Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

Development

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Five developers, including two well-known institutional entities, are behind the purchase of $136 million worth of Caltex service station properties across Australia with plans for a mix of residential and retail development. 
The sales of the 25 properties - 15 in NSW, eight in Victoria, and one each in Queensland and WA - were brokered by CBRE’s Mark Wizel and Julian White with Lincoln Blackledge of Stonebridge. 
The institutional buyers purchased several sites, while three other groups purchased single sites. 
Wizel said the marketing campaign had attracted more than 2000 enquiries and ultimately 160 offers.
He said developers had been attracted by strong locations, the lack of development site options, predictions of housing undersupply, and the license agreement that offered an income well above what they were currently returning on cash in the bank. 
“Given widely forecast predictions of a looming undersupply of apartments, purchasing one or more of these sites was an ideal way to build a pipeline to cater to pent up demand whilst generating an attractive income in the interim,’’ Wizel said. 
“The market’s response to the campaign was not surprising, indeed it was a clear indication that confidence is returning to the residential development sector on the back of what has been perhaps a surprisingly quick rebound in housing prices across key markets.’’
He said the fact that the bulk of the sites were extremely well located to transport, schools and town centres made them ideal for residential redevelopment. 
Caltex Chief Development Officer David Bridger said the success of the campaign had unambiguously vindicated the divestment strategy involving a portfolio of 50 well located properties. 
“These sites had been identified as having a higher and better, non-fuel related use and obviously the market is in accord with that rationale given the success of this first tranche of sites we are very confident in putting to market another 25 sites across Australia early next year,’’ Bridger said. 
White said the properties, located in prime suburban precincts, including Surfers Paradise, Bondi, Mascot, Box Hill, and Perth, were sold via an expressions of interest campaign with purchasers having options to buy individual sites, sites in any combination or the offering as a whole.
He said the currently trading petrol stations - the first in tranche of a 50 property divestment strategy - would soon cease trading with remediation to be undertaken under a license agreement.
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CBRE and Stonebridge broker Caltex service stations sales across Australia

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As Asian-influenced community hubs continue to flourish throughout Australia’s major capital cities, Victoria’s Box Hill is the latest setting benchmarks for large-scale, fast-paced development. 
The area 14km east of Melbourne’s CBD has one of the State’s strongest representations of Asian cuisines and retail. Now commercial centre outside Melbourne’s city centre that contains almost 150,000 square metres of office space.
In the past five years, Box Hill’s population grew 26% according to government surveys, the same time period in which the area also saw one of Melbourne’s biggest building booms with dozens commercial and residential towers either approved, under construction or completed. 
Residential property has also experienced a significant uplift with median house prices rising 147.2% in the past decade according to CoreLogic, a figure that ranks among the State’s highest. Furthermore, the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts a 191% increase in the number of dwellings to be developed by 2036. 
With Box Hill now referred to as Melbourne’s “second CBD”, property observers see the Whitehorse Local Government Area suburb becoming one of if not the major commercial and activity hubs of the city’s east. The CBRE report notes that the entire region is benefitting from substantial government funding and infrastructure combined with aggressive town planning that prioritises high density living. 
“Box Hill is now offering a genuine alternative to the Melbourne CBD for investment, employment, entertainment and a place to stay,” says Paul McAleer, former planning manager of the City of Whitehorse. 
<h1>Chinatown Mark II </h1>
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Key among Box Hill developments is the $450 million “New Chinatown” project. Announced in May this year by Golden Age, New Chinatown is part of the developer’s mixed-use Sky Village development comprising two 18-storey towers of 429 luxury apartments which will rise above this new 10,000 sqm precinct.
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Golden Age describes New Chinatown as a “revolutionary hospitality, retail, commercial and healthcare precinct”, a one-stop destination of lifestyle and entertainment offerings, constructed in a fusion of traditional Eastern and modern Western design philosophies and connected by floating walkways and winding pathways. 
The Sky Village project, located in Station Street and designed by Fender Katsalidis, will be the developer’s third Box Hill project. Golden Age founder Jeff Xu said the company’s vision in creating New Chinatown was to expand on as well as celebrate the cultural, historic and gastronomic ties the Box Hill area had with Melbourne CBD’s long-established Chinatown. 
Helping fuel this growth are a raft of major public and private sector institutions and the tens of thousands of people they bring into the suburb. Among them are Deakin University with over 50,000 students, Box Hill Hospital which admits 50,000 patients annually and the Box Hill Institute with 65,000 students and hundreds of employees. 
Last but certainly not least are the plans slated for Box Hill’s transport network, namely the Box Hill Transit Interchange. This is already Melbourne’s the second busiest train-bus interchange in Melbourne’s metropolitan network. Now a newly proposed $50 billion train line would create a fast, efficient link for Melbourne’s outer suburbs in a route circumventing the inner city.
 This ‘Super Loop’ will connect key stations on every suburban line, delivering Box Hill a direct link to Clayton and Melbourne Airport and allowing businesses in the area to foster stronger ties with other commercial precincts and residential suburbs. CBRE observes that this will result in “the distinctive multicultural hub of Box Hill growing even further and faster”, while the Box Hill Interchange Ministerial Advisory Group forecasts patronage to grow by more than 45% by 2031. 
Changing of the guard 
Melbourne CBD’s Chinatown is also experiencing fast-paced shifts, new-style businesses overtaking the old as large-scale residential developments take shape around them. The number of Chinatown businesses changing hands and owners requiring commercial real estate advice prompted commercial agent Jonathan Lu to form his boutique agency Grandfield Property a few years ago to service their needs.
“It’s not only the owners but also the tenants who now require specialist advice,” Mr Lu says.
“The new operators coming in don’t know what the contracts are or what sites would be suitable for their types of businesses.”
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Mr Lu says this is being driven by the demise of the traditional family restaurant in favour of modern outlets as fried ice-cream and spring rolls fall out of fashion in favour of matcha affogatos, bubble tea and dumplings. Rates per square metre in Chinatown and Box Hill can be more than double those of other commercial precincts as demand is so high from these newer operators, he says, with long standing family-run Chinese eateries selling to up-and- coming Asian food chains and ‘lifestyle’ cafes capitalising on Asian cuisine’s healthy image, menus heavy on tofu and sashimi salads instead of chicken chow mein and sweet and sour pork. 
“Old style hospitality businesses are struggling,” Mr Lu says. “Now we have a lot of Chinese bubble tea tenants on the waiting list for suitable sites... and across the board there’s high demand from the Chinese restaurant and hospitality sector and short supply of premises in the areas of Chinatown they want to be.” 
This blog first appeared on the <a href="https://www.commercialpropertyguide.com.au/for-sale/" target="_blank">Commercial Property Guide</a>.
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Box Hill leads the way for Asian community hubs

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Sydney’s second biggest CBD, <a href="/new-apartments/parramatta-nsw">Parramatta</a>, is seeing an influx of development in the heart of its major business and commercial centre. Growing in population above 27,000 people, residential high rise projects are being focused to the city centre, resulting in a new wave of urban density.

The culturally diverse suburb is the oldest inland English settlement which is now home to a myriad of Heritage buildings, the 10th largest shopping centre in Australia, Westfield Parramatta, the renewed Western Sydney Stadium along the Parramatta River, a vibrant Church Street with boutiques, cafes, bars and Indian and Chinese cuisine options and Western Sydney University. 

With NAB relocating 3000 employees from <a href="/developments/sydney-nsw">Sydney CBD</a> to Parramatta CBD, revamped works of major roads, squares and the main service station, Parramatta is experiencing a major boom.

Here are a few exciting projects igniting the city centre. 
 

<a href="/new-apartments/8-phillip-street-2-10-phillip-street-parramatta">8 PHILLIPS STREET - RESIDENTIAL + HOTEL</a>

<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/woods_bagot_8_phillip_street.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Render by Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="1043" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/woods_bagot_8_phillip_street.jpg?itok=w3r_iSHh" title="Render by Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Render by Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure>Woods Bagot’s 8 Phillips Street is a 55 story rhomboid-shaped glass tower will feature Sydney’s tallest rooftop bar, ‘Studio 54’ with sweeping views over the city. 
The tower will comprise of 314 luxury one, two and three bedroom apartment configurations including studio and penthouse options and the QT Boutique Hotel with over 200 deluxe rooms and 50 executive suites.

<a href="/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> boldly incorporates the existing heritage building, the 1926 St. Andrew’s Hall, by integrating it into the entrance with the new development floating above, making for a stunningly impressive residents lobby and streetscape. The five story trapeze garden at the entrance to the tower is just a hint of what’s to come with balcony overhanging plants and a rooftop garden featuring contemporary native Australian species, planted to create a secret garden oasis with intimate communal spaces. 
 

<a href="/buildings/the-lennox-12-phillip-street-parramatta">THE LENNOX - RESIDENTIAL</a>

<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/the_lennox_source_jpw.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Render by JPW Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="722" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_lennox_source_jpw.png?itok=wkRIFLHV" title="Render by JPW Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Render by JPW Architects</figcaption></figure><a href="/architects/jpw-architects">Johnson Pilton Walker Architects</a>’ The Lennox tower is one of many high rise residential developments springing up throughout Parramatta. Rising 152 metres above the Parramatta River, the uninterrupted views are one of the many 5 star amenities such as a private lounge room with entertainment deck, a pool, outdoor terrace and zen wellness and fitness centre.

The Lennox will be part of the gateway that is set to dominate the CBD’s skyline, being the first one many high rise towers visitors will see as they cross the bridge. The first three floors of the podium will include retail tenancies, a council owned discovery centre, a conference centre and a cafe with an upgrade riverfront for public use.

Many <a href="/developments/parramatta-nsw">Parramatta developments</a> aren’t just privatised residential components, but like The Lennox, have much to offer the public domain whether that be revitalising waterfronts, providing civic spaces or enlivening heritage structures. 
 

<a href="/buildings/west-village-88-church-street-parramatta">WEST VILLAGE - RESIDENTIAL</a>

<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/woods_bagot_west_village.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering by Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="735" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/woods_bagot_west_village.jpg?itok=A-Lfi2-l" title="Rendering by Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering by Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure>The sophisticated residential tower provides 397 world class apartments across 40 floors and rising 150 metres above the Parramatta skyline. Woods Bagot has designed this high quality tower which aims to give the city centre that new edge and connect to the streetscape with ground floor retail and cafes.

Developers <a href="/developers/ecoworld-international">EcoWorld</a> have enlisted landscape architect Myles Baldwin to conceptualise the podium garden above level 7 with sweeping views of the Sydney CBD with fully equipped chef’s kitchen, alfresco dining options, leafy terraces and a barbeque area.

Rumours are that Malaysian favourite ‘Chinta Ria’ and gourmet Italian providore ‘Salt Meats Cheese’ are to open tenancy on the ground floor strip, proving that collaboration between developers, architects and suppliers have made for a very important and vibrant project.

As this development takes shape, by the time it completes in late 2019, it will have cemented itself into the Parramatta community fabric and truly embodies the city centre moving towards a progressive future. 
UPDATE: <a href="/news/parramatta-s-west-village-tops-out-at-40-levels">West Village tops out at 40 storeys</a> as of late November 2019 with a 95% sales rate success. Designed by <a href="/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a>, the tower features 398 luxury one, two and three bedroom apartments which rise from the vibrant ground floor retail precinct. 

 

<h2><a href="/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">PARRAMATTA SQUARE - OFFICE, MIXED USE</a></h2>

<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/parramatta_square_source_jpw_architects.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Render by JPW Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/parramatta_square_source_jpw_architects.jpg?itok=4qxvXTX3" title="Render by JPW Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Render by JPW Architects</figcaption></figure>Masterplanned by <a href="/architects/jpw-architects">Johnson Pilton Walker Architects</a> as a response to the growing city, Parramatta Square comprises of 6 stand alone buildings with their own importance to the urban renewal precinct. The towers, a commercial tower to which is the new campus for 10,000 Western Sydney University students, a mixed use residential tower, proposed to be the tallest for Parramatta, a 5 Star Green office tower including a civic building, community centre and library, a 5 Star Green commercial and retail building central to the square and dual 5 Star Green energy office towers.

The 6000 square metres of open space is dedicated and centred around the rich heritage sandstone of St. John’s Cathedral and the Parramatta Town Hall and is pedestrianised with green space and public plazas to connect and integrate the new commercial, residential and community buildings.

Connected either side of the precinct by a future light rail extension and Parramatta Station, visitors and locals will be able to flow through the community heart with ease. 

Parramatta Square is about providing a higher quality of life for residents and workers with a world class premium health and fitness club, an A-grade child care facility and bespoke Business and Events centre with meeting rooms and auditoriums making the work/life integration effortless.

 

<h2>ARTHUR PHILLIP HIGH SCHOOL - EDUCATION</h2>

<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/arthur_phillip_-_grimshaw_and_bvn.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Arthur Phillip vertical school by Grimshaw Architects and BVN Architecture."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="365" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arthur_phillip_-_grimshaw_and_bvn.png?itok=PeIvPKpF" title="Arthur Phillip vertical school by Grimshaw Architects and BVN Architecture." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Arthur Phillip vertical school by Grimshaw Architects and BVN Architecture.</figcaption></figure>Arthur Phillip High School is Australia’s first vertical high school accommodating 2000 students across 16 floors of educational indoor and outdoor facilities. 
With flexible teaching spaces, adaptable room configurations and technology rich rooms that expand small to large for certain class sizes, the design aspect will mean that students and teachers will benefit from their environment with better opportunities for collaboration and personalised learning.

The collaborated architectural and landscape design by <a href="/architects/grimshaw-architects">Grimshaw Architects</a> and <a href="/architects/bvn-architecture">BVN Architecture</a> helps to deliver a truly remarkable community engaged structure aimed to meet the growth of secondary students in and around the Parramatta catchment area.

Opening in 2020, the high school will join the 1000 student facility Parramatta Public School on the existing school sites with combined tennis and basketball courts, a football field and rooftop gardens for both structures as social and environmental consciousness is encouraged.

With this development, Parramatta is set to become an even more exciting, vibrant and inclusive hub for innovation, technology, retail and commercial business. 
A fly through <a href="/news/council-offers-a-glimpse-of-what-parramatta-will-look-like-in-the-near-future">unveiling the future of the CBD</a> has been released via The City of Parramatta Council encompassing 30 different projects that won design excellence competitions over the past four years with the council stating they have a combined development value of $5.5 billion.

<h2> </h2>

 
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Nick Dante

Parramatta: Suburb Guide. Highlighting new developments in Sydney's second CBD

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Based on Urban data, these are the top 5 suburbs in the country with the most development listings available on our site per state and are amongst some of the most viewed by users. 
As activity centres expands and housing affordability fluctuates, these Australian suburbs have one major thing in common, they are booming.

 

<h2><a href="/developments/footscray-vic-3011">FOOTSCRAY, VICTORIA</a></h2>

The inner West suburb of Footscray in Melbourne, Victoria, is seeing unprecedented growth as a major activity centre and cultural hub. Footscray’s population of 20,000 people is set to almost double in the next decade and comprises of Vietnamese, Italian, Chinese, Sudanese, Ethiopian and Sri Lankan migrants with Victoria’s fourth highest proportion of residents born in South-East Asia.  
The developing suburb is a hub of creativity, culture, music and international cuisine and has been chosen as a major activity centre for the Western suburbs of Melbourne. Median housing prices are at $845,000 with median rent costs at $470 per week.

<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/victoria_one_footscray.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of Victoria Square, Footscray by Kavellaris Urban Design and Developer Growland."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/victoria_one_footscray.jpg" title="Rendering of Victoria Square, Footscray by Kavellaris Urban Design and Developer Growland." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of Victoria Square, Footscray by Kavellaris Urban Design and Developer Growland.</figcaption></figure><a href="/buildings/victoria-square-8-hopkins-street-footscray">Victoria Square</a> is among many of the developments springing up in Footscray and is led by Developers <a href="/developers/growland-group">Growland</a> with 939 dwellings across six buildings. 
Blending into the community fabric of Footscray, Victoria Square will become a new destination for laneway dining with 3000sqm dedicated to cafes and restaurants to be enjoyed by the public. 
The complex features world class amenities such as Australia’s first above ground 400m arterial running track, a resident’s cinema, games rooms, gymnasium, lap pool, private lounge and dining rooms and a sky garden connecting the towers, creating an engaging community amongst the residents.

Prices: 
1 bed, 1 bath, 0 car - $385,000

2 bed, 1 bath, 1 car - $540,000

3 bed, 2 bath, 1 car - $599,000

 

<h2><a href="/new-apartments/liverpool-nsw-2170">LIVERPOOL, NEW SOUTH WALES</a></h2>

Set to become one of Sydney’s third biggest CBD’s, Liverpool is developing strong economic and residential opportunities within the heritage structure of the city centre. 
With a population of over 28,000, the Western city is one of the oldest settlements in Australia with strong community engagement. 
Less than 30% of Liverpool’s population were born in Australia, creating a multicultural environment to which thrives by the Georges River. 
The median housing price in Liverpool is $729,000 with a weekly advertised median rent at $450 with over half of Liverpool residents living in apartments and units.

<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/the_foundry_liverpool.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of The Foundry by SJB Architects."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_foundry_liverpool.jpg" title="Rendering of The Foundry by SJB Architects." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of The Foundry by <a href="/architects/sjb-architects">SJB Architects</a>.</figcaption></figure><a href="/buildings/the-foundry-32-34-shepherd-street-liverpool">The Foundry</a> is one of the many developments setting a precedent for inner city centre expansion and with rezoning change to mixed use in 2018, Liverpool is inviting improvements to underutilised and undeveloped sites across the city. With 198 dwellings across 17 floors, the building also features a double height lobby, a landscaped central atrium, private rooftop garden and pool with city and rivers edge views. 
The building is incorporated into the Paper Mill development which is comprised of multiple buildings along the Georges River in the city centre surrounding the 150 year old heritage listed Paper Mill building which will become the new cafe and dining quarter.

Prices:

1 bed, 1 bath - $497,000 to $601,000

2 bed, 2 bath - $580,000 to $704,000

 

<h2><a href="/new-apartments/brisbane-qld">SOUTH BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND</a></h2>

South Brisbane is one of the busiest riverfront suburbs of Brisbane home to the Queensland Museum, Streets Beach, a giant ferris wheel and offers culture, galleries, science exhibits, a vast promenade nightlife and weekend markets. Home to over 8,000 residents and tens of thousands of daily and nightly visitors, the suburb is an important destination connected by the Victoria Bridge to Brisbane CBD.

With a median age population of 30 years old, South Brisbane retains its heritage charm and vibrancy with a large amount of big name developments jumping across the river for the waterfront lifestyle and tropical cultural charm. 
Median unit and housing rents are at $510 per week with a median housing price of $994,000. 
Most residents live in apartment dwellings which have a median price of $447,000.

<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/the_standard_south_brisbane_woods_bagot.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of The Standard by Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_standard_south_brisbane_woods_bagot.jpg" title="Rendering of The Standard by Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of The Standard by Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure><a href="/architects/woods-bagot">Wood Bagot</a>’s architecturally designed apartment tower, <a href="/buildings/the-standard-13-17-manning-street-south-brisbane">The Standard</a> is South Brisbane’s latest development standing 105 metres above ground level and comprising of 261 new one, two and three bedroom dwellings. 
The cylindrical tower includes such amenities as a rooftop pool, private dining rooms, theatre, a 240sqm fitness centre, rooftop wine bar, coffee lounge, a spa and wellness centre with sauna and three complementary Tesla vehicles for exclusive resident use.

Prices start at $500,000 for a one bedroom and can range up to $1,200,000 for a penthouse.

 

<h2><a href="/developments/belconnen-act-2617">BELCONNEN, ACT</a></h2>

Belconnen is the inner city suburb of Canberra with a metropolitan population of over 96,000 people. 
With Canberra City Centre’s restricted height and development laws, Belconnen is a designated sub-city which in recent years has developed into a mixed used activity precinct with 40% of residents born outside Australia, the sixth highest for any Canberra suburb.

Surrounding the Ginninderra Lake, Belconnen is home to the John Knight Memorial Park, a 300 store Westfield and the University of Canberra. 
Belconnen remains one of the most affordable districts in Canberra with a median house price of $431,000 and a median weekly rent amount of $410.

<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/high_society_belconnen_geocon.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of High Society Apartment towers designed by Fender Katsalidis"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/high_society_belconnen_geocon.jpg" title="Rendering of High Society Apartment towers designed by Fender Katsalidis" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of High Society Apartment towers designed by <a href="/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a></figcaption></figure>The <a href="/buildings/high-society-1-grazier-lane-belconnen">High Society Apartments</a> are one of Belconnen’s recent development that showcases the large amount of growth happening in the suburb.  
Designed by Fender Katsalidis, the two 27 storey towers rise with sweeping uninterrupted views of Lake Ginninderra and Greater Canberra and comprise of 541 apartment dwellings ranging between one, two and three bedrooms. Residents will be able to enjoy a rooftop park, barbeque area, wine cellar and cinema. The development also features a 135 room hotel on site which will establish Belconnen City Centre as the major destination it is becoming.

Prices: 
1 bed, 1 bath - $345,900

2 bed, 1 bath - $439,400

3 bed, 2 bath - $692,400

 

<h2><a href="/developments/adelaide-sa">PORT ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA</a></h2>

Approximately 14 kilometres from the Adelaide CBD sits Port Adelaide, a suburb that once was Adelaide’s most important and main supply link for the city and is now becoming a site for urban renewal. 
Traditionally a working class suburb, much is maintained in terms of the heritage and long standing public pubs and bars that line St.Vincent and Lipson Street. 
As one of the oldest settlements in Adelaide, the cultural significance of Port Melbourne is shown through its characteristic taverns and buildings, built in the late 1800’s as well as the vast amount of museums. 
Museums include the National Railway Museum, South Australian Maritime Museum, Aviation Museum, Austbuilt Maritime Museum and the Australian Museum of Childhood. 
Port Adelaide’s median housing prices range in the $570,000 range with a weekly median rent of $388.

<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/dock_one_port_adelaide.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of Dock One Townhomes by Starfish Developments"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="343" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/dock_one_port_adelaide.jpg" title="Rendering of Dock One Townhomes by Starfish Developments" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of Dock One Townhomes by <a href="/developers/starfish-developments"">Starfish Developments</a></figcaption></figure><a href="/developments/port-adelaide-sa-5015">Dock One</a> is just one of the many developments happening in the Port Adelaide area, and it is quite a large one with 750 planned townhomes and apartments all ranging two and three bedrooms across one to five levels. 
The architecture, designed by <a href="/architects/enzo-caroscio-architecture">Enzo Caroscio</a> embraces the city’s heritage character and is very much inspired by local history, culture and art. With waterfront or park facing views, residents will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds and its close proximity to the bustling working class heritage centre of Port Adelaide.

As well as a vast landscape for residents to connect and socialise, the development will also refurbish waterfront heritage buildings that need repair.

Prices can range between $400,000 to $650,000.

 

<h2><a href="/developments/perth-wa">PERTH CBD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA</a></h2>

Perth has a vast array of developing suburbs but one that will see the most change will be its very own central district. The Perth CBD the city’s largest economic and cultural hub with facilities such as the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the State Library of Western Australia, the State Theatre Centre, The Perth Concert Hall and many more.

Perth CBD is home to just over 10,000 residents which is set to triple in the next decade as infill apartment development by the waterfront has encouraged an influx of movement and growth. 
To accommodate this growth, Perth has turned to revitalising the waterfront with Elizabeth Quay, creating Perth Link, a development on the edge of the city that features the new Perth Arena and strengthening its retail and commercial hub.

<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/the_towers_at_eliz_quay_fart_east_consortium.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of the almost completed Towers at Elizabeth Quay by Far East Consortium."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_towers_at_eliz_quay_fart_east_consortium.jpg" title="Rendering of the almost completed Towers at Elizabeth Quay by Far East Consortium." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of the almost completed Towers at Elizabeth Quay by Far East Consortium.</figcaption></figure><a href="/buildings/the-towers-at-elizabeth-quay-11-barrack-square-perth">The Towers at Elizabeth Quay</a> are part of the grand urban renewal project set to attract over 12 million visitors annually. The development includes two residential towers, the first Ritz Carlton for Perth and a vibrant waterfront with water park, green space and new connecting bridges.

Located at the head of the precinct, the towers stand as the gateway jewel to the CBD. 
With 379 residential dwellings across two <a href="/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a> designed towers, residents will be able to take advantage of full panoramic views of the city and water. Amenities include a pool, gym, cycle cafe, restaurants at ground level, roof gardens and amphitheatre which will host much of the public events around the quay.

Prices: 
1 bed, 1 bath - $793,000

2 bed, 1 bath - $1,283,000

3 bed, 2 bath - $2,541,000

 

 

 

 
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Booming Australian Suburbs according to Urban

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Located in the of Sydney, Liverpool has just cemented itself as Sydney’s third CBD with the approval of the city’s tallest commercial office tower designed by <a href="/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>. 
Developed by Macky Corp, the tower stands as a new gateway to Liverpool with 23 levels of grade A office space, 1,500sqm of co-working space and 640sqm of ground retail space. 
Additionally, the refurbishment of the New Commercial Hotel alongside with a two level development known as ‘The Stables’ which reflects the current heritage landscape and will be the podium to the curved glass tower above. The design draws upon the aesthetic of Liverpool’s brick buildings, green corridors and riverbank. The elegantly curved design of the tower is shaped to allow sunlight to enter the heritage precinct below. 
The alley with boutique retail, eateries, cafes and bars stretching from Bigge Street to Scott Street will provide <a href="/new-apartments/liverpool-nsw-2170">Liverpool</a> residents with a destination that the area truly deserves and has been long awaited. 
 

<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/fk_liverpool_aerial_day_20_lg_07_low_res.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Render of the Liverpool Quarter precinct with incorporated civic space and heritage buildings."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="829" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fk_liverpool_aerial_day_20_lg_07_low_res.jpg?itok=PjFdIjZd" title="Render of the Liverpool Quarter precinct with incorporated civic space and heritage buildings." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Render of the Liverpool Quarter precinct with incorporated civic space and heritage buildings.</figcaption></figure> “Liverpool Quarter is a landmark project that will transform the area and enhance its surrounds,” says <a href="/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a> director Mark Curzon. “The building will act as a regional marker welcoming ones arrival into the city whilst creating an exciting new civic precinct celebrating its heritage.”

The Liverpool Quarter development is a response to the growing commercial interest in the area with the approval of nearby Western Sydney Airport and intimate connectivity to the Sydney CBD via public transport services. The development is welcomed by the Liverpool City Council as a perfect example for the type of developmental growth the new CBD needs.

“What drew us to Liverpool was the unprecedented infrastructure investment. We were attracted to this site given it was opposite the train station but also because of the three-storey heritage pub that was once the gateway to the city from the river and the east. Liverpool Quarter will stand proud as the gateway to the city and the refurbished pub alongside The Stables will create a destinational food and beverage precinct” says <a href="/news/mackycorp-lines-up-a-major-liverpool-office-development">Macky Corp</a> director Michael Hercus. 
 

<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/fk_liverpool_plazaviewin_146_lg_07.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Liverpool Quarter's plaza and community space"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fk_liverpool_plazaviewin_146_lg_07.jpg?itok=X1NhqUlj" title="Liverpool Quarter's plaza and community space" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Liverpool Quarter's plaza and community space</figcaption></figure> 
Katsalidis design gives plenty of “breathing space” between the existing New Commercial Hotel and the new tower, providing the area with a high level of community engaged, civic space.

“The people of Liverpool and the south-west deserve better. They are tired of travelling great distances to work and to experience quality food, beer and wine in a clean and safe environment. Liverpool Quarter will be a place for the people of Liverpool and the south-west to be proud of and call their own” says Hercus.

<a href="/new-apartments?bedrooms%5Bvalue%5D=0&amp;bedrooms%5Bvalue2%5D=5&amp;bedroom-prices%5Bvalue%5D=0&amp;bedroom-prices%5Bvalue2%5D=8&amp;field_local_government_area_name=Sydney%20%28City%29">Sydney CBD</a> and <a href="/new-apartments/parramatta-nsw">Parramatta</a> have been leading the commercial office market with low vacancy levels at 0.8% in some areas for A grade office buildings. Located opposite Liverpool Station, the $210 million dollar development will be amongst local destinations such as Macquarie Street, Biggie Park, Georges River, Liverpool Hospital and Westfield Liverpool and changes the shape and evolution of Australia’s fourth oldest town.

Liverpool’s current population of 210,000 is expected to explode to over 331,000 by 2036, thus being dubbed Sydney’s third CBD to which residents will be able to find pride and engage in their community.

<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/fk_liverpool_streetplazaend_62_lg_07_low_res.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The incorporated New Commercial Hotel and Stables entrance"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fk_liverpool_streetplazaend_62_lg_07_low_res.jpg?itok=o2EVIOXt" title="The incorporated New Commercial Hotel and Stables entrance" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The incorporated New Commercial Hotel and Stables entrance</figcaption></figure>Construction of the tower commences in late 2019 with an expected completion in late 2021. 
All images by Fender Katsalidis
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Fender Katsalidis' Liverpool Quarter Tower receives the green light

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The <a href="https://wp.architecture.com.au/news-media/national-building-agreement-welcome-now-focus-on-action/">Australian Institute of Architects</a> is calling for a fundamental overhaul of building regulation to improve compliance and accountability. 
At the moment, Australian regulation and building codes lack transparency and as we have seen in the recent events, do little to protect residents and homeowners. 
Currently, anybody can procure and construct an apartment building in Australia without evidence of education, experience or insurance held where previously, independent and rigorous checks would oversee the design, materials choice and construction to ensure the utmost safety and sustainability for residents. Over the years this compliance has decreased to prioritise cost-saving over quality and is a reflection of our quick supply and demand culture. 
Countries such as <a href="https://www.building.govt.nz/building-code-compliance/">New Zealand</a> have a building code compliance that all builders must comply with even without building consent to ensure the safety and durability for everyone that uses them. New Zealand builders must abide by the technical guidance by the Building Code of 2004 with strict warnings and bans in place which could see the builder or developer paying a fine of up to $200,000 for which all buildings must focus on:

<ul>
<li>General Provisions</li>
	<li>Stability</li>
	<li>Protection from Fire</li>
	<li>Access</li>
	<li>Moisture</li>
	<li>Safety of Users</li>
	<li>Service and Facilities</li>
	<li>Energy Efficiency</li>
</ul>
Japan’s strict building regulations may be due to protecting citizens from the incredible amount of seismic activity the country experiences but are incredibly helpful when considering updating and strengthening Australia’s as bans on combustible building materials is much more closely regulated than here.

 

<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/neo_apartment_screen_peter_clarke-54.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="In early February 2019, Neo200 on Spencer experienced a balcony cladding fire up levels 21 to 27. Image by Hayball."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/neo_apartment_screen_peter_clarke-54.jpg?itok=PQvzB5Fo" title="In early February 2019, Neo200 on Spencer experienced a balcony cladding fire up levels 21 to 27. Image by Hayball." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>In early February 2019, Neo200 on Spencer experienced a balcony cladding fire up levels 21 to 27. Image by <a href="/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>.</figcaption></figure>In late 2018, Victoria banned lethal flammable building cladding, which includes aluminium panels. 
The ban provides builders with a clear and strict guideline of materials that can and cannot be used in the construction of buildings above two levels high. 
The VBA, <a href="https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/">Victorian Building Authority</a> has put builders on notice, as they inspect the hundreds of at risk buildings in a statewide audit to crack down on non-compliant structures. 
Architects and developers design buildings and communities with the intent of enriching the lives of people and the environment in which it stands, therefore building codes in Australia need to match that intensity with strict regulation and inspection to ensure the well being of all people. 
In recent news, residents of <a href="/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">Australia 108</a> respond in panic due to hearing cracking noises, power outages and lift operating failures. Since the first settlers took residence in the soon to be 101 story tower in late 2018, there have been a slew of complaints regarding construction noise and construction defects within apartments such as windows not closing or opening due to the curved facade. 
These stories have now either been exacerbated by the media to take advantage of panicked citizens to incite fear and sell papers or forcing builders and developers to take accountability and be more transparent about their building practices.  
With articles published in The Age and Herald Sun displaying the latest apartment building disasters, people are on high alert in fear their building's too, falls under the same underegulated practices. What holds true to these statements is that resident’s voices deserve to be heard with their safety and quality of life at the utmost importance.

<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/image_by_worzil_skyscrapercity.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Most updated construction image of Australia 108 by worzil of Skyscrapercity.com"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="547" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_by_worzil_skyscrapercity.jpg?itok=wP1ehTRH" title="Most updated construction image of Australia 108 by worzil of Skyscrapercity.com" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Most updated construction image of <a href="/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">Australia 108</a> by worzil of Skyscrapercity.com</figcaption></figure>Multiplex denied any structural damages in a statement and said the building is bound to move slightly as it is still under construction and minor defects are quickly fixed with absolutely no risk to residents.  
These complaints of noise are common with residents within and surrounding high density skyscrapers under construction and are not permanent. 
A multiplex representative states that “all residents have access to the Multiplex onsite customer team and our onsite service team has been working closely with the residents to rectify these items in a timely manner.” 
A benefit to the exposure of towers such as Opal in Sydney and its defects is that consumers and citizens are conscious and have opened up a dialogue with government about the loosened regulations and building codes our individual states hold. 
The next step is to hold builders accountable and to provide transparency with VBA and other councils alike in order to adhere to the highest quality of building and ensuring the safety of residents and communities. 
As work commences in Victoria establishing a ban on all flammable materials used in construction, a push for other councils and states is imminent and blatantly necessary. 
The Australian Institute of Architects are taking their demands of an industry revolution to VBA and multiple councils across New South Wales insisting on addressing the root of the issue, a culture and practice that has put time and cost above quality.  
This construction industry crisis facing Australia are systemic and it is crucial to make those steps forward to eradicate unlawful practices.

 

Read their latest article demanding industry revolution by clicking this <a href="https://wp.architecture.com.au/news-media/nsw-president-says-our-construction-industry-needs-nothing-short-of-a-revolution/">link</a>.
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Australia called, we want our Building Codes updated and regulated

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Allens has advised global investment manager InfraRed Capital Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd (InfraRed) on the Greater Curtin Stage One development, which reached financial close yesterday.
Procurement for Stage One began in 2016 and is the cornerstone in the delivery of Curtin University’s campus strategy.
Lead Partner David Donnelly (pictured above) said that Stage One represents a shift from a traditional university campus paradigm to a multipurpose destination mindset.
‘It’s a true precinct deal and a complex one, involving new and existing student accommodation, a hotel, self-contained apartments, industry partner spaces, retail, parking and public open spaces. The project will create much of the infrastructure and culture upon which the Greater Curtin vision will be built,’ he said.
‘Tertiary education is key export for our economy, and student accommodation is becoming increasingly recognised as an investment-grade asset class among institutional investors. We were therefore delighted to advise Infrared on this complex project.’
Challenging the traditional concept of a university campus makes the project inherently complex and requires input from multiple stakeholders.
‘We mobilised a team of more than 60 lawyers, including nine partners, across a range of practices with sector expertise to bring this deal together,’ he said.
The deal builds upon Allens’ extensive experience in student accommodation and first-to-market privately financed infrastructure project
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Allens advises InfraRed Capital on Curtin University's campus vision

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Private enterprise has shaped the skylines of Australia’s cities, and the names of their highest towers reflect this. The towers of Sydney shout finance: Deutsche Bank, MLC, Ernst &amp; Young, ANZ, Suncorp. The tall buildings of Perth read like a mining index: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Woodside. In Melbourne, residential skyscrapers for investors make up the mass of new development, with names like Aurora, Verve, Empire and Vision – names that are timeless (and placeless).
The recent transformation of Australian city centres makes them appear unruly and wild, with their gilded towers, curtain walls compiled from a cladding company catalogue, and hybrid building types. Two-storey Victorian-era fronts abutt six-storey apartment buildings, or are completely engulfed by towers. This bricolage, paired with aspirational branding, creates the impression that property developers and financiers are the main drivers and shapers of this “anything goes” approach to urban development.
This is partly true. Market-driven development has always played a leading role in the urban settlement of Australia. But markets operate within a framework of rules that mitigate the negatives of urban development for the public good.
Governments have a key role in setting policies, rules and regulations that steer those driving urban development through the morass of planning policies, design guidelines and codes for buildings. Within these planning mechanisms, government actions should reflect the standards and expectations of the communities they represent.
So why is there such a gulf between what the centres of Australian cities look like, including their public spaces, and community expectations? Part of the problem is the lack of guidance about quality design during the planning and design phase and the consistent decision-making necessary to achieve it.
Take Melbourne, for example
Nowhere is this more obvious than some of Melbourne’s recently built tall towers.
Over the two decades up to 2015 there was a lack of strong regulation of planning schemes around taller buildings. In 1999 – when the economy was sluggish – the state government removed density controls from the city centre to allow maximum flexibility in property development.
These controls had established a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 12:1. This means that if a site has an area of 1,000 square metres, the construction of 12,000 square metres of floor space is allowed. It might be a building built across the whole site to 12 storeys, or a building on half the site to 24 storeys.
It is only by chance that Melbourne’s height limit was set between 265 metres and 315 metres, so that buildings did not intrude into aircraft flight paths.
The soaring heights of Melbourne’s buildings are not necessarily a major problem. The new residential towers take their share of the 100,000-plus new residents who move to Greater Melbourne each year, and these people are <a href="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.com-participate.files/2615/2963/7455/Transport_Strategy_Refresh_-_Background_paper_-_Car_Parking.pdf" target="_blank">more likely to walk than drive</a>. And restricting building heights does not necessarily lead to better buildings and neighbourhoods.
However, setting height limits through density controls – regulating floor areas, and apartments, in a building, block or precinct – is an important lever for achieving better design. It’s a form of regulatory “bargaining power”, permitting a few extra floors in return for better public amenity. Without it, there can be many bad outcomes, particularly at street level, as is obvious in some recently built towers.
The City of Melbourne’s 2018 report, <a href="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.com-participate.files/8915/4882/4706/Post_Exhibition_Synthesis_Report_Amendment_C308.PDF" target="_blank">Promoting High Quality Urban Design Outcomes in the Central City and Southbank</a>, notes a “lack of design investment in the lower 20 metres of building facades and in particular in shopfront design” in the past. The problems include allowing parking above ground in podiums, tinted glass that renders active uses (such as common areas or commercial tenancies) invisible, and poor materials and architectural details that undermine the quality of the streetscape. This can contribute to poor visual connections between building occupiers and pedestrians, which reduces surveillance from above that would help make streets safer.
Some developments just look incredibly cheap and bland. There are flat finishes and facades, tinted glass, floor-to-ceiling glazing with repetitious frames and mullions, building services taking up much of the street frontage – despite the luxury apartment taglines used to market these towers.
Tighter controls for better design
Planning controls in the central city and Southbank area of Melbourne have become tighter since <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/new-cbd-rules-clamp-down-on-excessive-skyscraper-heights-and-densities-20150903-gjersp" target="_blank">interim controls were put in place in 2015</a>. These became permanent in 2016. Most of the podium and infill towers recently springing up in Melbourne received planning permission before then.
The new controls stipulate stronger requirements for minimum street setbacks, overshadowing, wind effects, FAR limits and tower separation. New height limits are based on density controls. However, high-rise apartment towers are still permitted to produce <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/future/trends/urban-growth-and-density" target="_blank">densities higher than those found in areas of Tokyo or Hong Kong</a>.
These new planning controls have already led to a reduction in above-ground car park podiums, as developers aim to increase their yield in the face of restrictions on floor area ratios.
Despite these new planning provisions promoting quality design, there is still ambiguity around what good design means for Melbourne’s taller building proposals. This becomes an issue when tall buildings are subject to discretionary height limits.
The report <a href="/news">Measurable Criteria to Assess Development Applications Exceeding Preferred Heights: Analysis and Recommendations</a> by MGS Architects observed through several case studies across Melbourne – including in South Yarra and Collingwood – that extra height can be negotiated for projects that demonstrate a “high standard of architectural design”. But good design here may not relate to setbacks, overshadowing, provision of public space, or quality architectural details. It could be because a building is marketed as a “landmark”, “gateway” or “icon”.
But does a building’s height make it a landmark? If so, how high should it be? And should poor public amenity (such as generating traffic or overshadowing) be traded away because a building is “slender” and “sculptural”?
In the case of projects that went to the planning tribunal VCAT, the City of Melbourne report observed: "Where the tribunal was required to make a decision between an acceptable urban design outcome or project viability (such as the ability to achieve a viable tower envelope), viability and consolidation objectives prevailed on balance."
What more needs to be done?
Certainty and consistency are lacking. MGS Architects <a href="/news">writes</a> that this “undermines the public perception of a fair and orderly process for development approvals”.
All property developers, architects and planners desire consistency and clarity in urban planning, design and policy in order to deliver their projects – as do local communities. And despite moves in the right direction in Melbourne, there still is room to improve regulation. This includes introducing clearer density controls in relation to quality architectural design, a design review process in which designers lead decision-making and design-led envelope controls (where quantitative rules about where development is permitted are matched by qualitative rules that focus on how the building interfaces with the public realm).
However, to encourage innovation the regulations should still allow for flexibility.
The growth in Melbourne’s residential towers reinforces to the inhabitants of Australian cities the need to regulate for quality design outcomes. It acts as a warning for strategic town centres in Melbourne, and across Australia, that lack adequate quality control of their taller buildings.
Height restrictions were eased in part of Adelaide’s city centre this decade with the <a href="/news">Capital City Development Plan Amendment</a>. This led to a slew of new commercial, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-27/is-it-time-to-implement-postcode-5000-in-adelaide/10039102" target="_blank">residential and hotel buildings over 100 metres</a> proposed or under construction. Let’s hope that, with strong design guidelines, Adelaide avoids the mistakes of some of Melbourne’s recent additions.
Timothy Moore, PhD Candidate, Melbourne School of Design, Monash University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/taming-wild-cities-the-tall-buildings-of-australia-show-why-we-need-strong-design-guidelines-116735" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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The tall buildings of Australia show why we need strong design guidelines

Olivia Round

The future of Sydney’s skyline: 9 tallest skyscrapers by 2025

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Sydney’s Darling Harbour: popular but noisy and expensive. Here’s how we could do better to provide a safe place to work and play. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.shutterstock.com%2Fgatekeeper%2FW3siZSI6MTU0NzU0MzAxNiwiYyI6Il9waG90b19zZXNzaW9uX2lkIiwiZGMiOiJpZGxfMTg4Mjk2MDMxIiwiayI6InBob3RvLzE4ODI5NjAzMS9tZWRpdW0uanBnIiwibSI6MSwiZCI6InNodXR0ZXJzdG9jay1tZWRpYSJ9LCIyeXl2aTFtdVhSZEpodktYN2FRMVR0akZmY0kiXQ%2Fshutterstock_188296031.jpg&amp;pi=41133566&amp;m=188296031&amp;src=FRqrebc_WbmZL_pwE2pIQA-1-11"> </a>
More towers at Sydney’s Darling Harbour are among redevelopment plans for the inner city waterfront precinct and this has prompted <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/population-of-a-small-town-the-transformation-of-darling-harbour-20181112-p50fgo" target="_blank">recent debate</a>.
Plans open for public commentary include proposals for <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/News/2016/Have-your-say-on-the-redevelopment-of-Cockle-Bay-Wharf" target="_blank">new tall buildings</a> at <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Assess-and-Regulate/State-Significant-Projects/Cockle-Bay" target="_blank">Cockle Bay</a> and <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/News/2016/Have-your-say-on-the-redevelopment-of-Harbourside-Shopping-Centre" target="_blank">at the Harbourside Shopping Centre</a>.
Critics include <a href="https://architectureau.com/articles/city-of-sydney-objects-to-darling-harbour-developments/" target="_blank">Russell Hand and Christopher Ashworth</a>, senior planners at the City of Sydney, who have lodged <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/tall-towers-for-darling-harbour-spurned-by-city-of-sydney-planners-20170111-gtpeeh" target="_blank">formal objections</a>.
Alex Greenwich, independent MP for Sydney, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/no-planning-merit-cockle-bay-redevelopment-attracts-strong-opposition-20180824-p4zzln" target="_blank">describes the Cockle Bay proposal</a> as “very poor planning”. In the same article, Graham Quint of the National Trust says Darling Harbour would be “degraded” by overdevelopment.
Celebrated architect Philip Cox fears the area has “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/population-of-a-small-town-the-transformation-of-darling-harbour-20181112-p50fgo" target="_blank">gone backwards</a>” as it does not really create a unique urban space, nor does it contribute much to the city.
Plans for ever larger buildings, bringing in more people and attracting more tourists may mark a point of no return for the precinct. It would place increased pressure on the available space, which already houses a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/population-of-a-small-town-the-transformation-of-darling-harbour-20181112-p50fgo" target="_blank">town full of people</a>.
More development of the type proposed also leaves little space to regenerate the city, to create places where nature and open space can help to deal with floods or heat, let alone create a valuable ecological landscape.
To see where development of Darling Harbour went wrong and what we could do better, we need to consider the area as a whole. That’s <a href="https://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-city/darling-harbour" target="_blank">Darling Harbour</a> itself, <a href="http://www.cocklebaywharf.com.au/" target="_blank">Cockle Bay</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-how-westconnex-can-deliver-sydney-a-better-city-centre-90171" target="_blank">Darling Harbour Corridor</a>, <a href="https://www.barangaroo.com" target="_blank">Barangaroo</a>, <a href="https://www.darlingpark.com.au/home" target="_blank">Darling Park</a> and <a href="https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/parks/major-parks/tumbalong-park" target="_blank">Tumbalong Park</a>.
Three examples highlight how development of the Darling Harbour area over the past 30 years has been botched.
1. Darling Harbour as a noisy neighbour
Walk down Darling Harbour towards Barangaroo on a random night and this is what you’ll face.
Noisy bars and restaurants along Cockle Bay are full; quieter places inside are, even for Sydney’s standards, expensive; bright lights compare with the neon of Shanghai’s Nanjing Road; and there is activity everywhere, even on the water where party boats disturb not only human but also animal life.
I am not against a lively precinct. But Darling Harbour is currently operating like your noisy neighbour — a nice guy but with too many bad habits. He eats too much, burps whenever it is convenient, grows fat and watches the same programs every day.
There it is, consuming tourists (<a href="https://www.destinationnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/darling-harbour-visitor-profile-ye-march-2018.pdf?x15361" target="_blank">4.6 million in the year ending March 2018</a>), growing bigger buildings all around, producing noises no-one wants to hear, and looking like a huge TV screen flickering flashy lights into the night.
Barangaroo is the next stage of “badnertainment”, adding more expensive drinking and eating venues, increasing traffic congestion, and continuing the <a href="https://theconversation.com/packers-barangaroo-casino-and-the-inevitability-of-pokies-15892" target="_blank">gambling boulevard</a> all the way through to <a href="https://www.barangaroo.com/see-and-do/things-to-do/itineraries/barangaroo-reserve/" target="_blank">Headland Park</a>. Compared to the former port facilities that stood there, at least people can enter this space up to the water’s edge.
But Barangaroo remains a private collection of colossal buildings, impenetrable if you don’t belong to the corporate world.
2. Tumbalong Park, hidden behind a highway
Tumbalong Park is hidden behind a highway, so far back no one can see the water. Though there are paths, plants and a stage, the overkill of lights and noise is not what you’d expect from a park.
Anyone who wants to spend time there on a hot day will experience the “<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/urban-heat-island/" target="_blank">heat island effect</a>”. Here, heat is amplified compared with the surrounding area as the grass is surrounded by large chunks of concrete and glass. That, combined with a feeling of being observed from all sides, might explain why you hardly find people sitting on the grass.
3. Highway cuts up public space
Where do people plan a highway through a public space? In Sydney, this is quite normal. The Western Distributor splits the City from Circular Quay and Darling Harbour. A spaghetti of ramps, concrete traffic lanes and multilayered traffic disconnects surrounding areas including Ultimo and Haymarket from the real beauty: the water and water’s edge of Cockle Bay. What could be a coherent urban precinct is cut in half and displaces the urban front from the water’s edge.
Let’s transform this ‘blinging, boring barrier’
These three failings form an urban sink hole for Sydney’s residents — a gap in which tourists are trapped and the corporates show off. <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-how-westconnex-can-deliver-sydney-a-better-city-centre-90171" target="_blank">Through traffic and congestion</a> dominate the area.
Darling Harbour is full of bling, the park is boring, and the highway is a barrier. Sydney created a blinging, boring barrier.
Why can’t Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay be a sensitive space, where you can experience relative darkness and silence when eating and drinking, and you can enjoy the tranquility of dark water so close to the city centre?
Wouldn’t it be sensational if you could whisper a secret message to your darling instead of shouting how his or her working day was? Wouldn’t it be great if you could sit on the edge of the harbour, dangling your tired feet in the water? How great could it be if the space was green with trees, bush, ecofriendly river edges, where kids could explore water and nature?
Tranquility, darkness and human scale are the ingredients for an environment that can be completely green and still urban. Higher densities are possible as long as these are sustainable, we use environmental-friendly materials and are placed in a larger green and ecological zone fronting the water. This then creates the space for people to enjoy the environment and relax.
Climate change makes this urgent
This is urgent. Climate change will cause and enforce changes to city centres, especially when they’re fronting water edges, like Darling Harbour.
Rising sea levels (<a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/new-maps-show-the-risk-of-sea-level-rises-to-australian-cities/news-story/2cd13d732b102365c9c708c4a223961f" target="_blank">up to 2m by the end of the century</a>), and more flash flooding as a result of more intense rain are expected.
So green buffer zones on either side of the water’s edge are required to deal with rising water levels and more intense rain events.
Environments must be flexible, adaptive and resilient to survive. The types of activities currently in the Darling Harbour area are mono-functional, inflexible and vulnerable to climate impacts.
Here’s what we can learn from other cities:
Toronto
Toronto’s city centre has a series of greening projects along its <a href="https://waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/portal/waterfront/Home" target="_blank">waterfront</a>. These include nature reserves, a bicycle path, sandy beach-like areas and zones in which urban water is purified at the same time made available for the public to use in playgrounds.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253789/original/file-20190115-180494-182n6ou.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253789/original/file-20190115-180494-182n6ou.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Toronto’s water purification site is also an urban playground. Author provided
New York
Another good example is in New York, where Manhattan is transforming its Hudson River edges with <a href="https://hudsonriverpark.org/" target="_blank">parks and green areas</a>. There is open-air office space such as the <a href="https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/" target="_blank">Hudson Yards</a>, and continuous parks along the river, such as the Riverpark Boulevard.
These continuous parks can not only protect the city from flooding but also suit the daily needs of the jogging, cycling or wandering New Yorker.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253790/original/file-20190115-180510-xwhxhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253790/original/file-20190115-180510-xwhxhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
New York’s Riverpark Boulevard has been designed to protect the city from flooding, as well as providing people place to walk, jog or wander. Author provided
Shanghai
In Shanghai there’s a large program to green the river edge. Over 100,000 trees are being planted along the Huangpu River. This program is meant to clean the air, mitigate the urban heat island effect and offer space to occasional floods. But it also functions as an enormous park, with a continuous cycle-path and the option to run the marathon (once up and down).
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253791/original/file-20190115-180488-p8270n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253791/original/file-20190115-180488-p8270n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Shanghai is transforming its riverside with more than 100,000 trees and parklands long enough to run a marathon. Author provided
Amsterdam
Finally, Amsterdam is redeveloping the northern shore of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IJ_(Amsterdam)" target="_blank">IJ river</a>. Here, new green spaces, water purification and ecological reserves are realised in the midst of a high-density mixed-use urban environment. One of the eye-catchers is EYE, the national movie theatre.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253792/original/file-20190115-180488-28ukf5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253792/original/file-20190115-180488-28ukf5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Amsterdam is transforming the IJ north shore. Author provided
Sydney, it’s up to you
These examples show that large, western cities are successfully implementing sustainable ecological developments along their waterfronts.
These are not realised because of some high-level green ambition, but out of pure necessity. People ask for cleaner environments so they can enjoy, exercise and play with their kids in a healthy and safe place.
In Darling Harbour, we’re faced with short-term economic benefits, with a focus on tourists, and a vulnerable waterline. Is this the long-term future for Sydneysiders?
Or could the waterfront become the lovely place for humans and nature, which also protects Sydneysiders living immediately behind the waterfront?<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109869/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Rob Roggema is a of Professor Spatial Transformation, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/hanze-university-of-applied-sciences-groningen-3849">Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen</a>.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-darling-harbour-was-botched-and-could-be-reborn-109869" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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