Open Journal & Open House Melbourne present High Density Happiness

Open Journal’s High Density Happiness speaker series is back!

We are thrilled to be partnering with Open House Melbourne for two public talks that examine inner city living.

The talks will be held at a former signaling house at Jewell Station that Neometro has renovated in collaboration with Clare Cousins Architects to be a community hub ahead of the launch of Neometro’s New Urban Village.

We are very fortunate to be joined by a wonderful group of panelists that draw diverse expertise from policy making, architecture and development.

Places will be limited, with reservations via EventBrite opening next week.

The two sessions will focus on:

Elevating Apartment Standards

Wednesday July 13

Featuring a panel of speakers including:

Jill Garner, the Victorian Government Architect

Esther Anatolitis, Director of Regional Arts Victoria and Faculty Member of The School of Life

Katelin Butler, Editor Houses Magazine

Lochlan Sinclair, Design Manager of Neometro

Mediated by Open Journal Editor, Laura Phillips

As the culture of apartment living strengthens its hold on the city, can Melbournians expect to live their whole lives in housing that may not cater to their changing needs? This session examines how we can develop apartments that take into account the needs of people at various life stages, particularly families of all shapes and sizes. The panel will also discuss the impact of design on liveability and how residents should be able to enjoy their apartments year round and at any time of day.

The Facebook event can be found here.

Curbing the Urban Sprawl

Thursday July 21

Featuring a panel of speakers including:

Fiona de Preu, Manager, Policy Implementation, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Aoife Kealy, Development Manager at Victrack

Jeremy McCloud, Breathe Architecture

James Tutton, Director of Neometro

Mediated by Open Journal Editor, Laura Phillips

As well as predicting population growth for Melbourne in the next three decades, Plan Melbourne outlines an intention to limit urban sprawl. To prevent excessive movement towards the urban fringe, much will need to be made of inner city land, especially around existing infrastructure such as train stations. This is important from an environmental sustainability perspective, as much as reducing the commute. Using Jewell Station as an example, this panel discussion will focus on finding a balance between affordability and liveability, with apartment quality, rather than size, a key consideration.

The Facebook event can be found here.

Start: 6.30pm

At: 15A Union Street, Brunswick

Cost: Free