Prominent Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a> has unveiled <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">Aura</a>, the next stage of its $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct in Southbank, continuing its push into wellness-led, amenity-rich apartment living.

The $800 million tower, planned for 7 Hoff Boulevard, will rise 67 storeys and deliver 673 apartments, with COX Architecture drawing on both Japanese design principles and Australia’s natural landscape to shape the building’s identity. A rectangular grid aesthetic defines the building’s exterior, with COX drawing design cues from New York high-rises and Tokyo’s skyline.

Aura builds on a growing trend in high-density living, where wellness is no longer an add-on but central to the product. The development is structured around four key pillars, combining calm, minimalist residences with layered communal spaces, landscaped gardens, and a suite of wellness amenities designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367465]

At the core of the project is what OSK describes as a vertical wellness ecosystem, a multi-level approach to amenity that integrates health, lifestyle, and social spaces throughout the building rather than confining them to a single level.

The main resident hub, the Aura Club on level seven, will include a pool, cold plunge, spa, gym, Pilates and yoga studios, alongside more lifestyle-driven inclusions like a golf simulator, music rooms, library, and work-from-home spaces. Above, a series of higher-level amenity zones, including the Meridian Club and Cumulus Club, introduce more refined, social and retreat-style environments, with private dining, lounges, and premium wellness spaces positioned to take advantage of city views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367467]

The residences themselves will largely include balconies, a key design move in a market increasingly focused on natural light, airflow, and connection to the outdoors. Views will extend across the CBD, the Arts Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens, and beyond.

Aura also introduces approximately 1,600 sqm of retail across the lower levels, further activating the Melbourne Square precinct, which already includes Kennedy Park, a Woolworths, childcare, and a growing mix of hospitality operators.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367474]

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>," says&nbsp;OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

“We have been very encouraged by the market’s response to the BLVD offering, and we know there is a strong demand for the level of amenity, service and design that the Melbourne Square precinct is known for.

“Complemented by work-from-home lounges for professionals, family friendly outdoor garden spaces, and state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facilities, Aura will continue our focus on maximising physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing,” he said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367475]

The project follows the strong performance of BLVD, which is now around 80 per cent sold, and reinforces OSK Property’s long-term commitment to Melbourne Square as a fully integrated, mixed-use precinct.

Construction is expected to commence in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

Joel Robinson

OSK unveils AURA, the latest stage in Southbank's $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct

National developer Time &amp; Place appears to have settled on a design for its long-anticipated Potts Point project.

After several years of back and forth with local council and the NSW Government, the developer, which has spent close to a decade targeting the former The Chimes site on Macleay Street, has now progressed its plans.

Following a concept design submission last year by SJB, Time &amp; Place has lodged a full State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government, this time for a scheme designed by Kerry Hill Architects.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="504d2a27-d65f-4227-8189-1e35e3376e62" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.38.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_XqFKATYHF30KnVByPxhaI9UBzmkmfn7" />

The 16-storey proposal includes 44 apartments, 21 of which will be build-to-sell. These will comprise 19 three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom penthouses.

More than 50 per cent of the development will be dedicated to affordable housing, with 23 one- and two-bedroom apartments delivered in line with the NSW Government’s Housing SEPP.

Kerry Hill Architects said the proposal is driven by a strong response to place.

“Our proposal for a new residential building for Potts Point in Sydney is driven by a deep consideration of place,” the practice said in its submission.

“This operates on multiple levels, including a landscape approach that reinstates endemic flora of the Sydney peninsula and provides a ground-floor garden for residents, reconnecting the site to its pre-European history. A brick podium further strengthens this relationship to context, integrating planting and fine bronze detailing that references the predominant material language of Macleay Street.”

The three-level podium will be topped by a communal resident space, featuring a covered pool designed to receive direct afternoon sun in winter, a neighbouring reflection pool, dining and event areas oriented to maximise sunset views, and an outdoor exercise zone.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d3eedc1-babb-44a3-bd96-d8a42f3adf1f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.37.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Ii7.4dvqNatu5GQi6bhqNjAswrMB998." />

The design also incorporates highly crafted shopfronts and a clearly defined residential entry to activate the street. Juliette balconies to the podium residences will provide passive surveillance and a strong sense of habitation.

Above, the larger apartments are housed within a light-coloured masonry and bronze tower.

“The tower steps back in a series of gently curved volumes that reference the rich Art Deco context of Macleay Street,” the architects said. “Carefully calibrated vertical fins frame the views while providing privacy and a sense of refuge.”

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6fab60f4-3140-4469-b47a-48c781e0a30b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.28.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=e5XxrM3kzdASdKlcIACHAHbOSZhSKC9O" />

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in South Melbourne.

The developer has approval for The Burke, a mixed-use project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>&nbsp;being delivered in partnership with Woolworths. The 60 apartments, positioned above a new Woolworths supermarket, are expected to launch in the coming months. Time &amp; Place is also progressing plans for the redevelopment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/northcote-vic-3070">Northcote</a>&nbsp;Plaza, and have recently submitted plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/time-place-unveils-plans-22-storey-south-melbourne-tower">22-storey tower</a>, another in South Melbourne.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw">Sydney</a>, the developer has two projects in Manly: Two Tides, which is currently under construction, and an ultra high-end building on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach. It is also continuing to work through the redevelopment of The Chimes building on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as Marlborough House, the redevelopment of the original David Jones warehouse building in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surry-hills-nsw-2010">Surry Hills</a>.

First look: Time & Place settles on design for The Chimes, Potts Point redevelopment

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/develotek">Develotek</a> is joining the likes of TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital, betting on a boom in Five Dock ahead of the 2032 mooted opening of the Five Dock Metro Station.

Develotek, which is currently developing Bianca on the Drummoyne waterfront and has plans approved for a tower in Chatswood, has filed a State Significant Development Application for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">two-building project in the evolving Kings Bay precinct</a>.

The buildings, one more boutique just five storeys and the other 26 storeys, will rise from an 3,158 sqm site across&nbsp;79–81 Queens Road and 2–8 Spencer Street, will home 134 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, above ground-floor retail and five basement levels of parking.

A key component of the proposal is the inclusion of 15 per cent of residential floor space as in-fill affordable housing, unlocking additional height and density under the Housing SEPP.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ee31bf7-75ba-4bc5-b190-49885193219f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium_2.png?VersionId=730UbrduuwK3C1sO28RHjiLPUPqXqjkh" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a podium-and-tower configuration, with a five-storey street wall along Queens Road transitioning to a 26-storey tower set deeper into the site. The ground plane prioritises activation and permeability, with retail frontages and a new through-site link connecting Queens Road to Spencer Street.

At the upper levels, the tower façade has been conceived using a modular system to support prefabrication and reduce construction waste, while improving build efficiency. The splayed form draws on the geometry of surrounding industrial rooftops, reinterpreting the area’s heritage in a contemporary expression while also helping to reduce solar heat gain to east and west-facing apartments.

“This project aspires to transform a former industrial site into a connected, resilient and people-focused urban community, grounded in Country, shaped by history, and designed to enrich everyday life within the evolving Kings Bay Precinct,” said John Walsh, Principal at Plus Studio.

The proposal reflects the broader transformation of the Kings Bay Precinct under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, marking a shift from its industrial past to a higher-density, mixed-use urban neighbourhood.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abde734c-1e31-4a97-a1d2-fa9bcf31c380" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/building%20podium.png?VersionId=fNUupP6u146yEytQT31kKVRxwtACgPpP" />

Develotek is emerging as an active participant in the state’s affordable housing-led uplift pathway. The developer recently secured approval for a 34-storey mixed-use tower in Chatswood, where it similarly leveraged the in-fill affordable housing provisions to increase scale and deliver a 101-unit scheme with dedicated affordable apartments.

Their entry into Five Dock places them alongside a growing list of developers targeting the suburb ahead of its anticipated transport uplift, with Sydney Metro set to extend into the area. Major players including TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital are all progressing large-scale precinct-style developments nearby, collectively reshaping the low-rise industrial fabric into a higher-density mixed-use corridor.

The Five Dock site sits within the Kings Bay Precinct, a key renewal area under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, where planning controls support significant uplift tied to affordable housing delivery. The consolidated 3,158 sqm site is currently occupied by low-rise industrial uses, including warehouses and vehicle workshops, earmarked for transition.

First Look: Develotek joins in Five Dock apartment boom

Ascot’s Racecourse Road continues to be a hive of activity for Brisbane developers.

Following Fortis and GRAYA, which are both preparing new projects along the key strip connecting Kingsford Smith Drive and Eagle Farm Racecourse, local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skyhold">Skyhold</a> is the latest to lodge plans for its own development.

The group is proposing One One Two Residences, a boutique project comprising just seven apartments, named after its address at 112 Racecourse Road.

The proposal outlines a five-storey building on an 810 sqm site. The built form slightly exceeds the four-storey expectation under the neighbourhood plan, aligning instead with the emerging character of the strip. As the planning report notes, “the locality is characterised by a transition toward medium-rise residential development, with a number of recent developments… above the stipulated height limits.”

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec577631-8c51-4163-960e-e7b3a77d655b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot.png?VersionId=iAzQ46D4Uu1UqiS0mVnlcy9jeFKBpJIj" />

Designed by 111 with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/paul-bangay-garden-design">Paul Bangay Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a layered architectural approach with strong articulation and a subtropical response. Deep balconies, integrated planters, and a mix of masonry and textured finishes define the façade, while upper-level setbacks reduce perceived bulk. The architectural statement describes “a series of horizontally expressed layers, defined by deep balconies and a consistent robust material palette,” aimed at delivering a refined streetscape presence.

Apartments are configured as large-format residences, including multiple three-bedroom layouts and a full-floor penthouse, supported by ground-level parking. A rooftop terrace will provide communal amenities including a pool and landscaped recreation areas. The design prioritises privacy, natural ventilation, and greenery, with planting integrated across all levels to soften the building form and contribute to the public realm.

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e1219bd-b45a-4d7f-bbc7-7207d7b2fc94" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot%20entry.png?VersionId=JIoUOLMgQ5xWpEF0etEI3ffIoIVjD7gO" />

The proposal sits within the Racecourse Road precinct, a key mixed-use spine in Ascot that continues to attract renewed development interest.

Later this year national developer Fortis will launch its own boutique development, which, pending council approvals, will be 16 apartments designed by Koichi Takada Architects, just down the street.

“Racecourse Road is going through a massive revitalisation and we’re proud to be a part of that transformation,” said Fortis's QLD General Manager, Dan Boman.

Nearby, GRAYA is advancing its larger-scale The Gallery, a mixed-use shop-top housing project designed to act as a “catalytic project for Racecourse Road.”

First Look: Racecourse Road, Hamilton revitalization to continue as Skyhold joins the party

Twenty-five years after launching one of Australia’s most visionary and successful masterplanned beach communities - Casuarina on the Northern NSW Tweed Coast - developer Consolidated Properties Group has unveiled plans for an $800 million sister project located 10 kilometres south, at Cudgera Creek near the coastal town of Pottsville.

CPG has taken the wraps off Caldera, a 78-hectare masterplanned village that builds on the legacy of Casuarina and aims to help address Northern NSW’s coastal housing shortage via the delivery of 550 homes built in a sustainable manner and addressing affordability and housing diversity, while also focusing on architectural and ecological merit.

Caldera is being brought to life by the same creative team that delivered Casuarina, led by Consolidated Properties CEO and chairman Don O’Rorke, Hutchinson Builders chairman Scott Hutchinson and renowned urban designer Brian Toyota, of architectural practice Bureau Proberts.

CPG has lodged a rezoning application with Tweed Shire Council for the Caldera site, which has been designated since 1991 as the Dunloe Park Urban Release Area, the final land release area within the Pottsville locality and one of only four remaining growth areas along the entire Tweed coastal strip. Preliminary plans for Caldera feature a 13-hectare retail and commercial precinct at the core of the village, surrounded by meticulously planned residential areas comprising around 550 homesites.

The retail hub will be anchored by a Coles Supermarket and will offer 7000 sqm of retail and 23 commercial lots designed to serve the local community and bring together curated shopping, dining, gym, wellness, childcare, medical and other essential services.

<img alt="Cons prop" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fca7dc71-4b71-45b1-bb04-5a60bd7158d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%208.34.04%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=vAKwIvLuwmTKj6blHJRYIEeXS_8lCgUx" />

The project will create more than 1500 jobs over its development cycle, according to its economic modelling, and significantly address the shortage of employment land in the Tweed.

The residential areas will encourage a sense of community via a cohesive urban design that encourages walking, cycling, enhanced resident connectivity and reduced reliance on cars via bike paths and pedestrian-friendly streets.

Homesites will include a range of options from premium ridge-top homes to affordable housing options, ensuring a community that is inclusive of different income levels and designed to appeal to a wide demographic from baby boomers to families, singles and professionals. Architectural and planting covenants on home building will support the village’s built form and protect its character.

O’Rorke says CPG intends Caldera to be a model project delivered efficiently in a dedicated urban release area and ‘very much for this region and for this time’.

“Our vision for Caldera is to create a modern coastal village with its own unique northern NSW identity,” he said.

“Building on our legacy of Casuarina, 25 years on, this new village is designed to stand apart, offering the future of modern living, balancing the natural beauty of the region with contemporary amenities and convenience.

“Caldera will be more than just a place to live - it will be a welcoming, inclusive coastal village neighbouring Pottsville that invites visitors and embraces new residents. With its strong ties to the land, vibrant lifestyle and sense of place, Caldera will set a new standard for village living in Northern NSW.”

<img alt="CPG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9a5a7cf4-5f76-4ddf-bd05-c8fb77d0a787" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%208.33.59%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=J1CzCGD7kE7fcAMd41V4pKAf_sI4L5Jv" />

The project’s centrepiece is environmental sustainability, with comprehensive wetlands protection measures and planting of native trees, parklands, village greens and communal grounds to enhance the natural beauty of the area.

CPG will also deliver a developer-funded wastewater treatment plant to ensure zero ocean outflows and provide high quality long-term infrastructure for Tweed Shire.

A key focus is wildlife management planning, including extensive conservation controls for the West Pottsville koala population, aligned with Tweed Shire Council’s Koala Plan of Management and designed to enhance koala habitat connectivity and future population growth.

Caldera will extend the existing koala corridor by connecting koala precincts west of the Pacific Highway with populations in the north and east precincts. A koala underpass will be created under Pottsville Road to complete the connection of this important corridor. Native tree plantings will expand essential koala food sources, while approximately eight kilometres of exclusion fencing will be constructed to safeguard the koalas from urban threats.

The Caldera site is nestled in the hills of Cudgera Creek and benefits from its rich natural surroundings including the Pottsville Wetland, Cudgera Creek Nature Reserve and nearby Pottsville Beach.

It takes its name from the surrounding Tweed Shield Volcano and Caldera, the vast bowl-shaped depression stretching from Byron Bay to the Queensland border that 20 million years ago was the world’s largest shield volcano and which has shaped the region’s striking landscape, with Mount Warning standing as one of its most iconic features.

The development is a joint venture between CPG and Pottsville Development Corporation, which made its first investment in Pottsville more than 45 years ago and is the developer of Black Rocks By the Sea, a masterplanned community now part of the fabric of Pottsville and which was the catalyst for the construction of a bridge across the Pottsville Estuary, providing direct access to the beach.

CPG’s $1.5 billion Casuarina Beach township, 10 kilometres to the north of Caldera, commenced construction in 2000 and has become the model for modern Australian, eco-sensitive beachside development.

Consolidated Properties unveils $800m coastal village Caldera in Casuarina

Apartment Living

Due to its elite schooling, employment opportunities and natural beauty, Sydney remains popular amongst families searching for low maintenance apartments.

According to the last census, families with children were well represented in Australia&#39;s apartment-living population, a trend that is likely to continue.

Urban takes a look at six new three-bedroom apartments perfect for families in Sydney.

1. Mason &amp; Main, Merrylands 
Address: 249-258 Merrylands Road, Merrylands NSW 2160 
Three-bedroom apartments from $879,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=31751 project_image_fid=161015]

Delivered by Coronation Property,&nbsp;Mason &amp; Main is Merryland&#39;s exciting new address, located on&nbsp;Merrylands Road. The home-sized apartments feature three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a large multipurpose room and generous balcony space, ideal for growing Sydney families.

Just 350 metres&nbsp;to Merrylands train station and just three kilometres from Parramatta CBD, residents will be connected to western Sydney&#39;s&nbsp;leading schools, such as The Kings School and Tara Anglican School for Girls, as well as&nbsp;leading universities.

2. Portman House, Green Square 
Address: 77-93 Portman Street, Zetland NSW 2017 
Three-bedroom apartments from $1,540,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30049 project_image_fid=162880]

Mirvac&#39;s latest inner-city development is located just seven kilometres from the Sydney CBD and includes a luxury wellness centre, making it an ideal home for busy parents searching for convenience. Zetland&#39;s abundance of amenities, schools and green spaces will suit children, young to old.

Designed by Mirvac&#39;s in-house design term, Portman House&#39;s art deco-inspired architecture provide a new level of luxury with lavish kitchens, generous balconies and high contrast interiors.

3. Bloom Arncliffe 
Address: 213 Princes Highway, Arncliffe NSW 2205 
Three-bedroom apartments from $950,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6201 project_image_fid=89015]

With construction on Bloom Arncliffe recently completed, families are able to move-in to a ready-to-go three-bedroom apartment.

For parents who have to work from home, each residence offers a dedicated study room for your remote working endeavours, as well as views of Botany Bay and connections to Sydney&rsquo;s train lines.

4. Park Sydney, Erskineville 
Address: 149-163 Mitchell Road, Erskineville NSW 2043 
Three-bedroom apartments from $1,711,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5811]

One of the most significant new residential development Sydney-wide, Park Sydney offers considered design and communal amenities to families looking for a community feel and established neighbourhood.

Boasting an unbeatable location, the development is located just four-kilometres from the Sydney CBD and an easy walk to Erskineville Station. Close to top universities, major employment hubs and elite schools, such as Newington College, Park Sydney meets the needs of the whole family.

The masterplanned community includes 7,400 sqm of parkland and play areas with BBQ facilities, amphitheatres, walkways and cycleways.

5. The Retreat, Lidcombe 
Address: 11 Carter Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141 
Three-bedroom apartments from $950,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=25940]

Developed by Meriton, the 22-storey Retreat deliver timeless design and functional layouts, offering families a practical sense of home in the rapidly evolving lifestyle hub of Sydney Olympic Park.

Multiple leisure facilities such as its first-rate aquatic centre, tennis centre and adventure parks, offer something for all the family, and the close-by Parramatta CBD provides enviable employment opportunities.

6. Pavilions, Sydney Olympic Park 
Address: 2 Figtree Drive, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127 
Three-bedroom apartments from $1,495,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7363 project_image_fid=89976]

Nestled amongst verdant parklands, Pavilions&nbsp;offers the unique opportunity to step into the&nbsp;family-friendly lifestyle in Sydney&rsquo;s west. The apartments boast spacious floorplans&nbsp;and 4,500sqm of resident-only courtyard, providing the space growing families need.

Designed by Mirvac and BVN Architects, the apartments also feature world-class amenity, including a state-of-the-art gymnasium, community room, and a multifunction space with dedicated playground&nbsp;that your kids are bound to enjoy.

According to the last census, families with children were well represented in Australia's apartment-living population, a trend that is likely to continue

max.kwok_55688

June 2021: Six new three-bedroom apartments perfect for families in Sydney

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australian cities are growing rapidly. Echoing international trends, higher-density housing will accommodate much of this growth in the inner city. Such housing – mostly apartments, townhouses and blocks of flats – is usually associated with young urban professionals and the childless elite. But families with children do live in apartments and even more will do so in the future.
In Brisbane, for instance, the number of high-rise apartments occupied by families with children almost doubled between 2011 and 2016. This is a challenge for urban planning in a country often accused of “child-blind” higher-density development.
My research investigated how children in higher density-housing are represented in the community. I did this by analysing newspaper media published between 2007 and 2014 and interviewing Brisbane residents and building professionals.
Four dominant narratives emerged. People still think children belong in the suburbs, and that the lack of family-appropriate apartments is the natural outcome of a housing product driven by investors. I found emerging support for wealthy families who wish to live in lifestyle-focused higher-density housing. Similarly, medium-density housing is seen as important for increasing the affordability and diversity of housing options available to young families and downsizing older households.
Children belong in the suburbs
The Australian dream of the detached home, with a white picket fence and children playing in the cul-de-sac, appears alive and well in Brisbane.
One townhouse resident told me: "Everyone’s dream is that once you have a family you move into a proper house. Because house and family – the idea is the same thing, no?"
Not only are suburbs seen as a more appropriate place to raise children, apartments and higher-density areas are actively opposed as dangerous or deviant. One planner explained: "I think suburbs are a better place to bring kids up just because they can walk around and do what they want and there isn’t that safety issue."
Another developer was more explicit: "I’d probably prefer not to raise kids in high density. I’d prefer to have less people these days with all the sickos and shit out there."
Wealthy families get support
Property marketing in Brisbane seems to be embracing wealthy families as appropriate occupants of high-density housing. Media articles use buzz words such as “city-centric living options” and celebrate families that place “higher value on proximity to the city and its amenities than a family-style home in the suburbs”.
There is a marked class divide embedded in this discussion, partially driven by the lack of three-bedroom apartments in Brisbane. As a developer explained:
"If you are very early having kids you can stay in an apartment, but once they start growing then everyone wants to move out to the suburbs. The older demographic has less opposition to living in apartments because their apartment is big enough because they can afford three bedrooms. Gen Y can’t afford to have a big apartment."
Investors drive apartment demand
Apartment development in Brisbane in the five years to 2016 was almost entirely geared to investor appetite rather than demand from owner-occupiers. This resulted in a substantial concentration of one- and two-bedroom units.
One developer explained this trend as due to one- and two-bedroom apartments being more appealing to investors:
"As a developer, the easiest way to sell these things is to do one or two bedrooms and sell them to investor groups in China, Sydney, Perth, because people are looking to spend the money and get the depreciation and tax benefits. That’s why the majority of the apartments in the city are one-bedrooms. Even though the need for owner-occupiers might be quite the opposite, the investor market is much bigger."
This is indicative of the ongoing shift from housing as a home to housing as an investment product in Australian housing markets and the Australian psyche. And it has huge implications for the way our cities are shaped.
Attitudes are changing
There are, however, signs that attitudes towards higher-density housing are changing. This is particularly linked to arguments about housing affordability.
People discussed higher-density housing as a “stepping stone” on the way to home ownership. Often the debate is framed in terms of a generational divide between wealthy baby boomers and millennials struggling to buy their first home.
Interviews and media revealed that medium-density housing was often seen as appropriate for a diverse range of households. While many people I interviewed noted the prevalence of not-in-my-backyard opposition to higher-density housing, planners pointed to an increasing acceptance of diversity in housing choices.
One planner told me: 
"One of the good things that we have done is have a discussion about housing diversity and housing choices and what gets to people is saying, “OK, you don’t want smaller housing in your area. Do you want your children to be able to move out of home?” “Yea” … “Do you want them to be able to live close to you?” “Yes, not too close but, yes, close.”"
Why it matters
Shared narratives about where children and families belong matter because assumptions about the “normal household” and the “appropriate” housing for that household underpin urban policies.
The representation of inner-city and higher-density housing as dangerous is particularly damaging. Parents’ fears for their children’s safety can result in children being less likely to independently explore and play. This could have unintended negative consequences for children’s physical and psychological health.
The lack of affordable, larger apartments is likely to force lower-income households to the city periphery or necessitate overcrowding.
The focus on investor appetite rather than the needs of housing occupants has implications for the design of housing and the proportion of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that are delivered. While density is not detrimental to children in and of itself, specific design elements are needed to make higher-density living more attractive to families.
These elements include direct outdoor access, expanded indoor spaces, consideration of surveillance opportunities, and balcony balustrades designed to prevent falls. If occupants’ needs do not feature in development decisions, housing stock will continue to fail to suit children.
Vancouver has had a guideline for high-density housing for families with children since 1992. The City of Vancouver has required a minimum of 35% family-friendly units in new higher-density housing developments since 2016. Australian cities have historically been reticent to enforce development outcomes, but perhaps this should change.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93742/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;">
Katrina Raynor, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Transforming Housing Project, University of Melbourne
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-belong-in-the-suburbs-with-more-families-in-apartments-such-attitudes-are-changing-93742" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

‘Children belong in the suburbs’: with more families in apartments, such attitudes are changing

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GUEST OBSERVER
People living in apartments are much more likely to experience secondhand smoke wafting into their homes and across shared areas. It’s an issue that can divide neighbours and leave strata managers overwhelmed.
Apartment residents need sensible smoking regulations that balance personal freedoms in the home and public health interests. Our newly published research paper, Sharing the Air, shows the law is letting them down.
Sharing the air
Residents are right to be concerned. For three decades we’ve known that secondhand smoke increases the risks of lung cancer and heart disease in adults; asthma and breathing problems in children; and SIDS in babies.
In higher-density housing, tobacco smoke is notoriously difficult to contain – and there is no known safe level of exposure.
Despite the harms of secondhand smoke, only New South Wales tackles the issue of smoking in its strata law. In all other Australian jurisdictions, residents and owners are left confused about their rights and responsibilities.
Neighbours at war
In many cases, people in strata-titled properties who are affected by smoke have to prove it is a legal nuisance or hazard before any action can be taken.
However, case law from courts and tribunals reveals an awkward tension between the legal concept of “nuisance” and the science on the harms of secondhand smoke.
In one Queensland case, a man wanted to stop smoke infiltrating his bedroom from his neighbour’s balcony as this made him unwell.
Although the tribunal accepted that smoke often entered his bedroom, he was found to have an “abnormal sensitivity”. Nuisance could only be established if the smoke was of such volume or frequency that it was an unreasonable interference. And this was to be determined objectively through the prism of an ordinary, healthy person.
But what is a reasonable standard of exposure to secondhand smoke when no safe level has been established?
Smoking restrictions
These neighbour disputes are more easily resolved if the apartment complex has a smoking bylaw that can be enforced.
Apartment residents share spaces and infrastructure, and so bylaws are used to balance the rights of all residents. Contentious issues such as pets, display of laundry, car parking, floor coverings and rubbish disposal are covered.
Although it is usually possible and lawful for the owners’ corporation to add a smoking bylaw, there are three main barriers:
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awareness is low
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the procedure is complex and time-consuming
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legal advice may be needed to draft a smoking bylaw that is valid and enforceable.
</li>
</ul>
Strata laws in all Australian jurisdictions empower owners’ corporations to make bylaws for the good management of the scheme, but these powers vary in scope.
Working out whether the owners’ corporation has power to make a particular smoking bylaw is not a straightforward task. In all jurisdictions, it has power to “control” common property, but there is only a power to “control” private lots in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
There are other statutory limitations on powers to make bylaws. Although these differ between jurisdictions, the main principles are that bylaws must not be inconsistent with strata law and other laws; unreasonable or oppressive; or discriminatory. These are all potentially relevant to smoking bylaws.
On the issue of consistency, there is a question whether a smoking bylaw might be inconsistent with state laws on smoke-free areas. These prohibit smoking in public places and workplaces, but may specifically exempt residential premises.
As for reasonableness and oppressiveness, a blanket ban on smoking is probably more vulnerable to challenge on this ground because it could prevent a resident from smoking even where neighbours will not realistically be affected.
Smokers are not a protected class under anti-discrimination legislation. While they are not prevented from living in an apartment complex with a smoking bylaw, they must comply with the bylaws.
A better way?
A model or default bylaw on smoking can be included in strata legislation or regulations to provide clear guidance. Existing owners’ corporations can choose to adopt the smoking bylaw by special resolution, confident that it is valid and enforceable. Many new developments would adopt the smoking bylaw from the start.
Through more direct and immediate enforcement, disputes about smoking can be resolved more quickly.
In NSW, for example, a model smoking bylaw presents two options:
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The first prohibits smoking on common property and requires smokers (and their guests) to ensure that smoke does not penetrate to common property or other lots.
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The second is the same, except it permits smoking on common property if authorised or within a designated area.
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The NSW example only prohibits smoking in a private lot if smoke is infiltrating other lots, and therefore affecting neighbours. In this way, it appears to strike an acceptable balance between the need to minimise apartment residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke while respecting personal freedoms in private property.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84261/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Strata law reform is under way across Australia. In the interests of all apartment residents, smoking can no longer be ignored.
Caitlin Kameron, Adjunct Research Associate, School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/apartment-residents-need-better-protection-from-secondhand-smoke-84261" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Apartment residents need better protection from secondhand smoke: Caitlin Kameron

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80196/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The number of Australians living in high-rise apartments doubled between 1991 and 2011 and that trend has continued since then.
The quarter-acre dream is fast disappearing and larger blocks and family gardens along with it. As more people move from country areas to the city and as land to build homes near the city centre becomes scarce, we’re getting further and further away from nature. It turns out this isn’t great for our health.
The change in urban environments because of development, associated with a rapid increase in chronic disease, is a global phenomenon in developed countries. In the past children grew up running on bare soil and grass, explored backyard farms and gardens, climbed trees and were exposed to a high level of bacteria. And the diversity of the bacteria can change if an individual is exposed to different environmental conditions.
One of these conditions is living in a high-rise apartment far away from land, soil, trees and plants. Being close to nature is linked to positive mental well-being – and people living in urban areas have been shown to have a disadvantage in processing stress. This can be at least partially attributed to increased exposure to air pollution and heat stress, and decrease in exercise and fitness through lack of access to a garden or nearby park.
The less exposure to nature we have, the less diverse the bacteria in our microbiota. The microbiota is the community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in our gut and on our skin. We need a diverse exposure for our body to fight inflammation effectively.
Alteration in the human bacterial communities, including the disappearance of ancient microbiotic species, is thought to cause inflammation in the body. These ancient species were known to encourage development of cells that regulate the immune system (T-cells). When our immune system stays on high alert all the time, instead of resting when no threats are present, this causes inflammation, which can lead to chronic disease.
Where plants come in
The bacteria we have are similar to those of plants in that we both carry trillions of good and bad bacteria. The diversity of the microbiota is measured by how many families of bacteria are present. We know the diverse plant microbiome influences plant growth, and humans benefit by eating plant foods. An important research question remains: do we gain another benefit simply by having contact with plants?
Plants also remove volatile compounds from the air including ozone and carbon dioxide. They turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen, meaning air quality is drastically improved. Higher oxygen levels inside a small apartment mean well-being may be improved for the occupants. Viewing plants reduces stress and is pleasing to the human eye.
Nature therapy (shinrin-yoku), first invented in Japan, has proven beneficial for our health by lowering blood pressure and boosting mental health. This is done by simply going for a mindful walk in the forest.
It has also been established that plants confer positive changes in the brain’s electrical activity, muscle tension and heart activity.
Some plants that are beneficial in the home
Peace Lily: if this plant is placed in the hallway it will reduce many toxins such as benzene, ammonia, acetone and ethyl and will prevent toxins from spreading between rooms in the apartment.
Aloe vera and Mother-in-Law’s Tongue: these plants placed in the bedroom emit oxygen, which improves sleep quality.
Gerbera daisy: if placed in the laundry these plants remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air, which are in common household detergents.
Devil’s Ivy (Golden Pothos): this plant can be placed in low light and cool temperatures such as an air-conditioned office or an outdoor garage. It will remove ozone, which is found in car exhaust fumes.
How about plants outside apartment buildings?
Outdoor plants such as trees and shrubs help to shade our buildings and streets, cooling our concrete jungles. They also help with water runoff, preventing flooding and nutrient dispersal. Suburbs with more canopy cover have a perceived higher quality of living and attract better property prices.
Outdoor plants and soil have an abundance of ecological communities compared to indoor environments, a higher diversity of microbes, and therefore increase the numbers of insects, birds and other fauna. Viewing and being among large parks and green areas has been shown to improvethe mental and physical well-being of people living in urban areas.
With backyards becoming increasingly rare, diversity is decreasing in urban areas. In response, the City of Toronto has written into local law that all new buildings must have green roofs that include vegetation, drainage, waterproofing and slope stability. The reasoning for the law was that green roofs provide:
"energy savings from better solar reflectivity, evapotranspiration and insulation, green roofs last up to twice as long as regular roofs, and green roofs can beautify and add value to Toronto’s buildings by providing scenic views and recreational areas in dense urban areas."
A similarly bold strategy here would benefit not only the health of our apartment dwellers, but also the environment.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danica-lea-larcombe-260462" target="_blank">Danica-Lea Larcombe</a> is PhD Candidate in Biodiversity and Human Health, Edith Cowan University and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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