streets Beach might be consdered to be one example of how
humans produce nature. Instead of simply
installing a swimming pool, the architects included features designed
to simulate a beach. Many other locations along the Queensland coast also
have similar municipal swimming lagoons because sharks, jellyfish, and
currents make swimming in the ocean dangerous. These lagoons are not just
about providing people with a place to swim. They are also features that
help draw residents and tourists to business districts and further goals
for economic development. Finally
the Streets Beach and places like it serve as important public
spaces where one can see and experience the diversity of Australias'
multicultural society.

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