Selecting quality ingredients for the urban consolidation recipe: user design of medium-density housing

Abstract

In the promotion of urban consolidation recent and current metropolitan plans for Australia’s capital cities call for universal increases in the provision of medium-density housing as an essential ingredient for a more sustainable urban future. When metropolitan plans call for medium-density housing little guidance is provided beyond suggested heights and densities. While minimum standards for quality and design are either enforced or suggested in a range of jurisdictions, planning documents arguably need to provide more attention to the variety of medium-density housing types possible and how they impact consolidation outcomes. Given this lack of specificity in metropolitan plans, who decides what to build? How is the design brief determined? Is there an alternative?