<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a> has announced that its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lovedale-farm-1054-1184-wine-country-drive-lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale Farm</a> residential, resort and golf project has secured $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks since the opening of its display home, underscoring the appetite for premium lifestyle property in the Hunter Valley countryside.

The sales milestone has been driven by a diverse mix of buyers, including owner-occupiers and investors from Sydney, Newcastle and the local Hunter region, purchasing both land-only lots and house and land packages across the development.

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e173edc9-e60e-4f19-a060-9dc4421a3233" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/LovedaleFarm_20250215-1.jpg?VersionId=1LY6CvOaD.Dzrt8tWpWxXtPyfchixNIo" />

&nbsp;

The result builds on the momentum generated at the display home opening on 22 March, which attracted more than 460 attendees.

With house and land pricing from $1.14 million, Lovedale Farm continues to attract strong interest from buyers seeking a premium lifestyle offering at a compelling price point. The development’s vision, a championship golf course, future epicurean village and access to the Hunter Valley’s celebrated wine country, has resonated with a broad buyer profile, from first-time investors to those looking to make the move and call the Hunter Valley home.

<img alt="Lovedale Farm records $21.4 million in sales in three weeks" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b358e789-e1eb-40ed-8105-ed5c8297136f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--6.jpg?VersionId=6GUO8TNnxuELONrsM6n9imDB6oc82Bor" />

Jim Hunter, Managing Director of Capital Corporation said the response since opening the display home has been encouraging.

"To reach $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks speaks to the genuine demand for a lifestyle community of this calibre in the Hunter Valley," Hunter says.

"We’re seeing buyers from across the region and beyond, including investors who recognise the long-term value, and owner-occupiers who simply want to live somewhere truly special.

“Lovedale Farm is two decades in the making, and the market’s response is everything we hoped for. We’re excited to see these first buyers become part of the Lovedale Farm story from the very beginning."

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="54d985cf-2ac2-400b-ac02-4401f3421ac7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--5.jpg?VersionId=3866bPoqpLZsm.3ACg9EafAr1W3miC_f" />

&nbsp;

Spanning 240 hectares on Wine Country Drive in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale</a>, the $1 billion development is expected to deliver around 1,250 jobs during construction and inject more than $300 million into the local economy. The first 200 homes and championship 18-hole golf course are anticipated for completion in late 2027.

Capital Corporation has also lodged development plans for the Lovedale Farm clubhouse, set to become a vibrant hub for residents and the wider Hunter Valley community. Further releases are planned for later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=14476]

Joel Robinson

Lovedale Farm display home opening triggers $24.6 million in sales in three weeks

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]

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 seven years 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 units.

More than 50 per cent of the development will be dedicated to affordable housing, with 23 studio apartments to be 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

Refugees

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
The public housing estates built in cities around the world since the <a href="https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/heritage/boundary-of-old-nichol-s-vice-filth-death-1-666236" target="_blank">first public housing was built in the 19th-century London</a> have long been home to the very vulnerable, including refugees and immigrants. At the level of their lived experience – home and neighbourhood – the architectural and spatial qualities of public spaces and housing affect refugees’ and migrants’ ability to <a href="http://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/Habitat-III-Issue-Paper-2_2_Migration-and-Refugees-in-Urban-Areas-2.0.pdf" target="_blank">integrate into their new home</a>. We can see this in the public housing estates of two cities on opposite sides of the world, Paris and Melbourne.
In their new communities, refugees are also trying to adapt to new cultural norms, language, access to employment and education and even to stigma and blame for their need of public housing.
<a href="https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/handle/20.500.11937/4568/192969_192969%20Hartley.pdf?sequence=2" target="_blank">Refugees are among those hardest hit by social and economic challenges</a> that are being deepened by <a href="https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&amp;httpsredir=1&amp;article=1011&amp;context=soci_honors" target="_blank">structural economic changes</a>. This includes <a href="/news">the challenge of finding affordable housing</a>. By 2025 an estimated <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/urbanization/tackling-the-worlds-affordable-housing-challenge" target="_blank">one-third of the world’s city dwellers</a> will struggle to secure decent, affordable housing.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265501/original/file-20190325-36279-1kbfrcf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;rect=622%2C35%2C6870%2C2932&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="File 20190325 36279 1kbfrcf.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1">
Public housing in Paris (left) and Melbourne (right) has similar impacts on residents’ integration into the community. Wissem Felah, Sandra Carrasco, Author provided
The HLM of Paris
The French government has been discussing issues related to public housing or habitation à loyer modéré (or HLM, which means “rent-controlled housing”). In 2018, <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2018/04/04/reforme-des-hlm-que-represente-le-logement-social-en-france_5280726_4355770" target="_blank">the government and its Ministry of Territorial Cohesion</a> suggested a plan to generate funds to build and renovate this housing.
Over 20% of immigrants live in the HLM of Paris and the Seine Saint-Denis department. Arab and Sub-Saharan African immigrants experience high levels of ethnic segregation, <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/mgrsd.2013.17.issue-2/v10288-012-0040-3/v10288-012-0040-3.pdf" target="_blank">reaching 30% by the late 1990s</a>. African immigrants and refugees tend to live in clusters <a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp5456.pdf" target="_blank">in segregated and more disadvantaged neighbourhoods</a> away from the city.
The public still has a negative view of the public housing estates, located in many <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/11/the-othered-paris/543597/" target="_blank">banlieues</a>, as declining and segregated “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/31/the-other-france" target="_blank">immigrant-dominated slums</a>”.
Saint-Denis is a working-class neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Paris. Despite the positive impact of its shops, bazaars, diverse communities and residents’ recent <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20180822-france-tourism-sightseeing-paris-suburbs-saint-denis-greeters-local-volunteers" target="_blank">initiatives to boost tourism</a>, it is still struggling with social inequality as one of the most impoverished areas in Paris.
Violence and drug trafficking are two key issues that impact people and their HLM housing. In 2016, an increase in violent crime led the HLM Office, which manages 18,000 social housing estates in Seine-Saint-Denis, to hold the government responsible due to a sharp <a href="http://www.leparisien.fr/villetaneuse-93430/plaine-commune-mine-par-l-insecurite-l-office-hlm-attaque-l-etat-07-11-2016-6300573.php" target="_blank">increase in insecurity</a>.
Many similar issues, and some different ones, affect public housing provision and tenancy in Melbourne. It’s where many refugee arrivals are first housed in Australia. As in Paris, Melbourne’s public housing is associated (fairly or unfairly) with <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/multimillion-dollar-drug-trafficking-ring-run-out-of-fitzroy-public-housing-flat-20150722-gihu4t" target="_blank">crime</a>, <a href="/news">social isolation</a> and <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-east/stonnington-council-slams-plan-to-redevelop-prahran-and-south-yarra-estates/news-story/43d3edd0954f94ea1e4c61480bdc9e65" target="_blank">urban blight</a>.
A more pressing problem in Melbourne, however, is the gap between housing supply and demand. Public housing stock across Australia is <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-reboot-affordable-housing-funding-not-scrap-it-72861" target="_blank">declining and ageing</a> while waiting lists grow.
The list is growing by <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/victorias-public-housing-waiting-list-growing-by-500-a-week/9837934" target="_blank">500 people a month</a> in Victoria. In this state alone, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jun/06/almost-25000-children-waiting-for-social-housing-in-victoria" target="_blank">nearly 25,000 children are waiting for social housing</a>.
Amid increasing concerns about the affordability and availability of public housing, the sociology, design/architecture and aesthetics of existing estates become even more vital in terms of their effects on social cohesion and well-being. These impacts are critical for those whose first home in Melbourne is a public housing estate.
The disrepair and poor quality of buildings and grounds of many of Melbourne’s older, inner-city estates are obvious. Building materials (like concrete) are degraded. The design of common areas, like foyers and hallways, does not promote social interaction.
The grounds also fall short of what’s needed, despite <a href="http://www.aila.org.au/imis_prod/documents/AILA/VIC/Prahran%20Masterplan_Phase3_Consultation%20report%20executive%20summary_190416%20(003).pdf" target="_blank">the opportunities they offer</a> for varied outdoor activity and social encounters. Public housing estates are often gated, either physically or psychologically, from the surrounding community. This results in enclaves of social disadvantage, often within otherwise wealthy suburbs.
<a href="http://theconversation.com/voices-of-residents-missing-in-a-time-of-crisis-for-public-housing-93655">Many have questioned</a> whether public housing renewal is improving these conditions. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-mix-in-housing-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-as-new-projects-show-80956" target="_blank">public-private mix in some new estates has resulted in gated gardens</a> being provided for the exclusive use of the private residents of <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/social-mix-approach-to-public-housing-is-failing-research-finds-20170616-gwsj3m" target="_blank">apartment buildings and not the public tenants</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260510/original/file-20190223-195876-m6yadu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260510/original/file-20190223-195876-m6yadu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a>
A public housing estate in North Richmond, Melbourne.
The monumental scale of Melbourne’s largest estates is intimidating for visitors. Finding one’s way to a particular address can be challenging. All buildings take the same form and, lacking individual identity, are recognisable by numbers only.
The scale of the buildings and the dull colours and textures of their facades coupled with the repetitive, gridded network of windows are reminiscent of a Soviet era that never existed in Melbourne. One can see similar layouts, colours and materials on the facades of the HLM of Saint Denis. This speaks to the ubiquity of public housing design.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260512/original/file-20190223-195864-1cb9r9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260512/original/file-20190223-195864-1cb9r9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
The intimidating scale and uniformity of public housing can be a problem in Melbourne – this estate is in Carlton – or Paris. Sandra Carrasco, Author provided
How can public housing be made better?
Public housing estates often have a pronounced cultural and social mix, with first-generation migrants and refugees from across the globe living as neighbours. This can have benefits including cultural exchange and mutual understanding but can also trigger <a href="/news">social withdrawal and isolation</a>. The risks are particularly high for people from new cultural groups arriving in neighbourhoods with settled (and culturally different) populations.
Cultural differences certainly affect relationships between individuals, but also apply to the ways people use the private and public spaces of their new homes. What an Australian-born, wealthy white person would expect and need of “open space” is potentially quite different to what a black, Sudanese-born survivor of conflict might expect or need.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260513/original/file-20190223-39858-niwqxj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260513/original/file-20190223-39858-niwqxj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a>
Inside a Carlton public housing estate. Majdi Faleh, Author provided
Arguably, what is being offered as places for people to connect with their new community in and around public housing meets few people’s needs or expectations. The interior spaces, such as long interior corridors with blank walls, do not provide for comfort, communication and interaction between tenants. The exterior spaces delineate rather than join up the communities of public and private housing.
These dimensions of Melbourne’s public housing may set up a spatial tension that mirrors the occupants’ lives. Yet they could also offer an opportunity to be a canvas for a new interpretation of architecture and urban development, as German sociologist Martina Low notes in her book, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781137487711" target="_blank">The Sociology of Space: Materiality, Social Structures, and Action</a>.
Low’s principle focuses on the emergence of space as a result of interplay between social structure, the material world of objects and bodies, and the symbolism of the social world. This new interpretation needs to reflect the lives and experiences of refugee migrants making a new home as well as more established members of the community.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110284/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
Majdi Faleh, Teaching Assistant, University of Melbourne
Andrea Cook, Melbourne Early Career Academic Fellow, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne
Ashleigh Haw, PhD Candidate in Sociology, University of Western Australia, and Research Assistant at RMIT (School of Global, Urban and Social Studies), University of Melbourne
Sandra Carrasco, McKenzie Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne
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/paris-melbourne-public-housing-doesnt-just-look-the-same-its-part-of-the-challenges-refugees-face-110284" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo: A street view of public housing in Carlton, Victoria. Majdi Faleh, Author provided
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Paris? Melbourne? Public housing doesn’t just look the same, it’s part of the challenges refugees face

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GUEST OBSERVATION 
Australia is <a href="https://mckellinstitute.org.au/research/articles/why-australia-is-the-worlds-most-successful-multicultural-society/" target="_blank">one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world</a>. Nonetheless, in recent times many Australians have come to regard population growth, and particularly immigration, as a problem – at best – to be solved. In contrast, we believe population growth and migration present a creative opportunity to shape new Australian cities unlike any we have built to date.
In a globalised economy where technology has prevailed over geography, Australians are natural global citizens. However, all is not well in multicultural Australia. Recent and credible <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/24/australians-growing-more-concerned-over-immigration-guardian-essential-poll" target="_blank">polling</a> indicates that 64% of Australians think the level of immigration over the past decade has been too high – up from 50% in 2016.
We believe such opinions (in part) stem from entrenched migration patterns. Currently <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/90pc-of-migrants-settling-in-two-cities/news-story/8746797d36bf40f41587d267e8dcdbc4" target="_blank">90% of new arrivals settle in Sydney or Melbourne</a> where they <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://apo.org.au/node/187861" target="_blank">compound housing affordability</a> and congestion issues, among others. Migrants from overseas are the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3218.0Feature%20Article12016-17?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=3218.0&amp;issue=2016-17&amp;num=&amp;view=" target="_blank">main contributors to both cities’ populations growing</a> by over 100,000 people each year.
In response to these issues, the Morrison government is <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/cities-fix-pms-plan-to-send-migrants-to-regions-for-five-years/news-story/c8573e68a1438295818d5aab9de5471b">considering a plan</a> requiring some new migrants, including refugees, to settle for up to five years in regional areas.
However, there are limits to this approach. <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/federal_elections/2016/files/2016-aec-results-map.pdf" target="_blank">Voting patterns</a> indicate Australians in regional Australia are also often <a href="http://tapri.org.au/?p=529" target="_blank">resistant to increased migration</a>. Moreover, the mechanisation and automation of farming mean that jobs are often scarce.
So what can Australia do?
Australia will need more drastic solutions over the longer term. Refugees now number over <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/figures-at-a-glance" target="_blank">25 million people</a> worldwide. Due to climate change alone a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/dev.2011.60" target="_blank">deluge of refugees is predicted by 2050, particularly in Asia</a> – 144 million in China, 63 million in India and 62 million in Bangladesh.
In the face of this, demographer <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/the-big-tilt-by-bernard-salt/9781740668880" target="_blank">Bernard Salt asks</a>:
<blockquote>
What does Australia do? Board and turn back every boat? Leave the refugees without support on the Kimberley coast? Plan to help as many as we can and then hope we can ship back tens of thousands of people?
</blockquote>
Clearly, Australia will need a plan to deal with this situation, particularly given the panic over the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Quick_Guides/BoatTurnbacks" target="_blank">arrival of small numbers of “boat people”</a> and the Coalition government <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/cities-fix-pms-plan-to-send-migrants-to-regions-for-five-years/news-story/c8573e68a1438295818d5aab9de5471b" target="_blank">reducing immigration to the lowest level in more than a decade</a>. We could bemoan a lack of support for increased immigration in Australia, or instead bear this resistance in mind and try to find a creative (part) solution.
This is where our Refuge City model is potentially instructive. As <a href="https://oldblog.robwiblin.com/2009/10/17/how-possible-is-a-charter-city-of-refugees-in-australia/" target="_blank">Robert Wiblin has urged in the past</a>:
<blockquote>
If Australians are not so enthusiastic about sharing their good luck with refugees [and migrants], a <a href="https://www.caymanfinancialreview.com/2012/10/12/charter-cities-the-future-trade-centres-of-the-world/" target="_blank">charter city</a> administered by Australia will at least allow them access to the governmental and legal institutions which have served Australia so well.
</blockquote>
In line with this sentiment, we have designed an urban model for a bustling, multicultural and entrepreneurial metropolis located on Australia’s northern coast which would run under its own charter. Such a city would provide refuge and opportunity for many migrants, above and beyond what Australia already <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/visa-statistics/live/humanitarian-program" target="_blank">accepts through its humanitarian migration program</a>.
A city of cities on the north coast
Why the northern coast? We selected this area because it has many advantages, such as proximity to rapidly growing Indonesia, availability of mineral and energy resources, and – in the case of the Northern Territory – <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-27/why-isnt-the-northern-territory-a-state-curious-darwin/9457776" target="_blank">Commonwealth control</a> of land. This is important because it gives the federal government full legislative power to create a charter city unconstrained by opposition from the states.
Refuge City would comprise dense, car-phobic and adaptable urban neighbourhoods (of up to 32,000 people) based partly on migrant ethnicities – forming a city of cities, rather than a monolithic mass of urbanism.
As required, this form would enable different cultural groups to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.amazon.com/Cities-Zero-Andraos/dp/1902902602" target="_blank">follow many of their own cultural practices</a> and develop a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944369708975941" target="_blank">measure of self sufficiency</a>. The design of these neighbourhoods would be developed with the communities and would reference – within limits – the urban traditions of the residents’ home countries so to provide a “home away from home”.
Rather than the cultural model of the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melting_pot" target="_blank">melting pot</a>” – which is under assault in many cities of the world – these urban neighbourhoods would cradle islands of relative cultural specificity yet maintain an overall cultural diversity. Natural areas, recreational open spaces and schools would provide crucial interstitial spaces between the urban islands and their respective communities. Moreover, an integrated bus system and a wide distribution of jobs would also stimulate interactions between communities. This will moderate the cultural specificity of the urban islands over time.
Adapting the charter city model
Like <a href="https://www.aurecongroup.com/thinking/thinking-papers/charter-cities-start-scratch" target="_blank">other charter cities such as Shenzen</a>, an independent government would govern the city, running it with respect to a specific charter. The autonomous government will incorporate an alliance of representatives from Australia’s federal and territory governments and potentially other countries within the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
The <a href="http://clubtroppo.com.au/2014/10/20/a-charter-city-for-refugees/" target="_blank">charter’s terms, which will define the city’s operation</a>, include a much lower personal and company tax regime than elsewhere in Australia, to stimulate investment and jobs. Businesses would pay workers the Australian minimum wage but would not otherwise offer award wages or conditions. Complementing this will be a basic but liveable social security, housing, education and primary health care system.
On arrival, migrants would receive a <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/country-profiles/temporary-migration" target="_blank">temporary visa</a>. They would be able to apply for a <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/country-profiles/permanent-migration" target="_blank">skilled migration visa</a> if they gain marketable skills from the city’s trade schools and university campuses, or a permanent business visa if they establish a successful business (both business and education would be conducted in English).
Moreover the city would avoid the need for mandatory offshore detention of arrivals by boat, which the UN Human Rights Council has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/02/scathing-un-migration-report-not-ideal-start-to-australias-human-rights-council-tenure" target="_blank">condemned as a “massive abuse”</a> of migrants. This has in turn profoundly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/02/scathing-un-migration-report-not-ideal-start-to-australias-human-rights-council-tenure" target="_blank">damaged Australia’s moral authority</a> globally. Despite our tarnished reputation, Australian residents would be welcome in Refuge City, whether as students attending global university hubs, starting a business, or enjoying the city’s bustling diversity while on a weekend getaway. Conversely, Refuge City residents would also be able to visit other Australian cities, and in particular Darwin.
Through a leasehold model, Indigenous landholders would maintain ownership of Refuge City land and gain a sustainable and substantial rental income from it. This is not unprecedented. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/curious-canberra/2016-07-04/can-people-own-land-in-the-act/7550166" target="_blank">Canberra embodies a similar system</a>, with all land leased to “owners” as a Crown lease.
Moreover, given Indigenous culture’s continuing ownership and intimate knowledge of the land, we would develop the Refuge City designs with land councils. Without such sincere engagement, traditional owners would rightly veto new city development under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
Through our Refuge City model Australians could aid many more refugees than they would otherwise accept as fully fledged immigrants to the existing cities. In so doing, we could make Australia the world’s great 21st-century refuge.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julian-bolleter-292111" target="_blank">Julian Bolleter</a>, Deputy Director, Australian Urban Design Research Centre, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank">University of Western Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ken-parish-12678" target="_blank">Ken Parish</a>, Senior Lecturer in Law, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066" target="_blank">Charles Darwin University</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/refuge-city-a-new-kind-of-city-for-our-times-106992" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Refuge City, a new kind of city for our times in Australia's north: Julian Bolleter & Ken Parish

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/63724/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
There are more displaced people in the world than ever before. And humanitarian crises across the globe are often in unreachable and volatile places.
For example, the United Nations estimates more than 5.47 million internally displaced Syrians are scattered across the country.
Getting assistance to populations in need demands new ways of doing development that are smarter, faster and more efficient. The status quo is no longer an option.
One group whose efforts are gaining recognition are diasporas. Diasporas are composed of former migrants and refugees who can play a role in assisting their countries of origin through fundraising, development work and, in some instances, political action.
What contributions are diasporas making?
With one of the largest South Sudanese diasporas in the world, Australian organisations have been working hard to train and support Australians of South Sudanese origin who can assist with the urgent task of rebuilding their homeland and encouraging peace initiatives.
The Syrian diaspora has been praised for getting aid to parts of Syria inaccessible to the UN and international NGOs.
In closed-off countries such as Eritrea, diaspora organisations play a vital role in raising awareness about human rights in their country of origin.
So, are diasporas the missing piece of the development puzzle? What makes them so valuable? And what can be done to help them to bring aid to people in need?
Remittances
One of the most visible ways diasporas can assist development is through remittances.
The World Bank reports officially recorded remittances to developing countries reached US$427 billion in 2014. This figure does not include informal remittances transferred through private money transfer groups and goods shipped or sent through family members and friends.
Remittances exceed the aid budgets of many countries. They can provide a quick source of funding in times of humanitarian crisis.
After the 2009 tsunami in Samoa, it was estimated 90% of affected households received international remittances. Of these, 72% received them within a week of the disaster. Formal aid systems are rarely able to achieve such timely results.
During the ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, diaspora groups rallied and even created a Diaspora Ebola Task Force in the UK to help people in need.
And, in Syria, 75% of all aid is being delivered through local organisationsthat are supported by diaspora groups.
International instruments
Recognising the skills and knowledge of diasporas, agencies such as the International Organisation for Migration and UN Development Programrun practical programs to assist qualified diaspora members to return temporarily to their countries of origin and provide training in areas of expertise.
The Danish Refugee Council supports diasporas by co-ordinating emergency responses and providing small grants for development assistance. In Australia, Diaspora Action is pioneering work with communities from countries affected by war and conflict to help them promote peace, development and human rights in their countries of origin.
However, this effort is not without its challenges. Formal aid organisations have raised concerns that diaspora groups may sacrifice fundamental principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence in their work. The integrity of aid work depends on the fulfilment of these principles, particularly at a time marked by attacks on aid workers.
In response, diaspora organisations highlight their deep knowledge of local contexts and closeness to communities. They say international NGOs and UN agencies often treat them merely as service providers, rather than true partners, and that excessive bureaucracy hinders aid responses.
Political importance
What can be done to bridge the divide?
Migrant-receiving countries such as Australia can recognise the sizeable diasporas residing within their own communities. This includes recognising the political importance of diasporas, which may function as an early warning system for changing developments in countries of origin.
Work can be done at the foreign policy level to help affected countries develop policies that allow them to tap into their diasporas. For example, Kenya launched a diaspora policy in 2015. This is a major development for a country that obtains at least 3% of its GDP from remittances sent by its estimated 3 million diaspora members.
And, building on lessons from Syria, the Overseas Development Institutehas called for creative ways of working in complex humanitarian emergencies.
Imperatives for investment and innovation
This echoes calls during the recent World Humanitarian Summit for closer and principled partnerships with local actors.
For example, if diaspora groups lack the know-how and staff capacity to participate in what can be many and complex co-ordination meetings, closer partnership with international NGOs and UN agencies could bridge this gap.
Funding is one of the most important pieces of the diaspora-development puzzle. Diaspora organisations often miss out on funding from traditional donors because they lack the skills to write proposals, or because of donor perceptions about their politicised nature.
Despite adaptations and changes, diaspora groups have shown their longevity as humanitarian and development actors. They bring immense goodwill alongside their specialist knowledge of local contexts. Their efforts can be supported in many ways, including working to improve the knowledge base upon which diasporas, as development partners, are built.
Melissa Phillips is honorary fellow, University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-phillips-9115" target="_blank">here</a>.
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