James Solari’s Post

There are better solutions than carving up valuable rural landscapes around Sydney's outer metropolitan suburbs to the city's worst shortfall in affordable housing. In addition to water and sewerage infrastructure backlogs, there are significant road and public transport infrastructure delays, some extending up to 20 years. The 170 railway stations across metropolitan Sydney are predominantly surrounded by single-detached dwellings, limiting the potential of billions of dollars of public-funded infrastructure. An immediate rezoning around "all" this entire public-funded transport infrastructure is required to ensure enough affordable housing for Sydney's essential workers and key workers with easy access to their jobs. Developing inclusive quality mid-rise apartments near these stations can create walkable urban villages, enhancing community bonds and social cohesion. Pushing residents to outer suburbs with limited job opportunities and inadequate public transport leads to extensive daily commutes, impacting well-being and social responsibility issues. It's time for innovative solutions, like advanced modular construction in inclusive quality residential grade mid-rise apartment construction using renewable resources, to address the chronic shortage of affordable housing. Relying on traditional construction methods with skills shortages won't resolve the housing crisis. Embracing new construction platforms with sustainable materials like Cross Laminated Timber can minimize waste and build a more sustainable future for Sydney's housing needs. The Thrive Alliance's expertise is over 100,000 major CLT urban reference projects worldwide. Led in Australia by a proven "Placemaker" over the last decades, I have set aside between 30% and 50% for affordable housing with no mandatory requirements, just through my initiative and sense of social responsibility, on all vacant metropolitan major serviced land holdings won at either State or Local Government tenders. The Thrive Alliance's capabilities include up to 40,000 inclusive-quality residential-grade mid-rise apartments within walking distance of railway stations or tram stops per year. A speed-to-market solution is desperately needed in Australia today. A fast-track solution lies in advanced modular construction platforms built from CLT up to 75% faster than slow, inefficient custom construction methods. #Sydney #infrastructure #housingcrisis #advancedmodular #sustainability #CLT #ThriveAlliance #Harropfactor #Placemaker #essentialworkers #keyworkers #speedtomarket #fasttomarket #sustainability #inclusiveness #residentialgrade #midrise #townhouses

Why building new towns isn’t the answer to the UK’s housing crisis #UK #Housing #HousePrises #HouseBuilding #NewTowns #HousingCrisis #UKHousing #UrbanDevelopment #AffordableHousing #Infrastructure #HousingSolutions #UrbanGrowth #SustainableDevelopment

The government announced last Wednesday that it will commit £68m in funding to go directly to 54 councils. It will mean that councils can build on brownfield sites – such as disused buildings, car parks and industrial sites. This is good news for our frameworks, their contractors and supply chain, supporting not only new homes but also supporting public infrastructure.   More efficient land use such as this is critical to realising ambitions. Our frameworks would advise planners to focus on dense urban sites where demands are lower, such as areas previously used for retail, office, or industrial use. Part of this is also about ensuring easy access to public services. Should we be considering the 15-minute city concept as everyone deserves easy access to critical services, such as healthcare and education? How do we not forget our climate ambitions as we build large urban conurbations? The funding is about supporting urban regeneration but we need to think about what model we are striving for. Is the traditional new town model (think Milton Keynes) now outdated for our modern needs? Do we need a reinvention of the town concept? #teamNACF #publicsector #urbanregeneration

Why building new towns isn’t the answer to the UK’s housing crisis The-14 #UK #Housing #HousePrises #HouseBuilding #NewTowns #HousingCrisis #UKHousing #UrbanDevelopment #AffordableHousing #Infrastructure #HousingSolutions #UrbanGrowth #SustainableDevelopment

How DCC's are implemented for Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) Projects will have a direct impact on project feasibility. Based on Staff's preliminary estimates, SSMUH may trigger - $520 million worth of watermain upgrades - $300-350 million worth of sanitary sewer upgrades - Intensive onsite stormwater management features for individual lots. Staff are proposing that a new DCC rate and calculation be introduced in 2025 where the principal lots pay DCC's per status quo, and additional units created through SSMUH would pay a per square foot rate comparable to condos or townhomes. Details on rates and how they are implemented will likely be released in 2025. See below for the full corporate report.

Last month the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure released the State Significant Rezoning Policy. The Policy was introduced to identify and deliver strategically important rezonings under 2 state-based pathways – state-led rezonings and state-assessed planning proposals. The State Significant Rezoning Policy is aimed at identifying land to address the housing and employment needs of the growing population in NSW. It will also streamline planning efforts of local councils and the department, cutting rezoning timeframes by up to 200 working days. The policy sets 2 distinct pathways for rezoning: (1) state-led rezoning for large-scale areas or precincts (2) state-assessed planning proposals for sites of state planning significance, or proposals that have been unreasonably delayed in the planning system. The following rezonings have been identified as state-led rezonings or state-assessed planning proposals by the department: Blackwattle Bay; Fitzwilliam St, Parramatta; Redmond Place, Orange; Central Place Sydney; Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore; Riverstone Town Centre; Marsden Park North; West Schofields; Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy (Inner West Council); Kurnell Peninsula; and Tuggerah Gateway Site. Jeff Mead Sophie Perry Troy Loveday

A frustration with current #housing delivery at scale is the ad-hoc nature in which it is developed. Generally driven more by opportunity than plan. The result is that the perceived harm is greater than the benefit - with few commensurate infrastructure improvements. Compounded by unspent s.106 (£6bn by HBF estimate). In this context I was interested to read the latest Centre for Cities report on #land #value capture makes suggestions around better utilising land value uplifts (from lower value unallocated land) which is then released for residential. £8 of every £10 released here is from London and the SE on their analysis - which raises wider questions as to sustainable economic growth outside this tight geographic area - alongside the perrenial debate on #greenbelt relaxation. If you are in the public sector or private and looking at joint delivery and want to discuss issues around #value #planning #delivery #partnership #compulsorypurchase then get in touch or join the debate. What are your thoughts?

Propertymark proposes ‘infrastructure-first’ approach to housing supply Propertymark has urged the UK Government to consider other ways of boosting the supply of homes for purchase. The Government has two main aims: constructing more homes while protecting the environment, yet it is also considering how to utilise brownfield land: https://lnkd.in/eNmgvYpy #propertymark #housing #infrastructure #government #property

Bayside City Council is currently the epicenter of State Government Planning Intervention with Suburban Rail Loop Authority, #ActivityCentreProgram, and Level Crossing Removal Project. Following the release of the SRL Precinct Directions there appears to be a strong focus on maximise built form outcomes with limited regards for the impact on the community. Any approach to high quality planning outcomes needs to have regard to those who live in that location, not just about those future residents; providing community infrastructure that does not cost shift and place a financial burden on local government and communities; understanding of the building industry and the ability to deliver housing outcomes in what is highly taxed and financially burdened. Engagement is critical to ensure the local context and community expectations is not lost in a centralised planning approach being delivered by the State Government. https://lnkd.in/gz-p4Q3r

Minister Bishop announced this week that he wants to "flood the market" with opportunities for housing development. While we're not sure that the word "flood" is appropriate for our communities here in Hawke's Bay and the East Coast, we get it. Minister Bishop is our Housing Minster and that man wants houses! I think that any tool that the Government can employ that will improve the development sector's ability to build houses is good, and I am here for the kōrero. What I feel is lacking is the acknowledgement that houses will not get built, even if the underlying plans and zoning allow for everything that Minister Bishop desires, if we don't also do the following: - Address decades of under-investment in our infrastructure and figure out how any new infrastructure will be designed, built and maintained; - Find the skilled, available tradespeople to design and build the necessary infrastructure and the houses; and - Figure out how to reduce our skyrocketing building costs. Check out more on my recent blog: https://lnkd.in/gYuj7gaH #housing #growth #Government #Policy