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The editor's picks from the project database: Planning Assessment status, July 2013. See our top five picks for Under Construction in <a href="/news/urban-com-aus-top-5-picks-under-construction-june-2013">June 2013</a>.

<h2>5. 204-210 Ballarat Road, Maidstone</h2>

Why do we like it? Maidstone/Braybrook/Sunshine is the possibly one of the last regions of Melbourne the average Joe would think apartments would have a place. But when you see a project like this pop up, you have to sit up and take notice. 5 levels and on a major road which has the capacity to be a major East-West Bus Rapid Transit route into and out of the Footscray CAD, 204-210 Ballarat Road is sure to set a precedent.

<a href="/new-apartments/amber-apartments-204-ballarat-road-maidstone"><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/project-renders/Image8_0.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 378px;"></a>

<h2>4. Packington Apartments - 44 Packington Street, St Kilda</h2>

Why do we like it? Excellent Public Transport links nearby, low-rise and epitomises the type of building which the <a href="/news/transforming-australian-cities-a-must-read">Transforming Australian Cities</a> strategy calls for in or near appropriate public transport corridors all over Melbourne.

<a href="/buildings/leroy-40-packington-street-st-kilda"><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/project-renders/56_19-04-2013_1403.jpg?slideshow=true&amp;slideshowAuto=false&amp;slideshowSpeed=4000&amp;speed=350&amp;transition=fade" style="width: 710px; height: 377px;"></a>

<h2>3. 81 Argyle Street, Fitzroy</h2>

Why do we like it? Another perfect <a href="/news/transforming-australian-cities-a-must-read">TAC</a> example - low-rise, increases density, superb public transport links nearby on Nicholson and Johnston Streets. I'm calling it: it looks as if it will become a hidden gem - much like how it's possible stumble upon multiple interesting buildings in the CBD when you navigate labyrinth of laneways, 81 Argyle, positioned back from the main thoroughfares, will provide ample surprise factor for people who choose to go meandering in the back streets of Fitzroy. Wood facade? Yes please!

<a href="/buildings/bespoke-fitzroy-81-argyle-street-fitzroy"><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/project-renders/81-argyle-st-fitzroy.jpg?slideshow=true&amp;slideshowAuto=false&amp;slideshowSpeed=4000&amp;speed=350&amp;transition=fade" style="width: 580px; height: 320px;"></a>

<h2>2. 150 Turner Street, Port Melbourne</h2>

Why do we like it? 150 Turner only popped up on the radar as early as this <a href="/news/lorimer-precinct-artisan-architects-lead-the-way">week</a>. Kudos to the architect for boldly going with a green facade - it's not a colour one would say has been executed all that well in Melbourne to date. Nevertheless, <a href="/news">looking at all angles</a> the building has many appealling features: no single facade will be the same, a unique podium facade will add to street-level interest and overall the height, bulk and general characteristics look to, on paper, agree with much of what the City of Port Phillip have outlined as part of the <a href="/news/port-phillips-montague-structure-plan">Montague Structure Plan</a> (albeit, this tower is proposed in the adjacent Lorimer precinct) - this is definitely one to watch.

<a href="/new-apartments/150-turner-street-port-melbourne"><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/project-renders/flyer.jpg?slideshow=true&amp;slideshowAuto=false&amp;slideshowSpeed=4000&amp;speed=350&amp;transition=fade" style="width: 710px; height: 455px;"></a>

<h2>1. Queensbridge Tower - 1-23 Queensbridge Street, Southbank</h2>

Why do we like it? Bates Smart. The name commands respect - after all they are one of this country's oldest firms - of Royal Exhibition Building, ICI House and adjacent Freshwater Place (to name but a few) fame. Where certain soundbites will pan the height of new skyscraper developments almost universally, we say: Queensbridge Tower will add to the collection of towers on Southbank already as high and as diverse as the entire Perth CBD furthermore enhancing Southbank's own evolving hyper-density identity.

The urban tall is just as important as the urban small.

<a href="/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank"><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/project-renders/Image14.jpg?slideshow=true&amp;slideshowAuto=false&amp;slideshowSpeed=4000&amp;speed=350&amp;transition=fade" style="width: 641px; height: 453px;"></a>

Agree or disagree? Let us know!
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Alastair Taylor

Urban.com.au's Top 5 Picks: Planning Assessment July 2013

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For many today is the day we all groan about having to fill out our annual tax returns, for us it's the start of the (financial) year we intend to supercharge UrbanMelbourne.info's profile.

Start your apartment purchase research with us

In May and June we saw a noticeable increase in queries from developers &amp; their agents regarding taking advantage of our free project database listing offering.  There are still many projects with just a shell listing and developers, sales agents, PR or marketing agencies are encouraged to contact us in order to take advantage of our project pages by clicking <a href="/list-project-on-urbancomau" target="_blank">here</a>.

Likewise, in the next few weeks, we will be rolling out a new view of our current project database making it easier for those of you (and there are many already judging by the amount of traffic hitting project pages directly!) who use UrbanMelbourne.info to kick off your research into buying off-the-plan apartments.  Put simply, the new module will display all project listings which are at a Registration &amp; Sales or the upcoming 'Under Construction with ongoing sales' [that's a working title if you must know] status - the current Project Database isn't changing, this new view will just target specific projects which are in a Registration &amp; Sales phase or projects which are Under Construction and still apartments to sell. 

Knowledge

We are also happy to announce we were recently approved by the City of Melbourne to host an event at <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/KnowledgeMelbourne/Pages/KnowledgeWeek.aspx" target="_blank">Melbourne Knowledge Week</a> in late October/early November.  The details of which are still fluid at this time, but as we lock in our event details, we will announce it in due course.

Networking

You might have seen this in the right side bar and/or in the footer of the site:

<a href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/select" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/partner-images/Guardian%20Select%20logo_300x54.gif" style="width: 300px; height: 54px;"></a>

...that's because we have recently been approved to join the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/select" target="_blank">Guardian Select</a> network!  

Data and analysis - you can never have enough

From August/September, another new module will appear in the Main Menu: Building Database.  No, not another view of the current Project Database - this is going to be a database of existing urban buildings (and naturally where Projects will live once they're complete).  I've got my previous life-Business Analyst hat on at the moment and I'm currently working through the fields we need to store on each building in the new database, but if you're a building statistics &amp; data, architecture, urban industry professional or student user, we intend to give you all your Birthdays, Christmas and New Year's Eves at once.  

Partners

Like the new Sales-focused Project Database functionality to be rolled out in the coming weeks, we will also be rolling out our list of partners we have formed a relationship with.  We're always open to forming partnerships with like-minded individuals and organisations who wish to see Melbourne grow through more sustainable means - whether it just be a simple link swap or more involved, feel free to <a href="/contact" target="_blank">contact us</a> to introduce yourselves.

 

And lastly, thank you to everyone who has contributed to UrbanMelbourne.info to date - and here's to an Apartments.com.au in the weeks, months and years ahead!

 

Slideshow (front page) image credit: ABC.net.au
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Happy New Financial Year!

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Fun [sarcasm] times this week in politics.  If you were like me, glued to ABC News 24 on Wednesday afternoon and night, you might have felt the same revulsion as the Federal Government gave itself another public lobotomy.  

I suppose it's futile to expect the Liberal and Labor parties to have any real pro-urban policies going into the next election - Federal politics has traditionally stayed out of city development in most respects.  However we can't gloss over how much the Federal Government has a firm grasp on the nation's, and therefore the state's, purse strings.  They own the largest public purse, and it's the purse which is best equipped to invest in our cities, our core centres of productivity across the nation.

In the last <a href="/news/federal-budget-2013-the-urban-versus-suburban-battlelines-are-drawn" target="_blank">Federal budget</a>, the now former Treasurer announced Canberra's intention to help fund the Metro Tunnel project over the next decade (that's the realistic timeframe should the project start today) and Tony Abbott has already committed $1.5billion of public money to the East-West tunnel should he his coalition win government - a project the public has not seen the business case for (a project which really only rubs the collective tummies of the industry and road lobby groups) and will simply shift congestion from Collingwood/Clifton Hill to Parkville/Ascott Vale.  No prizes for guessing which policy I and other UrbanMelbourne.info contributors thinks is the clear winner.

Infrastructure Australia - a Federal body set up to assess infrastructure projects on merit and advise the Federal Government what to allocate funds to - looked to be the beginning of the end for infrastructure paralysis for cities.  The future of this agency isn't all that certain with a potential Abbot-led Liberal Government coming to power in the next couple of months given the aforementioned commitment to a dubious road lobby gravy train project.

Is it furthermore futile to hope for an NDIS-like rare show of bipartisanism on how to raise capital for new infrastructure through some kind of levy increase like the NDIS will have through the Medicare Levy?  If history is any guide, then yes it is futile.  We need to think out of the box with regards to new capital raising - and no I'm not proposing a further increase to the Medicare levy - for infrastructure, but increases in the GST and the carve up of the extra income derived from it must be on the table.  Likewise property value taxes which capture the increasing value of a property through local council rates when new public transport infrastructure is built should also be explored.

We don't need to have an infrastructure debate: we need to have a Federal Government-led future city debate because it will include anything and everything that a city is comprised of, naturally including infrastructure.  The Federal Government shouldn't pick winners and State Governments should steer away from complacency and ensure their cities, no matter how big or small, <a href="/news/the-melbourne-versus-sydney-debate-isnt-boring-its-useful" target="_blank">remain competitive</a> on a national and global level, but the Federal Government must get involved with supporting cities more than ever before.

Will the party of urbanism please stand up?

 

Indulging for a moment: best cartoon I saw this week - the ever hilarious First Dog on the Moon over at Crikey, <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/06/21/hey-kids-lets-play-leadership-speculationopoly/" target="_blank">Leadership of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Partyopoly!</a>

Photo credit: UM user Glennwilson.
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Will the party of urbanism please stand up?

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Focusing on the height of a new development has become somewhat of a sport in Melbourne of late. Yesterday was no exception with the Associate Editor of The Age Shane Green writing a column titled <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/comment/highrise-utopia-or-another-pieinthesky-pipe-dream-20130621-2oo4s">High-rise utopia or another pie-in-the-sky pipe dream?</a>

In it, Green states "The real risk he [Planning Minister Matthew Guy] faces is that this [Fishermans Bend] will be another Docklands - our last big urban renewal idea that was so poorly executed that it has become a case study in what not to do, and a byword for unmet potential". Notwithstanding the organisation Green works for has been every much a part of the real problem with Docklands (Fairfax's Media House like many other new Docklands / CBD fringe offices - we call them groundscrapers - consume more land than an office skyscraper in an attempt to flatten organisational hierarchies yet these buildings occupy prime sites which are for the most part inactive outside of normal business hours), the comparison of the supposed non-success of Docklands and his main point "there are early signs it will be a place where high-rise is king, in keeping with the government's love affair of all things tall in the rest of Melbourne" is dubious at best.

I know Apartments.com.au has only been live since March, but like the comment I made at the time in response to the op-ed written by ABC producer Daniel Ziffer and published in The Age a few weeks ago (<a href="/expert-insights/buying/melbournes-future-a-sip-of-tsim-sha-tsui-and-a-gulp-of-brooklyn">my response</a>, <a href="/news/caroline-springs-in-the-sky#content">response by Nick Harrison</a>), I'd like to point out Green's statement "in keeping with the government's love affair of all things tall in the rest of Melbourne" can be negated by spending just a few short minutes on our <a href="/developments">project database</a>. The "rest of Melbourne" has a very healthy mix (in built-form, use and height) of urban developments proposed, before planning authorities (local and state), at sales or under construction.

<h2>Human scale means different things to different people</h2>

Green needs to define what "human scale" means to him and what exactly his definition of a high-rise is otherwise the debate about our future development is going to be muddled in a large cacophony of hurbis. Quoting trusty (tongue-in-cheek intended) old <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_scale#Human_scale_in_architecture">Wikipedia</a>:

<blockquote>
Humans also interact with their environments based on their sensory capabilities. The fields of human perception systems, like perceptual psychology and cognitive psychology, are not exact sciences, because human information processing is not a purely physical act, and because perception is affected by cultural factors, personal preferences, experiences, and expectations. So human scale in architecture can also describe buildings with sightlines, acoustic properties, task lighting, ambient lighting, and spatial grammar that fit well with human senses. However, one important caveat is that human perceptions are always going to be less predictable and less measurable than physical dimensions.
<cite><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_scale#Human_scale_in_architecture">Wikipedia: Human scale</a></cite>
</blockquote>

Focusing on the cultural factors, personal preferences, experiences and expectations part of the quote above - we have a problem in Melbourne with regards to our shift toward a higher-density future. Like many Anglosphere cities, we are overwhelmingly suburban and we've had at least 3 generations of people growing up with cars as their primary mode of transport. "Human Scale" to many of the good burghers of Melbourne will mean the single family dwelling on its own land title with distant retail, employment and social destinations. If we only frame the future urban development debate around this mindset we are going to shoot ourselves in the foot.

Further quoting the same Wikipedia page:

<blockquote>
Human scale in architecture is deliberately violated for monumental effect. Buildings, statues, and memorials are constructed in a scale larger than life as a social/cultural signal that the subject matter is also larger than life.
<cite><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_scale#Human_scale_in_architecture">Wikipedia: Human scale</a></cite>
</blockquote>

In 1889, the <a href="http://www.walkingmelbourne.com/building3_apa-building-the-australian-building">APA Building</a> was completed and with its completion a title of being one of the world's tallest skyscrapers at the time. Can you imagine what Melburnians thought back then? A new 12 level building towering over everything else when the majority of the Hoddle Grid was in the 4-5 level range? The gall of it all, stop the press we have a crisis on our hands! Fast forward more than a century, design, construction and overall engineering capability has evolved to allow us create buildings such as Eureka and Rialto and with it, theoretically, our sense of what human scale means. These two towers are the leaders of the pack, they are not the norm and we shouldn't expect Fishermans Bend to be entirely comprised of buildings in this height range.

<h2>A modern story of progress, focusing on where all humans interact: the street</h2>

Back on the 2nd of April we reported on a planning application which depicts 3 high-rises sitting atop an active podium which would be completely out of place in the adjacent Southbank precinct. Why? Because the architect has taken a leaf out of the City of Port Phillip Montague structure plan and incorporated the design principles for streets and public areas. It's hard not to have high hopes for the wider precinct when <a href="/news/planning-application-123-125-montague-st-south-melbourne">123-125 Montague Street</a> has a strong focus on providing non-residential spaces to an area which is currently semi-industrial - new residents in the podium and towers above and the wider precinct, as it is developed, will benefit immensely from the mooted supermarket space and 16 other retail spaces at ground level.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/2s9t1et.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Ground landscape plan with ground floor uses © Peddle Thorp architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/2s9t1et.jpg?itok=cOzCIMZx" title="Ground landscape plan with ground floor uses © Peddle Thorp architects" typeof="Image"></a>

<figcaption>Ground landscape plan with ground floor uses © Peddle Thorp architects</figcaption></figure>Peddle Thorp have also incorporated a public laneway - attempted in Docklands, unheard of in Southbank - right through the middle of the site which can conceivably be the start of a network throughout other sites to the north and south.

The podiums have engaging facades which will wrap around the entire site allowing the car parks located behind them internally to be "out of sight, out of mind" (as they should be) - this concept is not new and has been deployed in many new developments in Docklands and Southbank.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/2s9t1et.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Engaging podium facade and calm street - exactly what we want for Fishermans Bend © Peddle Thorp architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/Image4.jpg" style="height: 429px; width: 702px;" title="Engaging podium facade and calm street - exactly what we want for Fishermans Bend © Peddle Thorp architects"></a>

<figcaption>Engaging podium facade and calm street - exactly what we want for Fishermans Bend © Peddle Thorp architects</figcaption></figure>Here's the current view looking East along Thistlethwaite Street

<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Montague+Street,+South+Melbourne,+Victoria&amp;aq=0&amp;oq=Montague+Street&amp;sll=-37.860283,145.079616&amp;sspn=1.875722,4.22699&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Montague+St,+South+Melbourne+Victoria+3205&amp;t=m&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=-37.831717,144.951339&amp;panoid=4l6jSwe6j5WW0l5bO4LxUQ&amp;cbp=13,55.19,,0,-0.35&amp;ll=-37.839479,144.951382&amp;spn=0.027113,0.06094&amp;z=14&amp;output=svembed" width="702"></iframe>

<a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Montague+Street,+South+Melbourne,+Victoria&amp;aq=0&amp;oq=Montague+Street&amp;sll=-37.860283,145.079616&amp;sspn=1.875722,4.22699&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Montague+St,+South+Melbourne+Victoria+3205&amp;t=m&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=-37.831717,144.951339&amp;panoid=4l6jSwe6j5WW0l5bO4LxUQ&amp;cbp=13,55.19,,0,-0.35&amp;ll=-37.839479,144.951382&amp;spn=0.027113,0.06094&amp;z=14">View Larger Map</a>

And this, straight from the planning application, is what Peddle Thorp have put forward for Thistlethwaite Street of the future, noting:

<ul>
<li>the strong emphasis on providing places for people to sit and converse with each other - you can't do that on City Road or Queensbridge Street.</li>
	<li>the significant reduction in space available for vehicular traffic which will calm the street even after new residents move in allowing dedicated bike lanes and urban greenery to become a signature piece of the street - you won't find that in Southbank when you step back from the Yarra promenade.</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/2s9t1et.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Thistlethwaite Street cross-section © Peddle Thorp architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/Image15.jpg" style="width: 702px; height: 353px;" title="Proposed Thistlethwaite Street cross-section © Peddle Thorp architects"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Thistlethwaite Street cross-section © Peddle Thorp architects</figcaption></figure><figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/2s9t1et.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Thistlethwaite Street - Peddle Thorp's vision © Peddle Thorp architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/Image1_0.jpg" style="width: 702px; height: 431px;" title="Thistlethwaite Street - Peddle Thorp's vision © Peddle Thorp architects"></a>

<figcaption>Thistlethwaite Street - Peddle Thorp's vision © Peddle Thorp architects</figcaption></figure>Here's the issue: Shane Green was oversimplifying what expanding the Capital City Zone means when he stated "the minister will be responsible for approving plans for projects over a certain size - high-rises". You will note I have intentionally left out the renders of the towers associated with this proposal (you can view them in the <a href="/news/planning-application-123-125-montague-st-south-melbourne">original article</a>) for the simple purpose of highlighting: attractive, calm, urban streets and high-rises are not mutually exclusive. High-rises are very much a part of the solution for housing a growing population in appropriate areas - and I can't think of a more appropriate area than blank canvas Fishermans Bend - because at the end of the day, if you get the most important aspect of redevelopment right - the public realm - its attractiveness will lure people regardless of the usual negative connotations associated with high-rises: some overshadowing at certain times of the day and wind tunnel creation.

Just look at Queensbridge Square and Freshwater Place, an area prone to large wind gusts created by the towers behind and the East End of Collins Street which is perpetually in shadow throughout the day - both hyper-density precincts with a lot of localised activity owing to the attractive public realm created over the years.

The recently released <a href="/news/gazing-into-the-fishermans-bend-transport-crystal-ball">PTV plan</a> shows a rail line entering Fishermans Bend linking it with the CBD and the rest of the rail network which in turn will support residential and employment densities in the redevelopment zone well beyond the 200 people per hectare figure Green states in his comment piece. I believe the State Government was right to expand the Capital City Zone to Fishermans Bend with one caveat, and mentioned by The Age's Associate Editor, the structure plan should force all new development in the Fishermans Bend zone to have a strong public realm emphasis like 123-125 Montague Street does, and developers should be free to incorporate a diversity heights in their developments, excluding transition areas.

We should never aim to plan ourselves into a restrictive corner - we must resist the temptation to oversimplify what's actually happening and we must also not restrict architectural diversity via arbitrary height limits in areas which scream for more diversity - as they say in the financial world and how 123-125 Montague Street superbly illustrates: past performance is not necessarily an indicator for the future.
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High-rises can work with the public realm

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Deakin University Associate Professor and Photographer James McArdle is currently running a crowdfunding project on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.pozible.com/project/22875" target="_blank">Pozible</a> to raise funds to develop a smart phone app titled Retake Melbourne and we're more than happy to join in promoting the cause.
Users will be able to shoot their own images via smartphones where Australian photographer <a href="http://www.majorprojects.vic.gov.au/transforming-the-yarra/speaker-profiles-and-extended-interviews/mark-strizic" target="_blank">Mark Strizic</a> once shot many of his renowned images in and around Melbourne. Strizic's photos reside in a State Library of Victoria collection and the app will download an image, navigate the user to within metres of where the original photo was taken and then allow the user to take their own photograph and compare the original with their own photograph.
We at UrbanMelbourne.info love the app's concept as Mark Strizic saw and photographed what we currently do today: Melbourne's changing urbanity.
“Rather than being slavish copies of old photos, theirs will be interpretations of Strizic’s originals. Their image will then be uploaded to the State Library as a free resource for photographers, historians and other interested people to use" says McArdle.
Passionate Melburnians who donate via <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.pozible.com/project/22875" target="_blank">Pozible</a> will get a copy of the beta version of the app while photographers will be able to compare their own photo with that of Strizic’s and see for themselves the changes which have taken place.
Associate Professor McArdle continues: “Strizic was significant because there were not a lot of photographers who had documented Melbourne in the 1950s”.  Much of the app's concept fits with the ideals of UrbanMelbourne.info - we too encourage users to photograph the rapid change occurring around the city and share it with the wider community.
Alamar AV Communications Pty Ltd (owner of UrbanMelbourne.info) director Mark Baljak has for over a decade captured new development right across the metropolitan area and we're happy to announce that Mark will undertake a long-term project of publishing images from his own extensive library on Apartments.com.au, whilst also exploring possible synergies with Retake Melbourne.  We're also happy to announce UrbanMelbourne.info will provide in-kind marketing of the app once it's live.
Alamar AV Commuinications Pty Ltd will be pledging via pozible to this worthwhile crowdfunding project because getting more Melburnians involved with our past and our current state is an extremely worthwhile goal.  Documenting our change in prior decades and engaging every day Melburnians with the development of our city allows us to project an image of how we should develop in future.
The Retake Melbourne campaign on pozible has met its initial goal of raising $6000AUD and if we all push that figure above $10,000AUD, many more locations and original images will be added to the app.  If you are keen to pledge to the project, be quick as the campaign ends Saturday 22nd June 2013 at midday AEST.
To see the detail of the campaign and to make a pledge, visit pozible: <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.pozible.com/project/22875">http://www.pozible.com/project/22875</a>.  
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cLPz6m8orSM" width="100%"></iframe>
Further background information:
ABC Art's presentation on Mark Strizic in 2011: <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s3324845.htm">http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s3324845.htm</a>
Associate Professor McArdle's site: <a href="http://drjamesmcardle.com/2013/01/09/mark-strizic-biography/">http://drjamesmcardle.com/2013/01/09/mark-strizic-biography/</a>
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Throwing our support behind the Retake Melbourne crowdfunding campaign

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A busy weekend has come and gone with 18 new projects appearing in the database, some of which are highlighted below. We still have a multitude of projects yet to be entered, with some of the new residential tower designs (most of which are at the planning stage) quite outstanding...but they are for another day.

We'll also be rolling out some new features through the database in coming weeks, including making it easier to find projects which are at a Registration and Sales stage. Further the database will be expanded to cover all building over all stages (proposed to completion) and all uses, thereby providing the most complete and up-to-date Melbourne building database there is. This will be yet another long-term project and the new data will be gradually added.

As for the most recent database additions, they cover wider Melbourne with suburbs such as Carnegie, Essendon, Maribyrnong, Nunawading, St Kilda and the CBD scoring additional projects. If nothing else it shows now how entrenched apartment living has become through metropolitan Melbourne.

<a href="/buildings/summus-2-wests-road-maribyrnong" target="_blank">2 Wests Road, Maribyrnong</a> is a new planning application before Maribyrnong City Council. Put forward by Pace Investment Group and designed by Doig Architecture, the scheme covers three buildings with 192 apartments expected. Within close proximity to the approved 19 level, 62 Wests Road complex, this new application enforces the already impressive number of new apartment proposals that have encircled Highpoint Shopping Centre, the areas main draw card.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image9_0_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="2 Wests Road, Maribyrnong. Image © Doig Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image9_0_0.jpg?itok=MmvabbhH" title="2 Wests Road, Maribyrnong. Image © Doig Architecture" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<a href="/buildings/200-204-wells-street-south-melbourne">200-204 Wells Street, South Melbourne</a> is an approved residential tower prepared for 15 Park Street Pty Ltd. Taking up a corner location on Wells Street &amp; Park Street, the 22 level complex will hold 261 apartments and 194 car parking bays. It's expected to abutt the proposed <a href="/new-apartments/50-park-street-south-melbourne" target="_blank">50 Park Street</a> apartment complex.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/artisanarc.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="200-204 Wells Street, South Melbourne. Image © Artisan Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/artisanarc.jpg?itok=khCYc-Kr" title="200-204 Wells Street, South Melbourne. Image © Artisan Architects" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

FRD - 2 Morton Avenue, Carnegie is currently at sales. Put forward by high-end developer Fridcorp, the development will contain 40 apartments over 5 levels and is opposite Carnegie Train station. <a href="http://frd.fridcorp.com.au/" target="_blank">See the website</a>.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image4_3_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="FRD - 2 Morton Avenue, Carnegie. Image © Fridcorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image4_3_0.jpg?itok=SLkVlTaI" title="FRD - 2 Morton Avenue, Carnegie. Image © Fridcorp" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

1048 - 1060 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon has been proposed for some time, and is currently mired in legal proceeding relating to site ownership. At nine levels and containing 101 apartments, it would be Essendon's largest apartment development. Designed by Jackson Clement Burrowes, the design may take its place amongst other buildings on the already established apartment strip.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image11_0_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="1048-1060 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon. Image © Jackson Clement Burrowes"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image11_0_0.jpg?itok=IxGM1VtD" title="1048-1060 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon. Image © Jackson Clement Burrowes" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<a href="/buildings/leroy-40-packington-street-st-kilda" target="_blank">Packington Apartments - 44 Packington Street, St Kilda</a> is an intended residential development by fast expanding Melbourne developer Urban Inc. Highlighted on their <a href="http://www.urbaninc.com.au/places/packington-street" target="_blank">website</a>, the six level project expects to house 83 apartments, and is close by to a number of large residential projects about to commence their sales campaign.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/56_19-04-2013_1403.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Packington Apartments - 44 Packington Street, St Kilda. Image © Urban Inc"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/56_19-04-2013_1403.jpg?itok=pHC9297O" title="Packington Apartments - 44 Packington Street, St Kilda. Image © Urban Inc" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

These projects are but a few of what can be expected in the near future. Stay tuned as UrbanMelbourne.info brings into focus a number of visually exceptional apartment developments in coming weeks, starting with the redesigned Queensbridge Tower proposal later this week, a Bates Smart classic in the making!
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New projects in the Urban.com.au database

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If I were to simply mention Lygon Street, most would automatically assume I was talking about Little Italia in Carlton. Approximately 2km North of the cafés, pizzerias and gelato shoppes of Carlton, Lygon Street, East Brunswick has turned into a nightlife and development hotspot. Truth be known Lygon Street is the border of Brunswick and East Brunswick however many of the locals simply refer to both sides of the street as East Brunswick, much like Smith Street is the border between Fitzroy and Collingwood and "Smith St Collingwood" is the generally accepted locale reference, 

The 1.2 km stretch of Lygon Street intersecting with Brunswick Road to the south and Albion Street to the north is a hotbed of bars &amp; pubs, wholesale outlets, restaurants, brothels, unique retailers, derelict buildings, some remnant light industry - you name it, it's got it. Of particular interest to the myself and other UM staff members are the breweries and craft beer venues that have recently flourished, yet the area is also seeing substantial interest from developers keen to leverage off this neighbourhood's appeal and as UrbanMelbourne does, we've tracked all major projects from proposal through to construction.

UrbanMelbourne earlier this year touched upon the <a href="/news/transforming-australian-cities-a-must-read" target="_blank">Transforming Australian Cities</a> strategy that aims to focus higher-density development along existing public transport corridors and the strategy maintains new development should be low to mid-rise.  Blessed with 2 tram routes running on the one track - the #1 and #8 - Lygon Street sees very high frequency of service between Moreland Road (further north) to  Swanston Street where the two lines merge with others tram services at Melbourne University.  Throw in a healthy mix of cross-town bus routes on key East-West arterials, <a href="/news/bus-routes-which-need-improvement-the-506" target="_blank">although many of the individual bus routes could be improved</a>, an existing &amp; thriving retail sector and you have a recipe which can sustain a higher residential and working population.

As the gallery (page bottom) shows, many recent builds and new apartments are forming a street wall approximately 3-4 levels high, with setbacks forming small-scale towers beyond - this is important as it demonstrates we can build more density into existing areas whilst maintaining streetscape sun penetration.

To date Lygon Street has mainly attracted residential development, but one wonders if this will always remain the case given the excellent connectivity and general appeal of the area.  Below is a list of the projects UrbanMelbourne is monitoring and no doubt there'll be many more to come over the years.

<a href="/new-apartments/brunswick-vic-3056">Upper Lygon - 457-459 Lygon Street.</a>

Under Construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/Building%20Exterior%20-%20Low%20Res.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 487px;">

 

<a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/projects/moreland/kale-apartments-455-lygon-st-brunswick#content" target="_blank">Kale Apartments - 455 Lygon Street.</a>

Registration &amp; Sales

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/2010294544_1_FS.JPG" style="width: 710px; height: 600px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/stratus-360-lygon-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">Stratus - 360 Lygon Street.</a>

Under construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/00-RENDER001-Exterior_Crn-Victoria-Lygon_001.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 611px;">

 

The East - 280 Lygon Street.

Registration &amp; Sales

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/front%20facade%20web.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 449px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/joulia-200-lygon-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">Joulia - 200 Lygon Street</a>

Under Construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/22_F1002064C_119.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 473px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/tip-top-brunswick-170-edward-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">Tip Top - 170 Edward Street</a>

Under Construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/image-tools.php__3.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 473px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/seamstress-11-13-lygon-street-brunswick-east">11-13 Lygon Street</a>

Approved

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/Lygon_03_4ea5eff92f20f.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 395px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/8-lygon-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">6-20 Lygon Street</a>

Approved

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/residential-multi-2_src_3_0.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 459px;">

 

Below is a gallery of some recent construction images taken by UrbanMelbourne.info staff on Lygon Street, East Brunswick
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Hotspots: Lygon Street, East Brunswick

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Daniel Ziffer, <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/comment/developers-tall-tales-are-all-pie-in-the-sky-20130603-2nm20" target="_blank">writing a comment piece in The Age on June 4th 2013</a> argued Melbourne was not like New York where “the diverse mix of housing in Manhattan — tenements, walk-ups, low-rise apartment buildings — is supported by the services that you get when a city develops over decades, not years”.

Unfortunately to date, the majority of the Melburnians have only been drip fed snippets from the mainstream media regarding apartment living and it has been a daunting and cumbersome task to truly gauge the sheer change that is upon the entire metropolitan area - and the author's above piece does not help.  

Not only is Melbourne retrofitting its suburbs in areas with existing services, public transport, schools and retail outlets, the bulk of new urban apartment development proposed or under construction in Melbourne is in the same category as New York's existing housing stock – low/mid-rise.

This is why I along with my co-director Mark Baljak started the Apartments.com.au project.

After more than a decade of inhabiting community forums dedicated to the observation and discussion of urban development around the world, we took great inspiration from <a href="http://www.urbantoronto.ca" target="_blank">Urban Toronto</a> and went about building a database of development projects in our home town which everyone could access and draw their own conclusions from.

Whilst most of the author's piece appears to be his own negative reaction to marketing strategies employed by various agencies working for developers, it would be tenuous at best to suggest "Melbourne is going along another model: Hong Kong". It is extremely naive to focus solely on the Melbourne CBD and Southbank with a passing mention of Richmond as the author has done. The redevelopment of the inner-core of Melbourne really only tells the tall story, not the complete one.

We created the <a href="/developments">Urban.com.au project database</a> for the sole purpose to aggregate and share the knowledge which is located in different corners of the web - we're passionate about Melbourne's future development and want to work toward producing a content-rich and open data source so no-one in our community will be under any false pretense as to the direction in which Melbourne is heading. By spending just 5 minutes on the database, anyone will be able to understand 'medium and high-density development' are terms that are just as diverse as our city's population itself and it's not just the central core of Melbourne or any particular scale of development which is bringing positive change to our growing city - it's the sum of the whole.

Media industry professionals, academia, urban industry representatives and of course the community at large are all welcome to use and reference Apartments.com.au as a tool to better understand the scope of change Melbourne is seeing - and perhaps over time we'll all recognise Melbourne's urban nodes of the future will have a little Midtown Manhattan/Tsim Sha Tsui and a lot of antipodean Brooklyn, Shoreditch or Lincoln Park.

Note to journalists/editors: feel free to republish this article with reference simply to "Apartments.com.au".
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Melbourne's future: a sip of Tsim Sha Tsui and a gulp of Brooklyn

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<a href="http://theage.drive.com.au/roads-and-traffic/west-gate-stretched-to-the-limit-20130602-2nka7" target="_blank">This</a> report in today's Age makes no mention that come late 2015 / early 2016 at the completion of the Regional Rail Link project the Werribee line, servicing the growing Wyndham growth area, will be freed from the current metropolitan and regional service mixing constraints. The aim of the Regional Rail Link is to separate regional and metropolitan services inside Melbourne thus providing a capacity increase to both tiers of rail service.
It's quite extraordinary to omit this key piece of information.
As clearly stated on the <a href="http://www.regionalraillink.vic.gov.au/about/faqs/faq-project" target="_blank">Regional Rail Link</a>'s own website (2nd last FAQ), the project will allow a further 23 metropolitan and 10 new regional services to enter the city in morning and afternoon peaks.  It's safe to say that near 30-40% of the increase (7-9 new peak services) in capacity will be on the Werribee corridor encompassing the Werribee line itself plus the Altona Loop and Williamstown line which branches from the Werribee line at Newport.
If we're to have any 2nd (lower) Yarra crossing, it should be the <a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/about-ptv/ptv-data-and-reports/network-development-plan-metropolitan-rail/" target="_blank">PTV's planned Fisherman's Bend line</a> connecting with the existing network at Newport.  A single high-capacity train line would have a far more positive impact on traffic congestion compared to building a new road bridge or tunnel - and given the PTV plan is to make Fishermans Bend a new cross-town line from South West to North East, it will likewise provide even further incentive for people to get out of their cars by opening up new inner-city areas to high-capacity public transport.
Similarly the article made little mention of the types of jobs people moving to this area are employed in.  Is everyone moving to Wyndham, Melton, Hume working in the centre of the city?  Doubtful.  Many will work in the inner city, but not at all - and the Regional Rail Link + the <a href="http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1424022/alstoms-176-million-order-for-eight-new-trains/" target="_blank">15 new X'trapolis trains</a> - to be used to increase capacity once regional services are off the existing tracks - will be in pole position to capture many of the new residents who will be traveling from Wyndham, Melton and Hume to the city for work.
Perspective needs to be maintained when we start screaming for more road capacity, as more often than not there will invariably be a public transport project more worthy of funding (or one underway that is not entirely understood by the community) which will have a greater impact on reducing congestion, reducing carbon emissions and boosting productivity in our knowledge and other service industry jobs that are located around central Melbourne.
<img alt="" class="image-article_full_width_702px" height="414" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Westgate_Bridge_wiki_commons.jpg?itok=73D-TNnf" title="West Gate Bridge - Image credit Simon Whitehead wikipedia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westgate_Bridge.jpg" width="702">
Image credit Simon Whitehead wikipedia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Westgate_Bridge.jpg
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The West Gate has a few more years in it yet

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Melbourne has many bus routes that resemble, putting it politely, interesting, logic in the path they take from point A to point B. A route I'm intimately familiar with is the #506, it runs from Moonee Ponds Bus station in the middle of the Moonee Ponds Junction to High St Westgarth generally along the Dean St / Dawson Street / Glenlyon road corridor forming a cross-town route through Brunswick and Fitzroy North. It connects with or runs very near 6 tram and 3 train radial routes.

Like many non-smart bus routes around the city, the #506 is subject to limited operational hours, poor frequencies out of peak, on weekends and no Sunday service. The route itself has a straight-forward enough terminus at Moonee Ponds albeit the bus station has a 500m walk to the Moonee Ponds Station. As soon as the route crosses the Moonee Ponds creek, it diverts off the main road into quiet suburban streets in Brunswick West, crossing Melville Road (and the #55 tram) at an <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Brunswick+West&amp;hl=en&amp;ll=-37.767431,144.943034&amp;spn=0.003528,0.008256&amp;sll=-37.860283,145.079616&amp;sspn=1.804138,4.22699&amp;hnear=Brunswick+West+Victoria&amp;t=m&amp;z=18&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=-37.767431,144.943034&amp;panoid=DfFYd2XzocSpvBBonmaPJQ&amp;cbp=12,121.9,,0,0.7" target="_blank">unsignalled intersection</a>, then makes a right turn into another suburban road (generally clogged with traffic in peaks) and then rejoins the main road it diverted off not 500m away.

Dog's leg routes are common and I had always wondered about this route. I once asked a driver about this peculiarity, the driver proceeded to explain it was a left over from the days when bus and tram routes competed with each other. Think 1950s and 1960s. In an age where we don't have active Public Transport mode competition, the decision to keep this diversion which slows down the route by adding extra streets to the total length and crosses a major road without signals, defies logic. Smith St, the diversionary street running parallel to Dawson Street is 150m to the north - a minimal extra walk should a realignment of the route occur.

Between Grantham St and Nicholson Street the route is as you would expect: straight along Glenlyon Road and connects well with the Sydney Road, Lygon St and Nicholson Street tram routes. The route then follows Nicholson Street for 500m and then diverts off into another back street which has one-way traffic calming measures in place to dissaude drivers from using the route instead of the parallel Holden Street to then connect with St. Georges Road, Merri Parade and then its terminus at the intersection of Westgarth and High Streets.

Frequency matters and this route just doesn't have it. Brunswick West has a population density twice that of your average outer suburb, yet transport planners think residents just want to go in and out of the city - tram frequencies in off-peak and on weekends are excellent, yet this route, the #508 and many east-west routes north of the #506 have shoddy frequencies at best outside of peaks.

Brunswick, like many suburbs 5km from the city, has excellent radial access to the CBD, but still many residents rely on private transport to travel 3-5km cross-town to the next adjacent suburb. This is plainly obvious when you observe the East-West roads throughout the inner north - they're snarled with traffic in peaks and not that much better off peaks and on weekends.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/506_map.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="#506 PTV route map from Moonee Ponds to Westgarth"><img alt="" class="image-article-half-width-290px" height="612" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_half_width_290px/public/pictures/article-images/506_map.jpg?itok=kGSup8dl" title="#506 PTV route map from Moonee Ponds to Westgarth" width="290"></a>

<figcaption>#506 PTV route map from Moonee Ponds to Westgarth</figcaption></figure>The first thing I'd change would be the dog's leg in Brunswick West. Like the Hope Street route further north which was recently discontinued due to the lack of patronage, the #506 does itself zero favours running adjacent to a larger public transport corridor less than 500m away. Very low rates of interchange between modes can be squarely blamed on the poor integration of the high frequency and very useful #55 tram running north south and the poor frequency #506 bus running east west.

The answer is completely remove the diversion and have it follow Dean Street and Dawson Street the whole way interfacing with 3 tram stops along the short stretch of Dawson Street between Melville Road and Grantham Street. A 15 minute off-peak and weekend bus frequency interfacing with a 12 minute #55 tram frequency will offer an incentive for roughly 15,000 people living between Brunswick Road and Gaffney Street in Brunswick West / Coburg / Pascoe Vale South (within easy walking distance of the #55 tram) a one change solution to travel to either the Moonee Ponds or Sydney Road activities districts without a car.

Secondly, the terminus at both ends stop short of major interchanges. At the Moonee Ponds end, the bus station which has a lot of routes and frequency in and out of the area misses out on capturing transfer passengers from Moonee Ponds Station as there is a large walk in between the two (you can easily argue all the bus routes which terminate at the existing terminus are in the same boat).

<a href="/news/finally-readings-moonee-ponds-for-sale" target="_blank">As Moonee Ponds is well on the way to becoming a major CAD in its own right</a>, it's high time VicRoads, PTV and the Moonee Valley council got together and started the planning process to move the bus station deeper into the Moonee Ponds CAD - if not for the reason of integrating the many bus routes terminating in the area better with trains, but for the inevitable increase in density and therefore public transport needs of the area.

At the Westgarth end, the bus route stops short of Westgarth station and does not interface well with Merri station on the South Morang line at all. Simply extending the route 150m to the east to interface directly with Westgarth station (forming a loop) would further enhance the network effect when you take the Hurstbridge line into account. Similarly combining frequency on Holden Street between Nicholson Street and St. Georges Road appears to be a curious no no - removing the route from the parallel back-street, like the Brunswick West diversion, would simplify the route and have buses directly service the retail hub around the St. Georges Road/Holden Street intersection.

If we can't even get bus routes right in the inner / middle ring of the city to more efficiently serve areas where buses are best suited, what hope is there for the outer public transport-starved suburbs of the city?

Do you live near a bus route that you would use more often if the service levels were improved or the route was realigned? Apartments.com.au knows there are many right across the metro area and we want to enlist the help of locals to point them out. <a href="/contact" target="_blank">Contact us</a> or leave a comment below so we can start documenting the lunacy of our bus routes and start a discussion on how we can improve them.

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://railgallery.wongm.com/melbourne-buses/page/4" target="_blank">Visit Marcus Wong's Bus gallery of routes in the vicinity of the #506.</a>
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Bus routes which need improvement: the #506

Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tsioMLcnjas?si=zq-ys3JuWpfa5hFv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

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For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

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Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

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Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

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Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Alastair Taylor

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