19 December 2024

Ok I’m going to say it, I’m now going to accept that there will be apartment towers just about everywhere. And large dense developments too. And prices will go up again. This is because Melbourne has and will grow in population by about 100,000/year. Last time I looked closely it was about whether or not Sydney was bigger, at about 5 million – the population of Greater Melbourne is now estimated at 5.3 million, and the federal body Centre for Population estimates in 10 years Melbourne will grow by another million. This is mainly from immigration, which various Federal governments have kept rather high since the early 2000s, because they bring $ and labour and growth, I think. But then they largely leave it up to state governments to respond, with not much forward planning or funding. So the State Government reacts by building /improving train lines, and allowing more and more dense development, mostly at ‘nodes’. I don’t know if that’s the best response, or if there’s definitely better ones, but I do know more people with more money are going to drive the development of more big things/towers in the inner areas we all know and enjoy. So basically anything that’s not heritage listed, and even a lot that are, might be redeveloped, and it’s all going to be messy and random. Though actually right now due to costs, tower construction has slowed right down. Meanwhile the fringe will expand with big houses with no backyard and everyone has to drive everywhere- the blue area of the map is the Urban Growth Boundary, expanded hugely in 2010, and the pale blue areas are yet to be developed.

First photo is a large thing the Premier announced for a site on Hoddle street near Victoria Parade (too bulky really), towers in Fisherman’s Bend (fine, but why arnt there more already ?), then that bit of Footscray that’s gone way up (fine, but hope the amenity is ok), downtown Box Hill (a mess, but ok, in fact make them taller), then an apartment/ hotel thing Dandenong Road Oakleigh (more and bigger to come along there I’m sure). Personally I’m not fussed about actual height, it’s the bulk, and what the street feels like that matters. Many more thoughts, this post too long already.

26 December 2024

This is a boring tower in Lonsdale Street but I post it here because it’s 57 floors, the height recently proposed for Arden Street North Melbourne, where the height limit is 20 storeys. As I’ve said earlier I don’t mind height itself, as long as there’s a low scaled street wall, a good setback, not too close to other towers, etc. I recall seeing the proposed Arden ‘structure plan’ ages ago and wondering why the proposed heights are so relatively low. The current ones were put in place in 2022, as per the diagram; it has just a few sites close to the railway line up to 40 floors, and the max plot ratio is 17:1 (the CBD starts at 18:1, but always much more). I’ve marked the tower site in green, it’s opposite the oval, and I say why not go tall there ? In fact go pretty tall all around the station, that makes sense, sort of what it’s for. I also marked the proposed then cancelled hospital site in blue, with image (was it really about the electrical interference?). I hadnt looked at the structure plan in detail, and a bit surprised to see so much green space, marked in grey; I mean there’s already an oval and a pool. I think it was all an ideal, which is always good to go for, but I do feel that with Melbourne likely growing by 100,000 people/year, why not plan a few very high density precincts ? Which the city end of fisherman’s bend is set to be, without a new railway station or tram (yet), and so far not much built.

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