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Suburban densification: unpacking the misalignment between resident demand and investor-driven supply of multi-unit housing in Sydney, Australia

Author or co-authors: Sophie-May Kerr, Nicole Cook, Shanaka Herath

Published: Nicole Cook, Shanaka Herath & Sophie-May Kerr (2023) Suburban densification: unpacking the misalignment between resident demand and investor-driven supply of multi-unit housing in Sydney, Australia, Australian Planner, 59:1, 26-38, DOI: 10.1080/07293682.2023.2197604

Keywords: Children, Development, Economics / markets, Planning, Qualitative research/interviews, Quantitative research/statistics,

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Summary:

This paper develops a clearer understanding of consumer demand and market supply of multi-unit dwellings in suburban town centres. The paper combines qualitative analysis of the housing preferences of a group of (largely) migrant women with children living in apartments in the suburban town centre of Liverpool, Sydney, Australia, with quantitative analysis of household type, apartment size and dwelling approvals. We show that market-led supply creates a mismatch between housing need and type. We conclude that calibrating the share of larger apartments will improve housing outcomes.

Including the majority: Examining the local social interactions of renters in four case study condominiums in Sydney

Author or co-authors: Sian Thompson, Hazel Easthope, Gethin Davison

Published: Thompson, S., Easthope, H. & Davison, G. (2022) ‘Including the majority: Examining the local social interactions of renters in four case study condominiums in Sydney’, Journal of Urban Affairs, 46(1), pp. 119-138 https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2045869

Keywords: Building management, Community, Rental housing,

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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.

Redeveloping the Compact City: The challenges of strata collective sales

Author or co-authors: Hazel Easthope, Laura Crommelin, Charlie Gillon, Simon Pinnegar, Kristian Ruming, Sha Liu

Published: Easthope, H., Crommelin, L., Gillon, C., Pinnegar, S., Ruming, K., Liu, S. (2023) Redeveloping the Compact City: The challenges of strata collective sales, Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law, https://doi.org/10.1108/JPPEL-04-2023-0016

This paper has been peer reviewed

Keywords: Redevelopment / termination,

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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.

Delivering Sustainable Apartment Housing: New build and retrofit

Author or co-authors: Hazel Easthope, Jasmine Palmer, Andrea Sharam, Megan Nethercote, Gloria Pignatta, Laura Crommelin

Published: Easthope, H., Palmer, J, Sharam, A., Nethercote, M., Pignatta, G. & Crommelin, C. (2023) Delivering Sustainable Apartment Housing: New build and retrofit, AHURI Final Report no. 400, Melbourne: AHURI

This paper has been peer reviewed

Keywords: Building improvements, Construction, Environment, Retrofit,

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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).

My Place Ashmore Community Survey 2023

Author or co-authors: Hazel Easthope, Edgar Liu, Sophie-May Kerr, Yunzheng Zhang

Keywords: Community, Development, Liveability, Planning, Policy,

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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.

My Place Green Square Community Survey 2023

Author or co-authors: Hazel Easthope, Edgar Liu, Sophie-May Kerr, Yunzheng Zhang

Keywords: Community, Development, Liveability, Planning, Policy,

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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.

Australasian Strata Insights 2022

Author or co-authors: Hazel Easthope, Danielle Hynes, Yi Lu, Reg Wade

Keywords: Building management, Development, Economics / markets,

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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.

The regulation of families with children in apartments

Author or co-authors: Sophie-May Kerr, Hazel Easthope, Cathy Sherry

Published: Kerr, S.M., Easthope, H., and Sherry, C. (2024) The regulation of families with children in apartments. Housing Studies. Online first, DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2024.2313591

This paper has been peer reviewed

Keywords: Building management, By-laws/rules/CC&Rs, Children, Disputes/conflict, Governance, Liveability, Qualitative research/interviews,

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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.

The practice and roles of condominium housing for tackling urban problems in the case of Gondar city, Ethiopia

Author or co-authors: Bantayehu Workineh

Published: Heliyon

This paper has been peer reviewed

Keywords: Development, Equity, Home ownership,

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Summary:

The Ethiopian government designed the condominium housing program to afford houses for residents, which requires the provision of infrastructure and faculties in the new developed areas. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate condominium housing institutional problems, actors, and roles in reducing urban problems. The researcher used mixed research approaches. The condominium can manage land; enhance housing supply, minimize service provision costs and compensation expenses, reduce number of expropriated farmers, minimize horizontal city expansion; and enhance housing affordability.

Impacts of building defects on the health and wellbeing of apartment residents: a scoping review

Author or co-authors: Nicole Johnston, Fiona Andrews, Richard Tucker, Anahita Sal Moslehian

Published: Building Research and Information

Funders: Strata Community Insurance

Keywords: Building improvements, Construction, Defects, Qualitative research/interviews,

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Summary:

While recent high-profile incidents have highlighted the impacts of building defects, there remains a dearth of comprehensive research that examines the full spectrum of health risks encountered by residents living in apartments affected by these defects. In this paper, an interdisciplinary perspective provides a comprehensive and structured synthesis of the literature on the varied impacts of lifecycle construction quality characteristics and defects on the health and wellbeing of apartment residents, including classification of methodological approaches.