THE FACTS . . . the reality on the ground.
This is the kind of housing being rolled out across Melbourne’s growth areas:
A typical new home in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs -
4 bedrooms . . . 2 bathrooms . . . double garage . . . kitchen with walk-in pantry . . . dropzone and laundry . . . linen closet . . . meals area . . . family area . . . alfresco area . . . home theatre . . . living area . . . home office . .
sunlight to living areas unlikely to have been considered . . . outlooks to high, solid fence . . . six star rating achieved without regard for orientation . . . no space for substantial vegetation . . . most garden space wasted on side setbacks and car access . . . necessary to drive to shops, school, parks and work . . . local main roads are over-capacity at peak times . . . two reliable cars are essential . . .
What needs to change?
Planning
Street layout should feature circulation systems based on an interconnected network of local streets integrated with higher density housing and mixed uses, providing walking and cycling access to services instead of rigidly separated uses requiring car travel.
Density
Higher average densities should be mandated at a minimum of 35 dwellings per hectare and include attached town houses and apartments close to public transport and services.
Design
House design should better relate dwellings to their site and neighbours by fundamentally changing the model of detached houses built almost to boundaries and consuming most of the site. Alternative models would require sunlight access to living rooms, energy efficient materials and design, lower long term environmental footprints and greater dwelling variation in building types and sizes.
The principals of energy efficiency and water sensitive design should be made integral features of suburbs needing low car use and resource consumption. Parkland planning should provide a range of open space locations for varied use.
Planning for residential areas should implement a ‘density' gradient’ - from low to high towards the town centre where retail and services are located. Express public transport is provided on the main roads and walking and cycling patterns are provided for throughout.