Density

It’s higher-density living that makes their streets and public spaces buzz. But, importantly, this density is achieved through a combination of well-designed mid-rise apartments (roughly six storeys) close to shops, services and public transport. This gives residents the best of both worlds: cities that are liveable and likeable.

The Conversation

We need more homes

Melbourne, and Yarra, needs more homes, i.e. more density, because rental costs are too high:

New homes can be attractive

Beautiful, long lasting, medium-density buildings are possible, we should demand them:

Medium density aligns with public and active transport

Together with mixed use and public & active transport, density represents one aspect of the type of city we need to build:

Medium (gentle) density delivers good outcomes

Rob Adams describes how medium density along transport corridors is a good thing:

Density decreases carbon emissions

Apartments are the climate solution hiding in plain sight, because they’re electric, better insulated, and located close to jobs and services:

Support from the Heart Foundation

The Heart Foundation supports density to deliver healthy neighbourhoods.

Our challenge

Our challenge is to encourage beautiful, efficient, long-lasting 4-6 storey buildings that offer ‘layers’ such as shops on the ground floor, businesses above and residences above that. When combined with wide footpaths, protected bicycle lanes and frequent public transport, medium density cities are a win-win for both existing and new residents.

Proposal from YIMBY Melbourne

YIMBY Melbourne suggests a ‘Missing Middle Zone‘ to cover all residential land within 1 km of a train station and 0.5 km of a tram stop.

Local champion

Your local champion for density in the City of Yarra is YIMBY Melbourne. View all of Streets Alive Yarra’s champions on our supporters page.

YIMBY Melbourne is a grassroots organisation advocating for housing abundance as a means of fixing our current housing crisis. Our organisation aligns closely with Streets Alive Yarra as a fellow group which supports safer, denser, greener, and more liveable streets. Density, or as we have put forward ‘Parisian’ density (six storey, mixed-use buildings) is critical to reducing the cost of renting/owning in the City of the Yarra by increasing the supply of housing. The beauty of Parisian density is that it offers a sustainable middle ground between the land-use inefficient single detached home and blobby high-rise apartment blocks. YIMBY Melbourne proudly welcomes the opportunity to be the champion of density for the City of Yarra. We hope to soon embrace a better world where Melburnians can afford to live where they would like to, be it in an apartment or above the shops.

Hugo Ymer, Outreach Lead, YIMBY Melbourne