The disruptive force of densification

This morning I joined a panel discussion at the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Cities 2016 Conference. This post shares some of my thoughts on how densification might disrupt the traditional patterns of urban development and how we need diversity, design and decentralisation when building the cities of the future.

We’re living in the age of digital disruption, with the emergence of innovations like autonomous vehicles, decentralised energy and the sharing economy – all enabled by vast broadband networks. But disruption is also coming in the ‘built form’ of densification.

In 1900 only 10 per cent of the global population lived in cities, today it’s five times that amount. By 2050 more than 70 per cent of people on earth will live in cities. While Australia is already one of the most urbanised countries in the world, we won’t be immune from the impacts of mass urbanisation.

In Sydney, we’re going to need an extra 664,000 new homes over the next 20 years alone, just to keep pace with demand.  As Sydney reaches its geographical limits and we look to find more housing supply, I’m reminded that Greater London houses three times as many people, with only two thirds of the land area

Density is about more than just tall buildings

Density doesn’t mean the same thing everywhere. It’s not about the number of dwellings per kilometre; it’s about the number of people. Our challenge is to find the right types of housing for the right types of places and that means we need to embrace housing diversity.

Take some of the densest suburbs in Sydney - Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. According to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, these suburbs have densities of over 13,000 residents per square kilometre, some of the highest in Australia, yet there is no one dominant type of built form. They are also rated as the most liveable, amenable and accessible suburbs in Australia, showing density can deliver great results for communities.

Grand plans, require grand designs

The disruptive force of densification is going to create real challenges and opportunities for city dwellers, city workers and those making the choice to move to great global cities like Sydney. They key to creating more diverse neighbourhoods and great places to live is good design. While the Government can provide spatial plans and residential apartment design guides, they are baselines not benchmarks. We want to be an advocate for urban development and what it can deliver for communities, but it’s up to industry to innovate and deliver the designs of the future. To make the case for density, we need developments that respect and improve their surroundings.

 Density requires decentralisation

As ironic as it seems, achieving greater density requires greater decentralisation. To meet the demands of population growth, we need to decentralise to our existing urban centres within Sydney. That means growing places outside the Sydney CBD like Parramatta, Liverpool, Penrith and Campbelltown to ensure that the challenges and opportunities density provides are spread equitably around our city.  Even though each urban centre may not be suitable for every industry, the right investment in the right areas will enable growth in specific sectors. The same goes for our regional centres, and the NSW Government is rolling out strategic plans across the state to guide investment and growth over the next 20 years.  

On a final note, I’d like to recognise the work of Romilly Madew CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia for her role in championing the case for a more sustainable built environment over the past 10 years. If you’d like to contribute to the conversation about disruptive densification, you can comment below or use @GreenCitiesConf or  #greencities on twitter.