4.3. Minimising urban expansion
So how can we keep our city sustainable while our population grows? The solution has two components:
- Infill development: Building within our existing boundary
- Density: Building upwards rather than outwards
Let’s explore these concepts.
Infill: Building within our existing boundary
To keep our city compact, we need to stop expanding and build within the ACT’s existing urban footprint instead. This is called infill developmentDevelopments that are built inside a city’s current boundaries on land that has been developed before – for example, building a new block of units in an existing suburb. More.
Greenfield versus infill development
Infill development
Housing developments that are built inside a city’s current boundaries on land that has been developed before – for example, building a new block of units in an existing suburb.
These developments generally have a lower environmental impact.
- Don’t encroach into surrounding natural areas.
- Can use existing infrastructure like roads and sewage networks.
- More opportunities for people to walk, cycle or take public transport because everything is closer together, which reduces greenhouse gasA gas in the atmosphere (such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) that absorbs and emits energy, warming the Earth. Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the main cause of climate change. More and other pollution from vehicles.
Greenfield development
Housing developments that are built outside a city’s current boundaries on land that hasn’t been developed before – for example, building a new suburb on the outskirts of town.
These developments generally have a higher environmental impact.
- Encroach into surrounding natural areas, clearing habitats and degrading water quality.
- Require the construction of new infrastructure like roads and sewage networks.
- Fewer opportunities for people to walk, cycle or take public transport because everything is far apart, so people tend to drive more which increases greenhouse gasA gas in the atmosphere (such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) that absorbs and emits energy, warming the Earth. Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the main cause of climate change. More and other pollution from vehicles.
We need to prioritise infill developmentDevelopments that are built inside a city’s current boundaries on land that has been developed before – for example, building a new block of units in an existing suburb. More if we want Canberra to be a compact and sustainable city.
Density: Building upwards rather than outwards
Increasing housing density is another key part of the solution to make Canberra a more compact and sustainable city.
What’s density got to do with it?
The amount of land within our city’s current boundaries is limited. So, to accommodate a growing number of people within our current urban area, we need to make housing more dense.
Housing density refers to how many dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More there are in a given area. Different kinds of dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More are typically categorised as low-density dwellingsDwellings like standalone, single-family houses. More, medium-density dwellingsDwellings with a shared wall like townhouses, or low-level flats with a few storeys. More or high-density dwellingsDwellings like apartments in multi-storey buildings. More.
Density is also influenced by how many people live in each dwellingA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More. In Canberra, more and more people are living alone. There are lots of large houses in Canberra with few people living there. Nearly 45% of ACT dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More have two or more spare bedrooms, and 14% have three or more. That’s a lot of extra space – do we really need it all?
High-density dwellingsDwellings like apartments in multi-storey buildings. More are a much more efficient use of land. If we had more high-density dwellingsDwellings like apartments in multi-storey buildings. More in Canberra, it would reduce the need to expand out into surrounding bushland. In other words, we need to build upwards rather than outwards.
Currently, low-density dwellingsDwellings like standalone, single-family houses. More like houses are by far the most common type of dwellingA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More, making up 61% of the total dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More in Canberra.
This graph shows low-density dwellingsDwellings like standalone, single-family houses. More, medium-density dwellingsDwellings with a shared wall like townhouses, or low-level flats with a few storeys. More and high-density dwellingsDwellings like apartments in multi-storey buildings. More as a percentage of the total number of dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More in the ACT. Low-density dwellingsDwellings like standalone, single-family houses. More make up over 60% of total housing in the ACT.
Data sourced from: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
However, dwellingA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More preferences are slowly changing. Low-density dwellingsDwellings like standalone, single-family houses. More decreased by 4% between 2016 and 2021, from 65% of total ACT dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More to 61%. More and more people are seeking high-density dwellingsDwellings like apartments in multi-storey buildings. More instead. High-density dwellingsDwellings like apartments in multi-storey buildings. More increased by 4% between 2016 and 2021, from 17% of total ACT dwellingsA self-contained unit of accommodation such as a house, townhouse or apartment. More to 21%.
