Rethinking housing: affordability and sustainability
Rethinking housing: affordability and sustainability
As Queensland faces a housing crisis, can creative solutions focused on regenerative approaches and doughnut economics offer a path to balance affordability, equity and environmental protection.
Housing affordability and sustainable urban development have become central issues across Australia, particularly in Queensland, where the housing crisis has taken centre stage in the lead-up to the state election. With more people moving to Brisbane and surrounding regions, the pressure on housing supply is intensifying, driving up prices and forcing many to the margins of affordability. The need for creative solutions to meet housing demand, while also protecting the environment, is critical not just for Queensland, but for Australia and the world.
The Queensland Government’s ShapingSEQ (South East Queensland Regional Plan) outlines a vision for the region’s future, emphasising the need for sustainable growth while protecting natural assets and ensuring affordable housing. The Brisbane City Council’s Sustainable Growth Strategy offers a pathway forward by focusing on increasing urban density without expanding the city’s boundaries. By developing within the existing urban footprint, Brisbane can preserve its green spaces while addressing the demand for affordable housing.
Different stories
At Regen Brisbane, we look at the issue from differing viewpoints to broaden the conversation about these complex issues. Click through to read the full articles and comment there, or comment on this post and the overall issue below.
Saskya explores how shifting the focus from “build more big houses” to adopting principles like Doughnut Economics and Circular Economy could result in affordable, sustainable, and strategically located housing of the right type and size that better meets the real needs of communities.
Robyn’s two articles emphasise how medium-density housing—like townhouses and low-rise apartments—can meet Brisbane’s growing housing needs while improving land use efficiency, housing variety and affordability and reducing carbon footprints.
Min’s article from South Korea highlights that while the key to success for higher-density housing is easy access to public transport and other services, housing privilege where wealthier residents have exclusive access to communal facilities is further entrenching inequality. This adds another view and highlights the difference between private communal space (shared by residents of a complex) and public communal space (shared by all like our verges and streetscapes).
Gayle’s article advocates for verge gardens as a way to increase the appeal of higher density living by improving livability and ensuring increased density doesn’t compromise community character.
The conversation about housing affordability, sustainable development, and the future of Brisbane’s growth is more pressing than ever. By integrating medium-density solutions into our urban planning, we can create resilient communities that address both housing needs and environmental sustainability—not just for Queensland, but for Australia as a whole.
Questions
What might it look like for everyone to have access to housing solutions that are both environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive?
How can policies be designed to prevent housing privilege and ensure equitable access to communal facilities for all residents?
What innovative strategies can be employed to transform underutilised public spaces into vibrant community hubs that support higher-density living?
How can we shift public perception away from the idea that larger homes equate to success, and instead promote the value of well-designed, resource-efficient living spaces?
What lessons can Queensland learn from international examples of sustainable urban development to address its housing crisis?
Thanks so much for these thought-provoking articles on the challenges of housing, population growth and the need to build resilient adaptive communities. I am looking into co-op housing and community gardens and hope to contribute to this conversation shortly.