High rise apartments continue to flood out houses in Sydney suburbs

With high density living on the rise, apartment buildings intrude housing areas throughout the suburbs of Sydney, Australia

According to 9News, Digital Finance Analytics report that apartment blocks have now taken up 85 percent of numerous postcodes’ housing areas, maybe even more. This deposits extensive pressure on infrastructure and services to keep up with the rapid development.

In Rhodes, New South Wales, only 14.6 percent are houses. Parramatta is another suburb with a low percentage of homes, a mere 11.6 percent.

Martin North, Digital Finance Analytics’ principal, voiced to 9News, “we’ve overproduced these units to meet a demand which was artificially created because of the strong demand for property investment. That’s dying now.”

“I worry that we have effectively created the slums of the future.”

North also stated that, over the past few years, more houses have been torn down to cater to the high density living. “I think it’s a bit of a disgrace.”

More: Australia’s Flexibond helps Sydney tenants with buy now, pay later offering

Residents have been complaining about the noise, overcrowded schools, congestion, and insufficient infrastructure.

Professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Sydney Nicole Gurran asserted that efficiently designed high rise apartments can positively shape suburbs.

She stated, “it just makes sense. When space is limited, you have to go up, not go out.”

The key question now is how Sydney’s future development can be well planned out. Cities like New York, London, and Paris cope with high density living very well. Developing social affordable housing and implementing housing policy will be crucial in helping to evade slums in the future.