Researcher

Summary:

This paper addresses the challenges facing the strata sector in Sydney in the context of current Australian metropolitan planning strategies promoting increased urban consolidation. It argues that the current focus on higher density development is vulnerable to challenges of regulation, representation and termination in strata developments. Furthermore, the increasing size and complexity of strata schemes as well as the existence of ageing strata stock are placing pressure on the strata title system in NSW . The concept of ‘governance’ provides one mechanism for improving understanding.

Summary:

This document is intended as a reference document to help organisations understand the formal connections between the various stakeholders involved in the strata sector and beyond in Sydney.

Summary:

This Executive Summary outlines the main findings of the research project . The project had three major aims:
1. To explore the role, capacity and effectiveness of owners corporations as agencies of property governance and management in contemporary urban Australia.
2. To explore the capacity and effectiveness of strata managing agents as mediators of outcomes for residents and owners in the sector, and their role and function within the overall structure of management and governance.
3. To assess how well residential strata works from strata owners’ points of view.

Summary:

The research reports on:
– Home modification needs in strata schemes identified by residents, peak body representatives and other professionals.
– Existing policy and legislation that affects the process of undertaking home modifications in strata titled properties.
– Challenges in undertaking home modifications and opportunities for change.

Summary:

The aim of this project was to explore equitable and viable solutions to what has emerged as a fundamental issue facing Australian cities in coming decades: how to effectively, efficiently and inclusively redevelop older areas of privately owned multi‐unit strata titled housing to achieve the higher densities needed to accommodate population growth without exacerbating social inequalities and collateral social disruption. The research therefore addresses questions of both feasibility and equity regarding the termination and renewal of strata schemes.  

Summary:

Of the 18% of Australians 50 years of age and older who moved between 2006 and 2011, it is estimated that around half had downsized by number of bedrooms. The majority downsized into private housing in the general community and around one fifth into retirement villages. This paper compares the demographic characteristics of these two groups, circumstances leading to moving, considerations made in their choice of accommodation, difficulty of the moving process and their satisfaction with the outcomes.

Summary:

This paper makes particular reference to the implications of this debate in the greater Sydney metropolitan area, which raises universal issues regarding tensions between the government and the market and between individual rights and the collective good. This paper argues that there is a case for changing the legislation, with government involvement required to respond to the significant social issues raised, to guarantee the needs of existing owners and tenants are met, and to ensure that high quality, economically viable, buildings result.

Summary:

This document reports on the findings of research carried out by the City Futures Research Centre at the University of NSW into the management of major repairs and maintenance of common property in residential strata properties (containing three or more lots) in New South Wales. This is the first report to outline the attitudes and experiences of strata owners towards planning for major repairs and maintenance in NSW.

Summary:

This article employs a life cycle framework to examine the profound operational and governance challenges that are associated with the fusion of private lot ownership with common property ownership. The article calls for a more explicit recognition of these challenges by academics, policymakers, practitioners and the broader community.

Summary:

This paper demonstrates the impact the actions of developers during the design and build phases of multi-unit residential developments can have on the quality and effectiveness of the on-going management of developments. The findings presented are drawn from a large research project that included interviews and surveys with property owners, executive committee (body corporate) members, strata (property) managers, and peak body representatives about the management of strata schemes in the state of New South Wales in Australia.

Summary:

The article argues there has been a devolution of responsibility to the “private governments” that manage strata schemes, without sufficient support and training. To address this challenge, and realize the potential benefits afforded by the increasing availability of retired volunteers, increased support is essential to encourage better property management and underpin the good governance of urban areas.

Summary:

This article presents an innovative analysis of Australian Census data that identifies lower income households with children as a significant sub-sector of the resident apartment population, geographically concentrated in the lower value middle-ring suburbs of Sydney. An examination of one middle-ring urban renewal site (the Sydney Olympic Park site) provides evidence to suggest that new residential developments adjacent to areas dominated by an apartment market with a significant proportion of lower income families with children are themselves likely to see an influx of these households.

Summary:

Paul Mees’ urban ideal counted on watchful, confident and well-informed citizenry to work collectively in a quest for fair and just cities. As such, The Public City is largely a critique of neo-liberalism and its arguably negative influence on urban prospects. As Mees explained it, neo-liberal urbanism was much more than a political aberration; it was a threat that imposed many costly failures in an age overshadowed by grave ecological challenges. This chapter is Bill Randolph and Hazel Easthope’s strata-related contribution to this collection.

Summary:

In this report we provide a review of Australian and international literature on issues faced by people living in higher density. Our focus is at the level of resident experience and at the scale of the building or development. This review is supported by the input of a range of stakeholders with an extensive knowledge of these issues who participated in a workshop discussion in Sydney (see below for a list of participants). We investigate these issues with regard to the lived experience of residents in higher density dwellings across tenures and forms of housing provision.

Summary:

Based on findings from two recent research projects funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, this paper explores why most older Australians remain in their own homes, why those who do move or downsize do so, into what types of dwellings and tenure, and how they go about this process. The findings challenge conventional understandings of both housing utilization and downsizing.

Summary:

The broad aim of this research was to understand more fully the phenomenon of
downsizing in the Australian context including: the extent of downsizing amongst older Australians; who downsizes and why; what is involved in the process; what are the outcomes; what obstacles discourage downsizing; and what policies could facilitate downsizing where appropriate and desired by older people.

Summary:

This paper discusses the findings of a recently completed AHURI research project on downsizing involving analysis of ABS data, and a national mail survey together with in-depth interviews and policy forums in three states of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia). Based on the survey findings and ABS analysis it provides an estimate of the extent of downsizing in Australia. It then explores how downsizing is conceptualised in the academic and policy literature as well as in the popular understanding of the older participants in the survey and interviews.

Summary:

So that the City of Sydney can identify how it might best support communities’ social wellbeing associated with environmental, economic and social changes, it is essential to collect information about the experiences and desires of residents and workers. To this end, this report presents the results of a community survey of residents and workers in the Green Square Urban Renewal Area in Sydney, Australia.

Summary:

This report presents the findings from a study of social interaction and social cohesion undertaken in the
Green Square urban renewal area in Sydney, Australia. The study involved the development and piloting of
a community survey.

Summary:

The impact of housing on students’ wellbeing has recently gained much media and political attention in Australia. The dire situation of students living in overcrowded housing was, for example, highlighted by State MP Cr Clover Moore. This paper presents a typology of housing options available to students in metropolitan Sydney, as well as an overview of the complexities of the student population in Australia. Our typology will assist policymakers and practitioners to target particular housing pathways where interventionist housing policies and action will have the most impact.

Summary:

Green Square is the largest urban redevelopment project in the southern hemisphere, and one of the fastest growing areas in Sydney. This research aimed to develop a survey tool for on-going assessment of social interactions and social cohesion at a large-scale urban renewal site that could be used to measure the nature of social cohesion and social interaction, identify opportunities/barriers residents face regarding social cohesion and community development, understand wellbeing of residents and workers, including satisfaction/attachment to the area, preferences and desires, and future plans.

Summary:

The 17ha Ashmore Precinct is one of the City of Sydney’s largest urban development projects. This research aimed to develop a survey tool for on-going assessment of social interactions and social cohesion at a large-scale urban renewal site that could be used to measure the nature of social cohesion and social interaction, identify opportunities/barriers residents face regarding social cohesion and community development, understand wellbeing of residents and workers, including satisfaction/attachment to the area, preferences and desires, and future plans.

Summary:

This project, supported by Strata Community Association who are the peak body for the strata industry in Australia, provides the first comprehensive national picture of the strata industry. The national (and state and territory) information sheets provide information on the number of strata properties, their value, the demographic characteristics of their residents, and the professionals employed to serve them. The accompanying report provides detail on the data collection methodology.

Summary:

English-language literature on the relationship between home and dwelling has largely focused on the benefits of homeownership and (to a lesser extent) social rental in
facilitating ontological security. Less consideration has been given to the experiences of private tenants. This paper draws on findings of a study on security of occupancy to discuss private renters’ ability to exercise control over their dwellings in Australia vs. Germany. It discusses the limitations of Australian legislation, within its policy, market and cultural context, in enabling private tenants to exercise control.

Summary:

Two significant changes in housing patterns have impacted on the ability of people to become attached to, and identify with, their dwelling because of tensions between these ways of living and dominant cultural representations of the dwelling as home. These are an increase in multi-unit property ownership and long-term private renting. However these phenomena need not necessarily result in people feeling less attached to their dwellings if dominant social norms and constructs of the dwelling as home, and home ownership in particular, are challenged.

Summary:

A raft of challenges face multi-unit residential housing design, at the forefront of which is a triad of interrelated needs – to make dwellings more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. To date, this discussion has primarily focused on the provision of high quality new housing. However, the existing housing stock offers rich opportunities for creating more liveable, affordable, and environmentally-friendly solutions, which remain largely underexplored in Australia. In this paper we explore the opportunities of what we term “adaptive redesign” of existing multi-owned housing.

Summary:

Cities around the world are struggling to provide adequate housing for growing populations. Concurrently, the significant amount of housing stock built during the post-war housing boom (1950–80) is now ageing and in need of repair. To date, the discussion surrounding both issues – growth and redevelopment – has primarily focused on the provision of new housing, predominantly multiunit apartments for medium-to high-density living. However, much existing housing stock offers rich opportunities for creating more liveable, affordable and sustainable solutions.

Summary:

All multi-owned developments are, by definition, owned collectively by multiple individual owners. While for some shared ownership can be part of the attraction, for others it is a necessary evil. This chapter focuses on the experience of strata title in NSW, Australia. Based on consultation with strata owners, this chapter highlights the mismatch that can occur between the responsibilities of owners as members of an owners corporation (body corporate) as enshrined in legislation and people’s knowledge and acceptance of those responsibilities, and discusses why this mismatch occurs.

Summary:

In the 21st century Australian city, urban renewal has become synonymous with higher residential densities. This chapter discusses: the potential for conflict; problems of building design, build quality and defects and ongoing problems with major repairs and maintenance; strata ownership as a formidable barrier to further renewal in areas that otherwise would be prime sites for redevelopment. We draw on a series of interlinked and on-going research projects undertaken by the authors and colleagues over the last decade looking at aspects of the emerging strata title sector in Australia.

Summary:

Compact city policies have become planning orthodoxy over the past three decades. But compact city development takes many forms, and the compact city concept often obscures a diverse range of social, economic and environmental outcomes of urban densification. This paper identifies (i) how high density living is different; and (ii) how the current compact city model makes lower-income and disadvantaged
residents especially vulnerable.

Summary:

Higher density multi-unit residential developments, such
as townhouses and apartment buildings (henceforth
‘higher density housing’), have become increasingly
common feature of Australian cities. Shelter NSW engaged the City Futures Research Centre to identify the major challenges confronting lower income and vulnerable residents in higher density housing. In
higher density buildings (‘the building scale’), factors
like proximity between residents, and the need to share
responsibility for building upkeep, create a different
living experience to that of detached housing.

Summary:

Higher density multi-unit residential developments, such
as townhouses and apartment buildings (henceforth
‘higher density housing’), have become increasingly
common feature of Australian cities. Shelter NSW engaged the City Futures Research Centre to identify the major challenges confronting lower income and vulnerable residents in higher density housing. In areas
with growing quantities of higher density housing (‘the
neighbourhood scale’), this densification can strain
local services and reshape the area’s socio-economic
mix.

Summary:

Higher density multi-unit residential developments, such
as townhouses and apartment buildings (henceforth
‘higher density housing’), have become increasingly
common feature of Australian cities. Shelter NSW engaged the City Futures Research Centre to identify the major challenges confronting lower income and vulnerable residents in higher density housing. The compact city policy objective puts pressure on governments to coordinate infrastructure planning and delivery, and to manage the social, economic and environmental effects of changing population patterns and urban form.

Summary:

This paper outlines and compares the policy frameworks designed to encourage higher density urban renewal in Sydney and Perth since the mid-2000s. These policies underpin the ‘compact city’ model that has become urban planning orthodoxy worldwide (OECD 2012). Following an overview of the key policy settings adopted in the two cities (summarised in Appendix 1), the paper offers a high-level commentary on the key similarities and differences, and what these might mean for future compact city planning in Australia.

Summary:

This paper explores the transition towards the compact city model in Australia, which has become the orthodoxy of metropolitan planning in the last two decades through an examination of experience in Sydney and Perth. This transition is aligned with neoliberal policies through which private investment and the marketplace have become dominant in driving urban growth and change. Key
insights relate to who has a say in development control, growing executive power, increased government engagement with lobby groups, and growing inequality.

Summary:

This research investigates the experiences of lower-income apartment residents in relation to planning and infrastructure provision; urban design; building design and management; neighbourhood amenities and facilities; and ongoing place management and community engagement so as to improve wellbeing, community and housing affordability outcomes.

Summary:

Urban renewal in brownfield areas is an important component of broader compact city policies in place in Sydney, around Australia, and elsewhere in the world. Local and state governments have an interest in understanding how well urban renewal areas are performing, including the satisfaction of residents and workers with these areas. This report presents the results of a community survey of residents and workers in the Green Square Urban Renewal Area in Sydney, covering social cohesion, social interaction, community development, wellbeing, place attachment, preferences and future plans.

Summary:

Urban renewal in brownfield areas is an important component of broader compact city policies in place in Sydney, around Australia, and elsewhere in the world. Local and state governments have an interest in understanding how well urban renewal areas are performing, including the satisfaction of residents and workers with these areas. This report presents the results of a community survey of residents and workers in the Ashmore Estate Urban Renewal Area in Sydney, covering social cohesion, social interaction, community development, wellbeing, place attachment, preferences and future plans.

Summary:

This research project:
• describes the characteristics of lower-income apartment residents and the places where they live in Sydney and Melbourne
• identifies important issues with how well apartment developments provide for the wellbeing, community and affordability needs
• considers how these issues can most effectively be addressed in high-density developments at both the building and precinct scale.
It considers planning and infrastructure provision; urban design; building design and management; neighbourhood amenities and facilities; and ongoing place management and community engagement

Summary:

This project, supported by Strata Community Association who are the peak body for the strata industry in Australia and New Zealand, provides a comprehensive picture of the strata industry in Australia and New Zealand, following from the first Australian National Strata Data Analysis in 2018. National, state and territory information sheets provide information on the number of strata properties, their value, the demographic characteristics of their residents, and the professionals employed to serve them.

Summary:

In Australia, private high‐density housing is typically marketed as the domain of middle‐ and higher‐income residents. In practice, it accommodates many lower‐income households. This has implications for public infrastructure planning in high‐density neighbourhoods where private property ownership dominates. Examining two case-studies with markedly different day-to-day experiences, this article argues that coordinated and collaborative planning processes are key to ensuring that the needs of lower‐income households are met in privately developed apartment neighbourhoods.

Summary:

Older apartment blocks represent a significant urban asset, but many no longer suit their current inhabitants.
Sandra Karina Löschke and Hazel Easthope look to Europe, where many redesign projects that involve residents in the process have transformed the quality of apartment living. How might we adopt similar methods of renovation in the Australian context?

Summary:

This project, supported by Strata Community Association who are the peak body for the strata industry in Australia and New Zealand, provides a comprehensive picture of the strata industry in Australia and New Zealand. The 2022 report is the third instalment of strata insights published by the City Futures Research Centre. National, state and territory information sheets provide information on the number of strata properties, their value, the demographic characteristics of their residents, and the professionals employed to serve them.

Summary:

Urban renewal in brownfield areas is an important component of broader compact city policies in place in Sydney, around Australia, and elsewhere in the world. Local and state governments have an interest in understanding how well urban renewal areas are performing, including the satisfaction of residents and workers with these areas. This report presents the results of the 2023 community survey of residents and workers in the Green Square Urban Renewal Area in Sydney, covering social cohesion, social interaction, community development, wellbeing, place attachment, preferences and future plans.

Summary:

Urban renewal in brownfield areas is an important component of broader compact city policies in Sydney, around Australia, and elsewhere in the world. Local and state governments have an interest in understanding how well urban renewal areas are performing, including the satisfaction of residents and workers with these areas. This report presents the results of the 2023 community survey of residents and workers in the Ashmore Estate Urban Renewal Area in Sydney, covering social cohesion, social interaction, community development, wellbeing, place attachment, preferences and future plans.

Summary:

This research investigates how Australia can supply new and retrofit older apartments so that they are sustainable, that is they are comfortable; deliver cost reductions for householders while minimising consumption and waste; and maximise energy efficiencies and energy management, both in their construction and throughout their lifecycle (including through the adoption of renewable energy technologies).

Summary:

High-density development requires large land parcels, but fragmented land ownership can impede redevelopment. While earlier compact city development in Sydney occurred on large-scale brownfield sites, redeveloping and re-amalgamating older strata-titled properties is now integral to
further densification. The purpose of this study is to examine collective sales activity in one Sydney suburb where multiple strata-titled redevelopments and re-amalgamations have been attempted. We explore how owners navigate the process of selling collectively.

Summary:

Governments and planners in the Global North are increasingly faced with the challenge of providing services for growing numbers of families in the inner city. This article explores the actual and projected presence of children in inner Sydney and the pressure that gentrification and high density development has placed on school places. The conclusion of the research is that inner urban redevelopment must include sufficient public space and infrastructure not only for schools in the immediate future, but also for adaptive reuse for other, perhaps equally unanticipated, needs in the longer-term

Summary:

The next few decades will see a significant increase in high density development in strategic centres in Australian cities, if current city plans are put into practice. The social consequences of this shift towards higher density are profound and will have a significant impact on Australian cities’ social sustainability. This research provides insights into how people use spaces socially in high density, and which kinds of spaces are likely to facilitate the maintenance of weak ties. These findings can inform the design and planning of socially sustainable high density areas.

Summary:

Contemporary urban life has been shaped by two momentous shifts over the twentieth century: increasing global mobility and increasing housing density. Arguably, because global mobility is now so pronounced, engagement and civility require that people are respectfully observant of ethno‐diversity. Yet our review of the existing literature on multicultural encounters and participation in multi‐owned private apartment buildings suggests the need for more research on the intersections among global mobility, housing density, and apartment living. This paper begins to bridge this gap.

Summary:

This paper traces the history of apartment design with an emphasis on spatial layout. It charts the events that have influenced apartment design in Sydney, Australia and provides a framework for understanding how changes in society, the economy, regulations, and architectural paradigms have influenced apartment layouts over time. Through a review of historical and contemporary apartment plan drawings in Sydney, we identify four chronologically distinct eras.

Summary:

The report addresses the serious and growing problem of building defects in the trillion dollar multi-unit housing sector. The research investigates the prevalence of building defects, why they occur and how multi-unit housing quality can be improved.
The findings are intended to inform changes to planning and development policy and regulation, leading to improved building quality and safety, lower costs and stress for owners, more resilient urban communities, and better urban planning outcomes.

Summary:

The success of compact cities depends on built environment quality, social relationships within buildings, and broader social norms. This paper focuses on the experiences of families with children. We extend on existing research that documents families’ experiences of poor design, to recognise the role regulation plays in shaping a sense of home. Utilising narratives of parents raising children in apartments in Sydney, Australia, we argue social norms, neighbourly interactions, and by-laws interact to enforce codes of behaviour that impinge upon family life.

Summary:

There is evidence that many apartment residents find it challenging to form and maintain local social connections, especially those renting their home. This can negatively impact physical and mental health, and have implications for the management of apartment complexes and local area social sustainability. In this paper, we draw on interviews with renters of condominium complexes in Sydney, Australia, to investigate their local social interactions. While many renters desire greater local connection, their opportunities and motivations are limited.