Julie Matheson
Former Subiaco Councillor | Certified Financial Planner | Western Australia Party Leader
Density, not high-rise
An article in the property section of the West Australian yesterday caught my attention and is worth analysing for Subiaco.
The article refers to Professor Rob Adams, who is the director of city design in Melbourne and responsible for the ‘liveability changes’ in the city said that Melbourne was not a happy city in the past. It took the team work of councillors, politicians and government to make the necessary changes. Melbourne is now rated the most liveable city for the second year in a row. Perth came in ninth after Adelaide and Sydney.
Professor Adams said Melbourne “could double its population” and require just ” 7.5% of the metropolitan area”, and building heights of “no more than eight stories”. He said that you don’t need high-rise to get more density, but that we need to build in areas close to infrastructure without touching the suburbs. He made the point that “suburbs can become the new green lungs of our cities”.
Professor Adams also told the audience at the Committee for Perth event that Melbourne planted lots of trees, wherever there was a space for them, because it is the cheapest way to change the feel of the street. What they also did was making shopping more fun by opening up laneways and arcades and let people have them at very low rent for commercial use. Although it was controversial at the time Melbourne closed off a section of Swanston Street for cars and now 65,000 people walk through daily.
Professor Adams also “urged the Perth audience to leave the suburbs intact and concentrate higher density residential developments using modest heights where there is existing infrastructure”.
Ref: The West Australian, Property, 12 September 2012, p.19
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