Transformative Transport Making Way for Higher Density

The way we move is changing and developers need to keep up. Transport infrastructure big and small is the lifeblood of communities and it can subsequently determine the gradient of success of developments. “Most cities in Australia have some level of new public transport under way,” CBRE head of research, Pacific &amp; ESG, Sameer Chopra says. Brisbane has Cross River Rail and a new bus-metro hybrid, Sydney is approximately a third of the way through its “metrofication” and is experimenting with state-of-the-art driverless trains, while Perth’s Metronet is delivering 72km of new passenger rail and 23 new stations and Melbourne is investing in next-gen trams and high capacity Metro trains. Transport has been a priority across the country, creating rich opportunities for development and urban design, but more and changing methods of travel need a new approach. “Metrofication” Transport infrastructure requires decades, but can make a huge impact on what development is undertaken and where, which Chopra has labelled, in relation to Sydney’s Metro line, as “metrofication.” One of the most impactful outcomes of better transport, he says, is cutting commute times. ▲ CBRE head of Research, Pacific &amp; ESG Sameer Chopra. “We’re expecting across the Sydney system people will save about 20 minutes each way on average, and those living in the North West of the city will benefit much more,” Chopra says. The impact this will have on house prices in transport-adjacent areas will be of interest to developers. “Sydney suburbs that are right on the Metro have already outperformed by about 5 per cent right now and that will only increase,” he says. Densification of transport-adjacent areas can also help feasibilities given that areas close to the metro, such as Macquarie Park, are already twice as dense according to Chopra. “These nodes will become far denser, and attract younger people and a different demographic.” ▲ The Sydney Metro includes four metro lines, 46 stations and 113km of new metro rail. TODs changing density perceptions Cox Architecture director Lachlan Abercrombie says that generally, areas of higher accessibility and amenity allow greater densities and diversity in terms of uses, typologies and tenures, and this is playing out in the NSW Transit-Oriented Development scheme . “What we have seen [with TODs] is the desire to leverage the existing and future investment in transport infrastructure to plan for increased densities around transit nodes,” he says. “And there has been a noticeable shift in community sentiment towards acceptance of development, density and change in the community in response to projects such as Sydney Metro.” Plus Architecture associate Gloria Ha, who has worked on Scape student accommodation project in Kensington, now a TOD precinct, says that one of the key components of TODs are affordable housing requirements. “These developments will contribute to diverse and active communities, particularly through public spaces and community uses,” she says. “Removing carparking requirements will also help with project feasibility, as adding extra basements can often prevent projects from being realised given rising construction costs.” But developers should not just be considering “big” transport like train networks in their forward strategies, with “micromobility” on the up. Micromobility Abercrombie says that because of transport links the typical catchment for access to amenities, schools, transport and retail is changing. “It’s changing not in a time perspective, but in distance,” he says. “No longer will you need to market properties as being a 5-minute or 400m walk to the local school, or shop, or station, because micromobility technologies are now extending that 5 minutes to 1 or 2km away.” ▲ Director of Cox Architecture Lachlan Abercrombie. These extended catchments are driving increased appetite for densities and more diverse housing typologies, he says. “This is resulting in a significant shift from traditional planning policies about clustering employment, education, civic, cultural, recreational and retail uses around the transit nodes and lower density residential extending outwards.” This also means there is an emerging requirement for designing new buildings and retrofitting existing buildings for the various technologies associated with micromobility, Abercrombie says. “Even communities that have designed around active transport for many decades are reviewing the way that they design their buildings to accommodate the various vehicles.” ▲ WA's Ellenbrook is an award-winning satellite town. In the Netherlands he says, where the number of bicycles exceeds the population, ebike sales outperformed traditional bikes last year by 7 per cent. “Our buildings need to accommodate more than just end-of-trip facilities for walkers, cyclists, scooterists and others—we need to consider how to accommodate, recharge, maintain and clean these vehicles within our buildings.” This is particularly the case for specific communities such as young professionals and students, says Ha. “While transport hubs help people get from Point A to Point B at a macro level, we need to consider how people navigate within these new urban environments— that’s where micromobility comes in. “It’s particularly relevant for PBSA projects since students generally don’t rely on cars, this thinking should apply to all surrounding developments. “What we design needs to be for the future as well— incorporating these aspects now will make our work more resilient.” Significant consideration needs to be given to how the public domain can accommodate micromobility modes, expanding footpaths, providing dedicated paths and reallocating road space, which has played out in a new community in WA, Ellenbrook. Case Study: Ellenbrook, WA A former sand quarry and pine forest in Perth’s north-eastern fringe, the masterplanned community Ellenbrook is now home to 30,000 residents and is a case study on the impact of transport on development. The Metronet line officially opened to the public on December 8, 2024, with five new stations between Morley and Ellenbrook. RobertsDay Principal Tim Trefry is one of the urban planners behind Ellenbrook. “Ellenbrook has always had a focus on, and the reason it's been successful is, community-making and an emphasis on people's daily needs,” Trefry says. ▲ Urban planner RobertsDay principal Tim Trefry. “It has a preplanned, interconnected street work where trees went in early, providing shade on the streets which allows those micromobilities to happen, whether that’s walking or scooters, and that is just one of several layers of development and amenity we needed to deliver.” Transport has been included in all aspects and levels of the project, from the streetscapes through to building typologies. “Transport gives you options on how to deliver density,” Trefry says. “You can get density around open space or shopping centres, but transport allows us to really flesh out the density and typologies, whether it’s apartments, two or three-storey houses or small homes.” “The train arriving, which has allowed that final stage of Ellenbrook to occur, also allows the accommodation of different lifestyles and demographics.” ▲ Ellenbrook consists of eight village-style communities surrounding an established town centre. Access to transport is particularly important for areas looking to build up, where a trade off has to happen for the likes of downsizers looking at apartments for instance. “In these areas, you have to trade off some private space for public, you use train service rather than have two or three car parking spaces, you use public parks instead of a private garden,” Trefry says. But you have to be patient to deliver apartments in areas unused to such density. “The station makes it possible, but whether we get that density now or later depends on the project and where it's located,” Trefry says. “But trains are a gamechanger and they set up Ellenbrook and other communities like it for the next stage of their development.” You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. Click here to learn more.

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