Here’s why Australia should build more smaller houses rather than fewer big ones | Peter Mares
If we’re serious about tackling the housing crisis and boosting productivity in the home building industry, we need to rethink our planning rules
If we invested in better city connections (bullet trains, express country trains) and invested in industry moving away from large population centers then more land would open up in regional areas.
The only reasons I live so close to Melbourne is because there's no viable way for me to travel here and I make better money working here.
If I could make similar money or travel quickly to the city as tradesperson in some dusty regional town I'd be there in a heartbeat
High speed rail is fantastic, but good inter-city routes are not a substitute for excellent local city planning. People should be able to live close to their work, and even closer to their daily amenities like shops, hospitals, schools, sports clubs and other social venues, cafes, etc., and should be able to get to them within a short walk or bike ride, without having to rely on long-distance travel like cars or even trains.
I agree but also, I want to live further out but there's no money out there. My lifestyle isn't exactly living high on the vine but the lack of industry in regional areas means the base rate is low.
It's a good idea in general to have more universal public transport, but it's much more efficient to build up rather than out. And you're still putting limited construction resources into massive single family homes, when it could instead go into duplexes, fourplexes, and small apartment buildings.
hsr is not cheap. you can look up the fares online
people can't afford a single family home, even a small one, but they can afford a bigger house that is multigenerational and has more people paying into it