Conflict warning on housing density

Over the past few decades, increasing numbers of residents of Australian cities are living in higher density. This is particularly so in Sydney – in greater metropolitan Sydney, one in four residents live in apartments or townhouses. Although the population living in such dwellings is diverse, it features a relatively high rate of rental (as compared to owner-occupation), and a high proportion of people on low- to moderate-incomes.

So far debate about higher density has usually been confined to its advantages and disadvantages – should higher density dwellings be built, where should higher density dwellings be built, and what scale of density is desirable or sustainable? Less focus has been on the experience of living in greater density: what’s it like for residents, and how can it be better?

To investigate, the report’s authors, Dr Hazel Easthope and Sarah Judd, conducted a review of over 300 Australian and international papers on the issues facing people living in higher density. They also spoke to stakeholders with expertise in higher density living at a round table which took place in Sydney on May 11.

The report, Living well in greater density, found that the experience of living in greater density can give rise to problems which can be grouped into two main categories.

Neighbour behaviour

Neighbour behaviour has a direct on impact on neighbour relations.

Resident relations can be strained by, for example:

 conflicting use of common areas (such as lobbies and shared washing lines);

 noise intrusion (for example, caused by flat-screen televisions mounted on apartment walls which are shared with neighbours, and by differences in lifestyles such as between shift-workers and non-shiftworkers, and between families with young children and other residents); and

 lack of social cohesion (unfriendliness, lack of community spirit and limited social interaction with neighbours).

Design and construction quality

Design and construction quality can contribute to occupants’ needs or expectations in relation to the dwellings not being met. For example:

 the design and location of balconies can lead to a lack of privacy and an intrusion of cooking and/or smoking smells into neighbours’ homes;

 buildings or developments may not provide safe or appropriate spaces for children to play, including balconies and indoor/ outdoor common play areas;

 the layout of interior spaces may not allow for sufficient storage areas;

 the provision of insufficient clothesline space may lead to disputes between neighbours – for example, a common by-law for residential strata schemes in New South Wales prevents the hanging of washing or other items from balconies, so where clothesline space is inadequate, residents must resort to using tumble driers (which are costly and have an environmental impact) or hanging their laundry inside their dwellings (resulting in reduced space for other activities);

 building design may not cater for the needs of people with impaired mobility (such as older people and people with disability);

 poor design may not maximize natural light, ventilation and thermal comfort;

 inadequate building quality can necessitate costly repair and maintenance bills;

 the lack of green space in external environments can contribute to a feeling of being crowded;

 the installation of hard floor surfaces (alongside, for example, the use of hard-soled shoes) can create significant noise problems;

 poor building construction may lead to noise penetration between units linked to the use of water pipes; and

 the poor external appearance of a building or development can attract stigma and have an adverse effect on residents.

The report includes numerous recommendations to address the many complex issues which can reduce the liveability of high density dwellings. For example, resident interaction may be improved by community gardens, common rooms and online social networking between occupants; dwellings, passageways, car parking areas and outdoor spaces should be accessible to meet the needs of people with disability; building standards should be improved to reduce noise, and practical tips on how to lessen noise should be provided to owners, builders and residents; and apartment management structures should encourage less turnover in tenancies in order to improve social cohesion.

The stakes are high – the quality of neighbour relations and building design and construction can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of residents.

The report notes that although many of the problems that are generated by higher density living are not unique to living in that kind of residential form, they are heightened by two specific features of high-density living: occupants live in close proximity plus they share some of the building or development’s features and facilities.

These characteristics mean that there is a need for shared responsibility and decision-making by tenants, owners and property managers regarding the use and maintenance of buildings and common areas. However the ability of occupants to negotiate differs depending on their tenure (owner or tenant), landlord (public housing authority, community housing association or private landlord), income and/or the building’s management structure. For example, property owners are better able to instigate changes to their living environments than tenants, and they also have more security of tenure which influences the development of social networks; given an insufficient supply of affordable housing, low-income tenants in the private rental market may avoid making complaints to landlords or real estate agents for fear of retaliatory evictions or rent increases. This inequity between occupants of higher density dwellings makes it all the more critical that high density dwellings are well designed, constructed and managed, and that residents in higher density dwellings are educated on how to live in such environments.

The report places the trend of living in greater density within the framework of the recent advancement of urban consolidation agendas by both Commonwealth and state governments. Increasingly, apartments will be seen as long-term housing for a greater proportion of the population, rather than as a stepping stone towards ownership of a detached dwelling. So how we live in greater density will have an increasing impact on wider urban communities. ‘It is important for the future of our cities that we “get urban consolidation right”’, the report comments. Living well in greater density is available from Shelter NSW’s website . – download report (pdf, 560 kb); download media release (pdf, 88 kb).

Source: Around the House September 2010 - www.shelternsw.org.au