High Density Happiness: Reinstating the Neighbourhood

On a warm summer’s night at Melbourne’s MPavilion, Open Journal hosted a forum on what makes an attractive city. Joined by Founder and Director of Neometro, Jeff Provan, Assemble Projects‘ Community Engagement Manager Rachel Elliot-Jones, and BKK Architect‘s Director Simon Knott, the panel considered the complex nature of place, how is one designed and what defines its success?

What makes a livable city is a topic of increasing public engagement. Assemble recently undertook a comprehensive Survey of Small Footprint Living to gauge our attitudes to how we want to live in contemporary Australia, what we expect from our homes and what we look for in finding a place to live. Simon Knott debated the topic extensively on his ABC Radio show with Stuart Harrison entitled ‘The Architects,’ and one Jeff Provan continues to explore through this very journal.

Assemble’s Rachel Elliot-Jones and Neometro’s Jeff Provan

Cities are complex environments, they’re hard to replicate and get right, but ultimately diversity and accessibility are key.

“The notion of what makes a city attractive is synonymous with what makes a building attractive as a place to live in. We have 67 dwellings and we want to attract different people to create a vibrant community. We’re working on quality; great design that’s lasting and not just for the residents but for the wider community,” said Rachel of Assemble’s project at 122 Roseneath Street in Clifton Hill.

Jewell Station, Neometro’s upcoming development with BKK Architects in Brunswick has positioned resident well being and pedestrian usability as its primary consideration.

“We’ve embraced urban village design. We needed to understand what will bring good people to the area. We needed to get the physical and esoteric mix right. It’s been a lengthy project with moving parts. We want to create a space there that will be attractive, livable and sustainable for decades because high density living is no longer just a stage between moving out of the family home and buying your own house. We needed to activate this site and keep it activated via the right guidelines and infrastructure,” said Jeff Provan of the two sites with a large public realm acquired by Neometro.

The extent of responsibility engendered in property developers was a key consideration of the future livability of a city, especially one such as Melbourne, gripped by an unprecedented surge in new development. The market has seen a clear shift towards tokenistic inclusions to residential developments at the expense of apartment spaces that are designed for living and built with durable materials. The interface at street level is often an oversight as developers vie for the mantle of the tallest tower, or the most amount of gyms and rooftop spas. How will we experience our city as pedestrians when the focus is increasingly turned inwards instead of outwards, into the community.

The shopping list has changed for residential developers over the years. “For Neometro, the idea of a pool in an apartment building doesn’t really work. We always rethink the design if we’re not prepared to live there. The debate should not be about the size of the apartment but about the bigger picture of quality design,” said Jeff.

“There needs to be a level of generosity where developments give back to the community. Then the community will give back in return,” added Simon.

There is a new breed of developer – Neometro, Assemble Projects, Milieu, The Commons – who are more interested in giving back to the community. Our cities are now built by developers. Gone are the days of clients building buildings.

“The Commons is a shining example,” continued Rachel, “but there is not just one model. We need regulatory changes and funding that encourages situations like what’s occurring in Berlin and London.”

BKK Architects’ Simon Knott and Open Journal Editor, Laura Phillips

The panel concluded:

Most development we see is ordinary. We need to have it and it’s getting better but you can’t just pick up a model and place it anywhere. You need to consider context, demographic, changing patterns, who is moving in, and who might move there in future. Marketing and sales agents have too much say and we need to go beyond the financial factors. Developments should be powered by architects who understand how to create urban outcomes. We need to move beyond the real estate product and deliver places where people want to live.

There is debate about height but it should be about the ground plane. Street level is much more important. It’s also about gentrification. For example, The High Line in New York pushed out the existing artist colony. When a developer hands over the keys, that building is not finished. Rather, that’s the start of that building’s life and the focus should therefore be on the building’s changeability and adaptability.