Measuring the impact of higher density housing development

Abstract

Purpose -The introduction of higher density housing development within suburban areas has been favoured by state governments in Australia as a means of improving the efficiency of land use, reducing the costs associated with the delivery of government services and promoting home ownership. However it has been hypothesised that such development may have a negative impact on neighbourhood social structure, for example reducing diversity as measured by economic status and family makeup or in local housing market performance as measured by price. This paper aims to test this hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology employs a quantitative approach with principal components analysis used to capture the main social structure of the Adelaide Statistical Division. Social constructs, the product of principal components analysis, are used to measure outcomes of higher density development as measured by community or household change. Findings -The results in this paper show that densification has had significant impact on certain neighbourhoods in the Adelaide Statistical Division notably in relation to their built form but not necessarily in neighbourhood structure or housing market performance.Research limitations/implications -The findings are significant in highlighting that increasing medium densities and improving tenure mix may not necessarily improve the opportunities for socio-economic mix or for cultural diversity with implications for policy makers seeking to follow strategies based on the promotion of mixed communities. Originality/value -This paper seeks to add new research on the outcomes of higher density development in Australia in three ways. First, social constructs, the product of principal components analysis, are used to measure outcomes of higher density development as measured by community or household change. Second, the paper investigates the development at the local level where impacts are likely to be most important. Third, the analysis identifies a before and after scenario for those suburbs where higher density development has been most significant.

The socio spatial substructure of the Australian city: how well does it explain house price?

“…As suggested by Bunker et al (2005), the social substructure as represented by the constructs goes towards explaining the demand side of the housing market. Similar results have also been confirmed by Reed (2001Reed ( , 2013, Kupke et al (2011Kupke et al ( , 2012 and Jackson et al (2007). There is consistency in the results and, as might be expected, wealth is a significant explanatory variable in determining median house price in every city (p Ͼ 0.000).…”

Are Walkable Neighborhoods More Resilient to the Foreclosure Spillover Effects?

“…Empirical evidence has shown increases in sales prices ranging from 4 to 25% for single-family homes located in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods (Eppli and Tu 1999). Built-environment correlates to property values include urban form factors such as accessibility to destinations, street connectivity, street layout, sidewalk density, and steepness of the terrain (Diao and Ferreira Jr 2010; Matthews and Turnbull 2007); and land use factors such as land-use mix and residential density (Koster and Rouwendal 2012; Kupke, Rossini, and McGreal 2012). Prior research has also included other social and physical environmental measures associated with property value, such as crime and traffic accident rates as well as proximity to transit stations, highways, and railroads (Li et al 2015).…”

How to Choose “Last Mile” Delivery Modes for E‐Fulfillment

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