tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/high-rise-living-57850/articleshigh-rise living – The Conversation2023-11-08T19:10:41Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2159902023-11-08T19:10:41Z2023-11-08T19:10:41ZHeat, cold, pollution, noise and insects: too many apartment blocks aren’t up to the challenge<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554915/original/file-20231020-21-akslzl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4031%2C2661&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sophie-May Kerr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic <a href="https://theconversation.com/poorly-ventilated-buildings-are-allowed-under-australia-rules-its-time-to-fix-it-189229">highlighted the impacts of air quality</a> on high-rise living. However, apartments face a range of atmospheric challenges. These include air and noise pollution, temperature and weather extremes, bushfire smoke and insects.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00420980231205026">newly published research</a> shows how apartment residents struggle with the impacts of unhealthy homes. It’s a result of decades of urban planning based on fossil fuel use and high-rise building standards poorly adapted to the Australian environment.</p>
<p>Our study involved residents of apartments in Liverpool CBD in New South Wales. They are exposed to particulate pollution from heavy truck movements tied to the <a href="https://www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/development/major-projects/moorebank-intermodal">Moorebank freight terminal</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00049182.2021.1946244">smoke</a> from <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.13514">increasingly severe bushfires</a> and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477">rising number of days of extreme heat</a> each year. </p>
<p>Residents in our study <a href="https://theconversation.com/wanted-family-friendly-apartments-but-what-do-families-want-from-apartments-203921">preferred centrally located apartments</a> to detached, car-dependent houses. However, our interviews revealed apartments were hot in summer, cold in winter and prone to mould, condensation, noise and air pollution. The lower people’s socioeconomic status, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/out-in-the-heat-why-poorer-suburbs-are-more-at-risk-in-warming-cities-66213">more likely they are to be exposed</a> to such problems.</p>
<p>At the same time, residents’ experiences pointed to low-cost, low-tech solutions. Sustainable, climate-adapted <a href="https://www.nightingalehousing.org/">apartment designs</a> would allow for better natural airflow, shading and screening.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/wanted-family-friendly-apartments-but-what-do-families-want-from-apartments-203921">Wanted: family-friendly apartments. But what do families want from apartments?</a>
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<h2>Buildings that are bad for health and sleep</h2>
<p>Ayasha’s experience in a two-bedroom apartment, built in 2017, highlighted the health costs of flawed design and a lack of insulation. She told us:</p>
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<p>[…] at night-time it gets really cold because of the fog, like the interior glass gets wet and the room is always wet even when the heater is on […] Both of my daughter and me are having this cough thing because of the continuous heater […] For the last three weeks continuously she has this runny nose, like teary eyes and cough. She’s not recovering at all.</p>
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<p>For Naomi, dampness in the 2016 two-bedroom apartment she and her husband bought caused concern about mould:</p>
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<p>We’re conscious of the mould and we’re trying to keep the house aerated but it is very hard. In the bathroom, there’s a vent but it’s not strong and you don’t really want the window open for too long when it’s cold, so it does get a real build-up of moisture […] You’ll wake up and you can see a layer of wet all up the windows and on the ledge and it’s really hard to dry everything out.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mould-and-damp-health-costs-are-about-3-times-those-of-sugary-drinks-we-need-a-healthy-housing-agenda-147743">Mould and damp health costs are about 3 times those of sugary drinks. We need a healthy housing agenda</a>
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<p>Sarah’s 2018 apartment lacked flyscreens and ceiling fans to allow natural airflow through all the rooms. She said air conditioning became essential for coping with summer heat and avoiding unwanted insects.</p>
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<p>We did open the doors a couple of times, the mosquitoes would get in and they would attack the baby. Like one time, she had 20 bites on her head one night […] and that was when we realised, no, we’re just gonna have to put the air con on.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477">Why Western Sydney is feeling the heat from climate change more than the rest of the city</a>
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<h2>Wanted: better regulations and development models</h2>
<p>Residents’ experiences reflect <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/13/freezing-indoors-thats-because-australian-homes-are-closer-to-tents-than-insulated-eco-buildings">low building standards</a> in Australia. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/400">Recent research</a> on how to deliver sustainable apartment housing underscores the limitations of the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/">National Construction Code</a>, building materials and minimum regulations. This 2023 study called for better regulations targeting project design, compliance with standards, property valuation and transparent information about properties’ sustainability features.</p>
<p>As with all complex reforms, there are concerns the development industry will resist. Thus, some have <a href="https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/national/build-to-rent-could-become-major-driver-for-sustainability">suggested expanding the build-to-rent sector</a> to achieve more sustainable apartment design. </p>
<p>Typically, diversified construction, finance and superannuation firms support this model of developing housing specifically to be rented. They have deeper pockets and a longer-term interest in the energy performance of buildings. </p>
<p>Yet <a href="https://theconversation.com/build-to-rent-surge-will-change-apartment-living-for-australians-but-for-better-or-worse-154839">studies</a> show the build-to-rent sector is concentrated in higher-value locations. Costly subsidies and incentives would be needed to move it to areas where better, affordable housing is most needed.</p>
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<h2>Low-cost, low-tech solutions</h2>
<p>Residents’ experiences reveal a range of low-cost, low-tech solutions that could easily be mandated for all apartment housing. These solutions include flyscreens, ceiling fans, external shading and adequate insulation.</p>
<p>Reminiscent of pre-air-conditioning building design, these solutions allow for flexibility in building facades, enabling both airflow and screening. </p>
<p>The same principles characterised early 20th-century, high-rise architecture. These buildings featured terraces, mesh balustrades, exhaust flues, cross-ventilation, sunrooms, external shading, louvres and screens “<a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691170039/modern-architecture-and-climate">as a strategy of climate adaptability</a>”.</p>
<p>The rise of air conditioning in the 20th century cemented apartments as enclosed environments. Models that depend on shutting the doors and windows and turning on the air conditioner are no longer viable in a climate crisis. Increasing living costs also mean many households can’t afford to use air conditioning. </p>
<p>COVID-19, too, has made enhancing <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-of-our-buildings-are-poorly-ventilated-and-that-adds-to-covid-risks-149830">natural airflow in buildings</a> more important.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-cities-australias-building-and-planning-rules-stand-in-the-way-of-getting-there-84263">Sustainable cities? Australia's building and planning rules stand in the way of getting there</a>
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<img alt="Looking down from the top of a room at a ceiling fan and man sitting at a desk" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554718/original/file-20231019-22-morjgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Ceiling fans, louvres and cross-ventilation are a proven, low-cost way to create comfortable and healthy conditions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Time to champion an Australian high-rise architecture</h2>
<p>Australian governments, including the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-16/nsw-social-housing-224-m-budget-spend-not-enough-advocates/102864026">NSW government</a>, have <a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-laws-protect-people-a-poorly-regulated-rush-to-boost-housing-supply-will-cost-us-all-213068">committed</a> to delivering more affordable housing. But high-rise developments are often sited in polluted, noisy, freezing and sweltering environments. They get <a href="https://theconversation.com/transport-access-is-good-for-new-housing-but-beware-the-pollution-77790">clustered around freeways and other busy roads</a> to avoid political backlash from residents opposed to such developments.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-laws-protect-people-a-poorly-regulated-rush-to-boost-housing-supply-will-cost-us-all-213068">Planning laws protect people. A poorly regulated rush to boost housing supply will cost us all</a>
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<p>At the same time, housing researchers are increasingly <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/400">concerned about the energy emissions</a> of high-rise buildings.</p>
<p>Planning that optimises building orientation – to best access sunlight and ventilation – and apartment design standards adapted to the Australian environment are urgently needed. Otherwise households will be locked into unsustainable, <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/400">single-access apartments</a> devoid of cross-ventilation, screens or shading. </p>
<p>This sort of housing is <a href="https://theconversation.com/mould-and-damp-health-costs-are-about-3-times-those-of-sugary-drinks-we-need-a-healthy-housing-agenda-147743">bad for residents’ health and wellbeing</a>. It will also add to <a href="https://theconversation.com/out-in-the-heat-why-poorer-suburbs-are-more-at-risk-in-warming-cities-66213">energy poverty</a> for decades to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215990/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Apartment residents need more sustainable, climate-adapted designs. They shouldn’t have to depend on costly, high-emissions air conditioning to remain comfortable and healthy.Nicole Cook, Lecturer, School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, University of WollongongSophie-May Kerr, Research Associate, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1992242023-02-13T06:16:09Z2023-02-13T06:16:09ZThe fight between Tate Modern and its wealthy neighbours reveals the gentrification of the skies<p>In the UK, legal cases resolving alleged neighbour nuisances are ten-a-penny. Some – about <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-57598101">overhanging trees</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/sep/07/leylandii-neighbours-dispute">leylandii hedges</a> that block out the sun – reach the local press. Few, however, have ever taken up the column inches devoted to <a href="https://www.supremecourt.uk/press-summary/uksc-2020-0056.html">Fearn v Tate</a>. </p>
<p>After a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/feb/01/tate-modern-viewing-platform-invades-privacy-of-flats-supreme-court-rules">six-year legal battle</a>, the UK supreme court has now <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fearn-v-tate-judgment.pdf">ruled</a> in favour of the five neighbouring residents who sued London’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-re-use-and-recycling-work-for-heritage-buildings-and-places-too-83975">Tate Modern</a>, for infringing on their privacy with its viewing gallery that looks directly into their homes. </p>
<p>The trustees of the Tate now face the possibility of closing or screening off the viewing gallery. This is despite the fact that, in the same ruling, the supreme court deems it to be a perfectly “reasonable use” of the land, and that allowing visitors 360-degree views of the capital is of “public benefit”. </p>
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<img alt="A view over London from the roof of a building." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508448/original/file-20230206-23-e6236v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Developers are increasingly capitalising on the value of a view.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/v5ouCZkAcwc">Matthew Waring | Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<h2>Breach of privacy claim</h2>
<p>In 2017, five residents of the neighbouring Neo-Bankside development sued the Tate for invasion of privacy. Marketed as a “world-class” development, Neo-Bankside features floor-to-ceiling windows, designed to maximise light and take advantage of the views towards the Thames. The gallery’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-new-tate-modern-tells-us-about-the-museum-of-the-future-61041">Blavatnik extension</a>, meanwhile, included an observatory deck. The residents said they were being subjected to close and oppressive scrutiny by museum goers armed with phones, cameras, and sometimes, binoculars. </p>
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<img alt="HIgh-rise buildings against a pale blue sky." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508444/original/file-20230206-15-iiz62r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The Fearne v Tate case could lead to further privatisation of London’s skies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/F3GiR_IM9w8">Toa Heftiba | Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<p>Previous <a href="https://www.wilberforce.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ARTICLE-A-room-with-a-view-BF-Feb-2010.pdf">cases</a> had established that you could sue for invasion of the airspace near to your property on the basis of trespass and nuisance law. Planning law similarly regards overlooking and loss of privacy as the basis for <a href="http://planningobjectionletters.co.uk/articles/private-matters">refusal of planning permission</a>.</p>
<p>In his 2019 ruling, however, High Court Justice Anthony Mann <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/draw-the-blinds-flat-owners-lose-privacy-case-against-tates-viewing-platform-11635442">pointed out</a> that the Tate had been given planning permission for the viewing platform before Neo-Bankside was completed. In other words, the residents would have been aware of it before they moved in. He recommended they <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/glass-tower-residents-lose-legal-fight-over-tate-balcony-kmk82qmvz">install net curtains</a>.</p>
<p>This ruling implied that wealthy residents <a href="https://www.elgaronline.com/display/edcoll/9781788977197/9781788977197.00031.xml">colonising urban skies</a> need to recognise that they are not just in the city, but of it. It did not necessarily set a precedent. But it did suggest that the property rights enjoyed by the owners of glass-fronted flats do not necessarily extend to “lower strata” air rights, or the right to exclude others from viewing in. </p>
<p>Mann has now been overruled, the law once again aligning with the rich and powerful. The supreme court’s judgment confirms that being overlooked by a spectator gallery in fact does constitute a form of visual intrusion. And it rejects Mann’s judgment that the owners of the flats bore some responsibility for mitigating the nuisance themselves.</p>
<p>In theory, this could lead to a series of private nuisance lawsuits. Those living in high-rise properties could now claim they need to be protected from the nuisance of people looking in, and use this as a means to screen off existing development. Equally, planning officers might be minded to put more weight on overlooking as a material consideration. </p>
<p>Currently, drone flights at a “reasonable height” enjoy a <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003028031-12/personal-injury-property-damage-trespass-nuisance-anthony-tarr-julie-anne-tarr">statutory defence</a> against claims of nuisance and trespass, under the terms of the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1982/16/contents">1982 Civil Aviation Act</a>. But if concerns about overlooking are extended to the disembodied gaze of the unmanned drone camera, we might easily imagine a future city characterised by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10304312.2020.1842125?casa_token=yJMU2hz9sxAAAAAA%3A40-Uy1UKD-icc6DmKaHtrPr0Vit8hWGB3s9It0FJwfkUsHXe8JdJDd4VJRoxHeb7P9FUtiGkwn6D">no-fly zones</a> around the towers of the super-rich.</p>
<h2>Gentrification of the skies</h2>
<p>In the 1950s and 1960s, tower blocks were reserved for social housing tenants. Such <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/jul/20/streets-in-the-sky-the-sheffield-high-rises-that-were-home-sweet-home-love-among-ruins">“streets in the sky”</a> were subsequently vilified as <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429427046-2/council-estate-renewal-london-phil-hubbard-loretta-lees">sites of social malaise</a>. </p>
<p>By contrast, today’s high-rises are built for rich investors. Social housing, if at all present, is restricted to the lower levels, sometimes behind what has become known as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/25/poor-doors-segregation-london-flats">“poor door”</a>.</p>
<p>Spectacular views are the big draw. Developers carefully price each flat according to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13604813.2018.1549832">height, size and aspect</a>. This “luxification” of the skies is, perversely, accompanying the emergence of <a href="https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/tpr.2020.46">shrinking homes</a> for the working poor, often literally <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02723638.2020.1850001">overshadowed</a> by these prestigious towers. </p>
<p>The Fearn v Tate judgment has confirmed that inner-city residents must expect to live cheek by jowl with their neighbours, while suggesting that there are different types of overlooking. Inviting people to look out, and photograph, from a property’s observation deck is qualitatively different than one property simply overlooking another. </p>
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<img alt="A person on a balcony with a phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/508376/original/file-20230206-19-p6o6gc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The law now appears to recognise different types of overlooking.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bankside-london-se1-9tg-united-kingdom-1479666761">Lara Ra</a></span>
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<p>The supreme court judgment references an obscure case from <a href="https://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-record-soc/vol10/pp85-98">1341</a> where a London fishmonger had to remove a tower on his property because neighbours felt it constituted a nuisance. It argues that the intensity of interference is now magnified by the fact that people have smartphones with cameras. </p>
<p>Some have concluded the ruling is not simply about being overlooked but the invasion of privacy associated with <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b2c3f312-fec2-4005-b7fe-52988e489cba">photographs</a> being shared on social media. However, given any neighbour could take photos of others’ property, should the precautionary principle now reign? </p>
<p>This could lead to those who can afford to take private action invoking visual intrusion to prevent others from even having the possibility of taking photos. It could lead to further privatisation of air space, of particular concern in cities like London where the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/29/underfunded-rusting-fenced-off-britains-parks-public-spaces-government">urban commons</a> are increasingly privatised. </p>
<p>A city where “air people” are able to escape surveillance while “street people” have to live with the constant scrutiny enacted by drones, CCTV and facial recognition systems may sound dystopian. Given the rampant <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-corporate-landlords-how-they-are-swallowing-city-centres-like-manchester-one-block-of-flats-at-a-time-198804">financialisation and corporatisation</a> of our cities, though, who is to say what lengths property-owners will go to protect the value of their asset?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199224/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philip Hubbard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The supreme court’s ruling that the Tate’s viewing gallery intrudes on nearby luxury flats suggests that the law is once again aligning with the rich and powerful.Philip Hubbard, Professor of Urban Studies, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1688562021-10-12T22:56:25Z2021-10-12T22:56:25ZConsidering buying property off the plan? Here are 6 crucial steps to protect yourself<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423505/original/file-20210928-23-d13jgy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C43%2C5734%2C3785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Buying property is the largest personal investment decision most Australians will ever make. With pricing for standalone houses rising dramatically in many capital cities, more people are looking to buy apartments. </p>
<p>Buying an <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/law/housing-and-neighbours/buying-and-selling-a-property/buying-a-home/ways-to-buy-your-home/buying-off-the-plan">off the plan</a> apartment can be one way to enter the property market. </p>
<p>Buying off the plan means consumers commit to buying a property, at today’s prices, before it’s built. Settlement happens once construction is finished.</p>
<p>This approach comes with risks and challenges — but following six key steps can help consumers protect themselves.</p>
<h2>Three key challenges</h2>
<p>If you’re an off the plan apartment buyer, you face three key challenges. </p>
<p>First, consumers are subject to quite biased and complex sales contracts that favour developers. This puts purchasers into an unequal bargaining position. </p>
<p>Secondly, many consumers are unaware of the property rights and obligations that arise from purchasing a strata title property. </p>
<p>Strata titling enables individual ownership of a lot (such as apartment) as well as shared ownership of the common property (such as the lobby, garages, driveways and gardens). </p>
<p>Lot owners are legislatively required to be involved in cooperatively managing and maintaining their apartment complexes with their fellow lot owners. </p>
<p>Thirdly, some consumers have ended-up receiving a poor-quality <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-lessons-to-be-drawn-from-the-cracks-that-appeared-in-sydneys-opal-tower-but-they-extend-beyond-building-certification-109428">product</a> with <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/831279/Examining-Building-Defects-Research-Report.pdf">building defects</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A real estate agent shows a young couple around an apartment." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/423689/original/file-20210928-26-1m4dqat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">With pricing for stand alone houses rising dramatically in many capital cities, more people are looking to buy apartments off the plan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Our research reveals there’s room for improvement</h2>
<p>We recently completed a research project examining the importance of information disclosure requirements of <a href="http://cprc.org.au/app/uploads/2020/10/Final-CPRC-Information-Disclosure-and-OTP-Sales-Stage-2-and-3-Report.pdf">off the plan apartment sales contracts</a>. We:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>reviewed information disclosure requirements in a number of industries, to get a sense of what’s standard, and compared that with information disclosure requirements involved in off the plan purchases.</p></li>
<li><p>conducted in-depth interviews with 31 industry practitioners and stakeholders from around Australia, including lawyers, property developers, real-estate agents, policy managers, consumer policy advocates and off the plan apartment buyers.</p></li>
<li><p>did an online survey of 512 off the plan residential apartment buyers. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>We found opportunities to improve the system, and outlined recommendations for key stakeholders:</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-612" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/612/9e54259480babed588933c3bbe0fdb821a61c146/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-restore-public-confidence-in-apartments-rewrite-australias-building-codes-126678">To restore public confidence in apartments, rewrite Australia's building codes</a>
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<p>We found most off the plan apartment buyers in Australia are typically “mum and dad” investors, but a growing proportion are owner occupiers. </p>
<p>Off the plan buyers tend to be mid to high income earners, well educated, working in professional or managerial roles, and between the ages of 20 and 44.</p>
<p>About 46% of off the plan buyers are Australian couples with dependent children. Nearly 69% of buyers were born in Australia. This contradicts a widely held perception that most off the plan apartment buyers are overseas investors.</p>
<h2>Systemic change is needed</h2>
<p>Our findings indicate there is limited consumer protection through regulations when buying off the plan apartments. Consumers need to educate themselves, <a href="https://cprc.org.au/app/uploads/2018/04/Preconditions_Full_Report.pdf">effectively engage</a> in the purchasing process and make sure they’re making informed decisions. </p>
<p>However, no amount of disclosure will cure problems built into the system such as a lack of accountability, the discretion on developers and poor quality products. </p>
<p>Specifically, consumers need to be protected from features within these contracts that are inherently harmful. These include the ability for the developer to cancel the contract, change the plan or floor structure, or include financial clauses that make it hard for a buyer to get their deposit back. </p>
<p>The purchaser may not have the financial literacy skills needed to understand the true cost of the fees associated with the property, relying on the developer to disclose this. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A couple look at a realtor over plans." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/424151/original/file-20211001-15-gxy2lx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Policy change is needed to better protect buyers and put the onus on developers to make contract features such as these much clearer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Policy change is needed to better protect buyers and put the onus on developers to make contract features such as these much clearer.</p>
<p>There is a glaring lack of government oversight of property contracts and the housing sector more broadly. </p>
<p>In other sectors, such as purchasers contracting for consumer goods (such as mobile telephones, whitegoods, insurance) there are distinct and clear roles for government oversight, accountability and consumer protection for non-compliance.</p>
<p>For example if you buy a fridge and it turns out to be faulty, the seller has to replace it or refund your money. But there’s no such legal protection in many off the plan contracts. Instead, the onus is on buyers to take the developer to court.</p>
<p>And many buyers may not be keen to terminate an off the plan sales contracts because they have already invested emotionally in the lifestyle “dream” of living in a complex with features such as a pool, a gym, and so on (without fully understanding what strata fees usually come with them).</p>
<h2>Six steps to protect yourself</h2>
<p>There are six critical steps purchasers must follow to protect themselves in buying their homes off the plan: </p>
<p>1) Evaluate the credibility of the builder. Google everything you can about them, and what’s been reported. What else they have built? Have their other buildings been around long enough for defects to show up? Are previous buyers happy? Can you search the developer’s building license number to see if any complaints have been lodged with regulators? </p>
<p>2) Anticipate market dynamics such as general economic conditions that might impact apartment prices. If the local market drops or becomes flooded with apartments, you could be left with a property worth less than you paid for it.</p>
<p>3) Get legal advice on contract documents — and make sure your lawyer knows what to check and examines the contract really closely.</p>
<p>4) Understand the rights and obligations associated with community living. All those extra features, like pools, usually come with extra fees. </p>
<p>5) Consider an independent building inspection. If issues are identified at that point, notify the developer immediately. Some defects may be fixable but others might not become apparent for years to come.</p>
<p>6) Know where to seek assistance. Usually that will be via the fair trading department in your state, so make sure you know how to contact them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dealing-with-apartment-defects-a-how-to-guide-for-strata-owners-and-buyers-150292">Dealing with apartment defects: a how-to guide for strata owners and buyers</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/168856/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sacha Reid receives funding from the Consumer Policy and Research Centre. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Pocock receives funding from Consumer Policy and Research Centre. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Savindi Caldera does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Therese Wilson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This story is part of a series on financial and economic literacy funded by Ecstra Foundation.</span></em></p>Buying off the plan comes with risks and challenges — but there are six key steps consumers can do to help protect themselves. Systemic and policy change is also urgently needed.Sacha Reid, Associate Professor, Griffith UniversityMelissa Pocock, Lecturer, Griffith UniversitySavindi Caldera, Research Fellow and Project Development Manager, Cities Research Institute, Griffith UniversityTherese Wilson, Professor, and Dean of Law, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1423812020-07-14T20:02:12Z2020-07-14T20:02:12Z‘Vertical cruise ships’? Here’s how we can remake housing towers to be safer and better places to live<p>After 3,000 people in nine public housing towers in Melbourne were <a href="https://theconversation.com/nine-melbourne-tower-blocks-put-into-hard-lockdown-what-does-it-mean-and-will-it-work-142033">placed under the harshest coronavirus lockdown</a> in Australia so far, acting Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly referred to the towers on July 5 as “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-06/why-melbourne-locked-down-public-towers-are-a-coronavirus-worry/12423934">vertical cruise ships</a>.” The statement was a reference to the danger of contagion in these overcrowded buildings. However, such terms play into a long, international history of vilifying public housing estates. </p>
<p>Legions of social housing towers, such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/22/pruitt-igoe-high-rise-urban-america-history-cities">Pruitt Igoe in St Louis</a> and the <a href="http://theprotocity.com/a-short-history-of-social-housing-in-glasgow/">Gorbals Public Housing Estate in Glasgow</a>, have been demolished since the early 1970s after being blamed for a wide range of social issues. But high density is not the problem. It is the way such buildings are designed, maintained and funded. </p>
<p>Blaming specific built forms distracts attention from <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-triple-its-social-housing-by-2036-this-is-the-best-way-to-do-it-105960">decades of under-investment</a> in social housing. The result has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/focus-on-managing-social-housing-waiting-lists-is-failing-low-income-households-120675">tightly rationed</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/stimulus-that-retrofits-housing-can-reduce-energy-bills-and-inequity-too-138606">poorly insulated</a>, deteriorating and <a href="https://theconversation.com/overcrowding-and-affordability-stress-melbournes-covid-19-hotspots-are-also-housing-crisis-hotspots-141381">overcrowded</a> housing. Much of it is due for retrofitting or renewal.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/shh-dont-mention-the-public-housing-shortage-but-no-serious-action-on-homelessness-can-ignore-it-124875">Shh! Don't mention the public housing shortage. But no serious action on homelessness can ignore it</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>In this article we discuss successful, safe and sustainable models of retrofitting social housing blocks.</p>
<h2>Are public housing towers obsolete?</h2>
<p>Most high-rise public housing estates across Melbourne (and indeed internationally) were built during the “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/blueprintforliving/design-policy-stigma-lessons-from-golden-age-of-public-housing/7526844">golden age</a>” of public housing. This era began after the second world war and lasted until the 1970s. More than 60% of Victoria’s housing stock is<a href="https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/20170621-Public-Housing.pdf"> over 35 years old</a>. Much of it is in need of retrofit or renewal – it is impossible to ignore this looming requirement. </p>
<p>However, government responses thus far have been to allow the towers to <a href="https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/fcdc/inquiries/56th/ph/report/FCDC_PH_Report.pdf">quietly decay</a> or to demolish towers while transferring public land to private ownership with <a href="http://www.urbanalyst.com/in-the-news/victoria/1065-kensingtons-150m-public-housing-redevelopment-completed.html">nominal increases in social housing</a>. <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2020/housing-and-homelessness/housing">One in five</a> public housing tenants live in dwellings that do not meet acceptable standards in Australia. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-many-faces-of-social-housing-home-to-1-in-10-australians-133436">The many faces of social housing – home to 1 in 10 Australians</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>An alternative to demolition</h2>
<p>The Architects Journal of the United Kingdom is <a href="https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/introducing-retrofirst-a-new-aj-campaign-championing-reuse-in-the-built-environment/10044359.article">advocating retrofitting</a> of ageing housing stock because of its many social, economic and environmental benefits. We agree with this in many cases.</p>
<p>The substantial embodied energy in a salvageable building makes its destruction environmentally wasteful. Re-use also reduces the social displacement that occurs with demolition. And when the full cost of demolition is calculated, <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/socialpolicy/2019/10/16/beyond-bricks-and-mortar-housing-plus-and-the-wider-role-of-social-landlords-in-low-income-communities/">Anne Power</a> and others have shown retrofits are cost-effective. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40301289">Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017</a> put a spotlight on retrofit strategies. It exposed some of the broader tensions regarding repair and maintenance versus merely over-cladding to meet environmental targets or remove “eyesores” and <a href="https://theconversation.com/grenfell-tower-fire-tragedy-reveals-ugly-flaws-of-regeneration-agenda-79452">aid neighbourhood gentrification</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-still-live-here-public-housing-tenants-fight-for-their-place-in-the-city-107188">We still live here: public housing tenants fight for their place in the city</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<h2>3 shining examples of retrofits</h2>
<p><strong>Grand Parc Bordeaux</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/05/08/mies-van-der-rohe-award-2019-winners/">Grand Parc Bordeaux</a> received the <a href="https://miesarch.com/work/3889">2019 Mies van der Rohe Award</a>, an annual European Union architecture prize. This transformation of three 1960s social housing blocks included the restoration and retrofitting of 530 apartments. </p>
<p>The project added deep winter gardens and open air balconies to the façade of each dwelling. Expansive glass sliding doors open from the apartments to the balconies. </p>
<p>Prefabrication of balcony modules enabled residents to stay in their apartments throughout construction. This approach avoided the large-scale displacement often associated with social housing renewal. The modules were crane-lifted into place, forming a free-standing structure in front of the housing block. </p>
<p>The retrofit also replaced lifts and renovated access halls. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Grand Parc Bordeaux transformed an existing social housing block.</span></figcaption>
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<p><strong>DeFlat Kleiburg, Amsterdam</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2017/05/12/mies-van-der-rohe-award-nl-architects-xvw-architectuur-deflat-kleiburg-apartment-block-renovation-housing-estate-amsterdam-netherlands/">DeFlat Kleiburg</a> by NL Architects and XVW Architectuur won the <a href="https://miesarch.com/edition/2017">Mies van der Rohe Award in 2017</a>. This project is a retrofit of one of the largest housing blocks in the Netherlands, which was at risk of demolition. </p>
<p>The architects oversaw the refurbishment of the structure and communal areas. The project left an empty affordable shell for buyers to customise as they wished.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">DeFlat Kleiburg gave new life to a housing block that was facing demolition.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Park Hill Estate, Sheffield</strong></p>
<p>In the United Kingdom, Sheffield City Council is undertaking a part-privatisation scheme with developer <a href="https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/blog/putting-on-her-new-frock-our-plans-for-park-hill-phase-2">Urban Splash</a> of the contentious <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/791939/ad-classics-park-hill-estate-sheffield-jack-lynn-ivor-smith">Park Hill Estate</a>. The late-1950s social housing blocks are being gutted to their concrete shells and new apartments developed within. </p>
<p>Architects Hawkins/Brown and urban designers Studio Egret West designed phase one. Mikhail Riches designed phase two, which is under way. </p>
<p>The project involves a significant change in tenure to a mix of one-third social to two-thirds private. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/347022/original/file-20200713-30-1r800ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Park Hill Estate in Sheffield is being regenerated in stages.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sheffield-uk-march-31-2019-construction-1368873893">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/public-housing-renewal-likely-to-drive-shift-to-private-renters-not-owners-in-sydney-133352">Public housing 'renewal' likely to drive shift to private renters, not owners, in Sydney</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Public housing estates are part of a system</h2>
<p>The above examples reflect architectural approaches to preserving brutalist architecture. However, architecture is just one part of any social housing response. In Australia, any retrofit or redevelopment should aim to retain or increase the amount of social housing, given the <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/315">huge shortfall</a>. </p>
<p>Vienna, Austria, has one of the most successful social housing systems in the world. <a href="http://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/Habitat_III_Country_Report_Austria_161011.pdf">Over 60% of the city’s population</a> live in social housing and have strong tenancy rights. Robust funding mechanisms supply and maintain access to affordable and high-quality housing. </p>
<p>The government funds about a quarter to a third of all housing in Vienna each year – <a href="http://www.housing-critical.com/home-page-1/privileged-but-challenged-the-state-of-social-h">up to 15,000 apartments a year</a>. Most subsidies are in the form of <a href="http://www.housing-critical.com/home-page-1/privileged-but-challenged-the-state-of-social-h">repayable, long-term, low-interest loans</a> to build new housing. The decade-long operation of the system means repaid loans can be used to finance new construction, decreasing the budgetary burden. </p>
<p>A developer competition process was <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/vienna-affordable-housing-paradise_n_5b4e0b12e4b0b15aba88c7b0?ri18n=true">introduced in the 1990s</a> to judge social housing bids. This means developers vie with each other to offer high-quality, energy-efficient homes. </p>
<p>For social housing to work, it must provide enough stock to meet housing needs. It must also receive enough funding to manage and maintain the housing. </p>
<p>Recent events have highlighted what multiple <a href="https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/fcdc/inquiries/56th/ph/report/FCDC_PH_Report.pdf">reports</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/voices-of-residents-missing-in-a-time-of-crisis-for-public-housing-93655">commentaries</a> and <a href="https://www.greenbans.net.au/">protest movements</a> have been saying for years: Australia’s ageing social housing stock requires immediate attention. Australians need much more new social housing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-triple-its-social-housing-by-2036-this-is-the-best-way-to-do-it-105960">Australia needs to triple its social housing by 2036. This is the best way to do it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142381/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katrina Raynor receives funding from the University of Melbourne's Hallmark Research Initiative for Affordable Housing. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Pert is Chair of The Hallmark Research Initiative for Affordable Housing at the University of Melbourne.
Alan Pert is also Chair of 'IBA Melbourne'</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Townsend receives funding from the University of Melbourne's Hallmark Research Initiative for Affordable Housing.</span></em></p>Much of our public housing stock is ageing and substandard. But we can learn from outstanding examples of retrofit projects that have transformed existing blocks into high-quality housing.Katrina Raynor, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Transforming Housing Project, The University of MelbourneAlan Pert, Professor in Architecture and Director, Melbourne School of Design, The University of MelbourneCatherine Townsend, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1267262019-11-22T16:00:49Z2019-11-22T16:00:49ZKeeping cats indoors: how to ensure your pet is happy, according to science<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302715/original/file-20191120-474-hjfnhn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4240%2C2830&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/9sb0piD0Ars">Jonatan Pie/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>By 2030, 60% of the world’s population <a href="https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_cities_in_2016_data_booklet.pdf">will live in cities</a>, while one in three will share their city with at least half a million other inhabitants. With more and more people living in dense urban settings, what does the future hold for pets?</p>
<p>High-rise living <a href="https://www.purina.co.uk/cats/getting-a-new-cat/finding-the-right-cat-for-me/dog-or-cat-how-to-choose-the-right-pet-for-you">might not be ideal for most pets</a>, as outdoor access can be difficult and there may be limited space indoors. For cats in particular, a trend towards indoor lifestyles might restrict how much they’re able to behave normally.</p>
<p>As the domesticated descendants of the African wild cat, cats are obligate carnivores – they need to have a meat-based diet. Naturally, this requires them to <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-there-a-killer-in-your-kennel-billions-of-wild-animals-fall-victim-to-pet-cats-and-dogs-33199">hunt</a>. A study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380">in the US</a> found that pet cats could be killing up to four billion birds and up to 21 billion mammals every year.</p>
<p>So housebound cats may be good for wildlife, but how can people ensure their pets thrive indoors? Sadly, scientific research is pretty light on this question. Despite so many of us inviting them into our homes, we know relatively little about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159119301054">how cats handle living inside</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303156/original/file-20191122-74576-1nq5m7k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If allowed, cats will hunt outdoors. But their freedom comes at a cost to wildlife.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cat-waiting-on-top-birdhouse-kitten-776578606?src=7fce4dc1-901e-4090-9867-0213b0542040-1-0">HildeAnna/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Choosing the right cat</h2>
<p>We know that some cats are more suited to being house cats than others, although we need to be careful not to generalise. All cats have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1098612X13477537">individual needs</a>, <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Cat_Personality_Test.html?id=v0iIDwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y">personalities and preferences</a>. High energy and hyperactive cats, rescued strays with little indoor experience or those that aren’t very friendly towards people aren’t good choices for a life lived entirely indoors. </p>
<p>It’s often assumed that older cats may be a better choice because they’re more sedentary and cats with a previous history of living indoors may also adjust more easily to a new indoor home. Some cats have diseases, such as feline immunodeficiency virus, that keep them housebound. But this doesn’t mean these groups of cats will all have the right temperament to cope with indoor living. </p>
<p>House cats are prone to obesity and may spend large amounts of time inactive, both physically and mentally. Providing a <a href="https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/cat-care-advice/enriching-your-garden-or-outside-space">safe</a> outdoor space for cats could be <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211862">beneficial for their wellbeing</a>. <a href="https://protectapet.com">Cat proofing</a> gardens, for example, so they can’t escape, could ensure pets can benefit from the outdoors in a more controlled way. But if this isn’t possible, there’s still much that can be done to improve a cat’s life indoors.</p>
<h2>Personal space</h2>
<p>Because cats are only considered semi-social, indoor environments may present several situations that they would <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1098612X13477537">usually choose to avoid</a>. This can be anything from too much attention and unexpected guests to toddlers and other animals that don’t understand the concept of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stroke-a-cat-according-to-science-116025">mutual respect and personal space</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stroke-a-cat-according-to-science-116025">How to stroke a cat, according to science</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We know cats like boxes, but you can also give them high vantage points to climb to. To do this, you can use a “cat tree”, although an accessible shelf or the top of a wardrobe would work well too. Cats also need access to quiet rooms and spaces to hide under so they can remove themselves from situations they find stressful. Be mindful though – if your cat spends most of its time hiding, your house may be less cat-friendly than you think. Uncontrolled stress in a cat’s life can lead to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2004.tb00216.x.">illnesses such as idiopathic cystitis</a>.</p>
<h2>Predatory behaviour</h2>
<p>But what about their need to hunt? Allowing this behaviour is vital, and that includes them being able to look for food as well as finding and eating it. Searching for food usually involves short bursts of activity and long periods of waiting in cats, while the feeding part is also complex, as the cat decides how and where is best to eat.</p>
<p>To recreate this, you can scatter food on the floor or hide it in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1098612X16643753">puzzle feeders</a>. You can even vary where you feed your cat and encourage it to explore and manipulate objects. Getting a cat to move more and eat regular, smaller amounts of food can help reduce the risk of obesity.</p>
<p>Play can also be used to mimic hunting without the need for food. It’s always best to keep bouts of play short, encouraging pouncing and chasing, and using toys which mimic the shape, texture and movement of live prey. You should always end on a positive note and while the cat is enjoying itself, so that future playtimes will be anticipated rather than endured.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303178/original/file-20191122-74572-vyt5rg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Toys can help simulate the hunting experience for cats in the home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/graywhite-tabby-cat-plays-feather-toy-676360354?src=055d4fd6-441f-4202-88dd-bb46a21b7535-1-3">WaitForLight/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Brushing up</h2>
<p>Like humans, cats like to maintain themselves. Sharp claws are a must for effective climbing and defence, so make sure to provide scratching posts, especially if you want to protect your furniture. In the wild, cats use trees and other objects, not just to maintain their claws but also to leave marks for other cats to follow. </p>
<p>Make sure your cat can comfortably go to the toilet. Use unscented litter that is changed regularly and put the toilet in a discreet place, away from their food and water. For cats, as for us, it’s not a public activity. If your cat is going to the toilet somewhere inappropriate, it may be that they’re unhappy with their toilet arrangements or they may need to be checked by a vet.</p>
<p>Cats are as complex and each individual has unique needs. Before you decide whether to have an indoor cat, make sure that it’s a decision the cat would be likely to make too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Farnworth is associated with Cats Protection and the "Cat Watch" project. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren Finka works for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home as a feline welfare and behaviour consultant</span></em></p>Not all pets will make good house cats, but there are ways to make a life indoors more fulfilling.Mark Farnworth, Associate Professor of Animal Behaviour, Nottingham Trent UniversityLauren Finka, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1270072019-11-20T19:16:32Z2019-11-20T19:16:32ZLack of information on apartment defects leaves whole market on shaky footings<p>The litany of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">defects, poor building standards</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/ministers-fiddle-while-buildings-crack-and-burn-120592">regulatory failures</a> has serious implications for apartment owners, occupiers and buyers alike. Fears of a <a href="https://www.afr.com/news/politics/national/the-apartment-building-crisis-explained-20190716-p527k0">loss of confidence in the sector</a> have unfortunately come true. Our research suggests a lack of reliable information about building defects is a critical factor in the crisis.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/would-you-buy-a-new-apartment-building-confidence-depends-on-ending-the-blame-game-122180">Would you buy a new apartment? Building confidence depends on ending the blame game</a>
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<p>About a year ago, we started a research project with <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/documents/536/defects_project_overview.pdf">six industry partners</a> in New South Wales entitled <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/defects-strata/">Cracks in the Compact City: Tackling Defects in Multi-Unit Strata Housing</a>. The context is compact city planning policies and a rapid shift towards apartment living in Australian cities. </p>
<p>The urban development strategies of NSW and other states rely on higher-density cities with many more multi-unit strata title dwellings. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-the-building-cracks-or-cladding-sometimes-uncertainty-does-even-more-harm-120662">human</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/flammable-cladding-costs-could-approach-billions-for-building-owners-if-authorities-dither-118121">economic</a> impacts of the building defects crisis could undermine these strategies. </p>
<p>Even with our resources, obtaining data on the extent and nature of defects in NSW apartment buildings has been a challenge. Individual buyers and owners must face even greater obstacles. </p>
<p>This lack of access to information poses a clear challenge to the principle of “buyer beware” that underpins property sales. The imbalance it creates between buyers and sellers is a prime example of what economists call “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_asymmetry">information asymmetry</a>”. </p>
<h2>Why does this matter for the whole apartment market?</h2>
<p>Nobel laureate George Akerlof <a href="https://www2.bc.edu/thomas-chemmanur/phdfincorp/MF891%20papers/Ackerlof%201970.pdf">explained</a> how the price and quality of goods traded in a market affected by information asymmetries tend to gradually reduce to the point where only lowest-cost “lemons” remain. When buyers can’t tell the difference between products of good and bad quality, they typically prefer the cheapest available. This forces higher-quality products out of the market. </p>
<p>Sellers can also exploit this situation to hide poor-quality products from consumers. They might even charge the same as competitors selling higher-quality products. </p>
<p>While some unscrupulous sellers might profit in the short term, overall profits fall for everyone as confidence and links between price and quality are undermined. Ultimately, the entire market can collapse.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-the-building-cracks-or-cladding-sometimes-uncertainty-does-even-more-harm-120662">It's not just the building cracks or cladding – sometimes uncertainty does even more harm</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>The risks are highest in markets with these two features:</p>
<ul>
<li>sellers are not rewarded for delivering information to buyers or cannot disclose it effectively</li>
<li>buyers cannot discriminate between the quality of different products, as is often the case in apartment developments. </li>
</ul>
<p>These problems are more likely when buyers cannot easily inspect products at the time of sale – as with apartment units bought off the plan.</p>
<p>When a vendor sells a product to multiple buyers, again typical in apartment developments, that can multiply the impact of information asymmetries. </p>
<p>The buyer of a standalone house might be able to make the sale conditional on an independent inspection of the entire building. But such clauses are very difficult to negotiate in off-the-plan sales for apartments in multi-unit buildings. </p>
<p>It would also be too costly for each buyer to commission such an inspection. Buyers are unable to organise a joint inspection of the building until after they have settled, which greatly increases their risk. While NSW’s new <a href="https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/strata-building-bond-and-inspections-scheme">defects bond scheme</a> does require an inspection, it happens after ownership is transferred.</p>
<p>The negative impacts for buyers have spill-over effects as information asymmetries mean risks are perceived to increase across the entire apartment housing sector. <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/residential/the-opal-tower-effect-sydney-high-rise-site-sales-crash-50-per-cent-20191024-p533t4">Negative publicity</a>, such as the <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/stalemate-leaving-fireprone-ticking-time-bombs-around-australia/news-story/7b26701bd6a690238a98e590c7d9a76a">flammable cladding</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-ve-had-ceilings-collapse-sydney-s-30-million-in-defect-payouts-revealed-20190705-p524kq.html">defects</a> scandals, can cause values to fall market-wide, regardless of the quality of individual developments. At the same time, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/berejiklian-calls-for-national-solution-amid-building-crisis-20190715-p527gj.html">finance and insurance costs increase</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-lesson-from-opal-tower-is-that-badly-built-apartments-arent-only-an-issue-for-residents-109722">The big lesson from Opal Tower is that badly built apartments aren't only an issue for residents</a>
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<p>The issue persists for subsequent buyers too. Information about defects is often unavailable due to <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/residential/a-bigger-problem-than-building-defects-20190724-p52a6g">poor record-keeping</a> or <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/documents/424/Case_Study_Poster_-_Defects_3.pdf">confidentiality agreements</a>. Ironically, this adds to the information asymmetries that contributed to the problem in the first place.</p>
<h2>What can we do about the problem?</h2>
<p>To reduce information asymmetries, sellers and buyers tend to engage in two main types of behaviour: <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Job-Market-Signaling-Spence/c63c6222735629d0e232d5b2532152bf3b0880a8">signalling and screening</a>.</p>
<p>Signalling involves sellers flagging the higher quality of their products to buyers indirectly. For example, a reputable developer may use warranties and brands or quality marks, certificates and awards as a sign of their high-quality work. Buyers may well be prepared to pay more for higher-quality products that won’t cost more in the longer term.</p>
<p>Crucially, signalling only works if the signal is credible. At present, there are no construction-specific quality certifications and warranties, only <a href="https://www.iso.org/standard/62085.html">generic standards such as the international ISO 9001: 2015</a>. And the administrative burden and costs of independent third-party certification make it unviable for many small companies. So instruments like ISO 9001 are likely of very limited value for effective signalling in the apartment sector.</p>
<p>The NSW Building Commissioner is supporting an industry rating system that will enable better signalling. Data mining will be used to identify risky players and <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/phoenixing-in-crosshairs-amid-crackdown-on-dodgy-building-operators-20191028-p5351a.html">phoenix operators</a>. It should take effect in the apartment sector by 2021.</p>
<p>Screening involves buyers investing time and resources to uncover the likelihood of defects. This includes examining available records and the behaviours of sellers and their representatives. But this adds to buyers’ costs, which disadvantages them in the marketplace. </p>
<p>Stakeholders in the building development process should be compelled to release this information. NSW’s <a href="https://www.registrargeneral.nsw.gov.au/news/new-requirements-for-off-the-plan-contracts-from-1-december-2019">new law</a> on off-the-plan contract sales will increase sellers’ disclosure obligations and provide stronger protections for buyers. Importantly, sellers will have to identify material changes made during the development process at least 21 days before settlement. </p>
<p>A similar requirement involving an independent expert building inspection would help buyers better understand the risk of defects before they finalise their purchase.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-with-buyer-protection-and-no-serious-faults-is-that-too-much-to-ask-of-builders-and-regulators-113115">Housing with buyer protection and no serious faults – is that too much to ask of builders and regulators?</a>
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<p>Another positive move is the requirement in the new <a href="https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/consultation-tool/design-and-building-practitioners-bill-2019">Design and Building Practitioners Bill</a> for declared designs and as-built drawings to be lodged with the government. The Building Commissioner has said these will be made available on an easy-to-access platform. </p>
<p>This would enable buyers to check information as the development progresses, before the crucial building handover. It’s a step towards creating a “<a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/new-nsw-building-legislation/">digital twin</a>” for everyone licensed to perform construction work, making it easier for the public to check their record. </p>
<p>While the devil is likely to be in the detail, the NSW government is on the right track in tackling the information asymmetry problem. However, the various information gatekeepers will still have to be persuaded – or required – to release information they have long withheld in their own interests.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127007/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martin Loosemore receives funding from The Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bill Randolph receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, South Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils, the Community Housing Industry Association and various strata industry organisations.
He is a Director of Shelter NSW, a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and a member of the Australasian Housing Institute. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Caitlin Buckle receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hazel Easthope receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Strata Community Association and the City of Sydney.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Crommelin receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. </span></em></p>The difficulty of finding out about building defects creates an information deficit that threatens public confidence and stability in the apartment market. NSW has begun work on a solution.Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology SydneyBill Randolph, Director, City Futures Research Centre, Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW SydneyCaitlin Buckle, PhD Candidate in Human Geography, UNSW SydneyHazel Easthope, Associate Professor, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW SydneyLaura Crommelin, Research Lecturer, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1007562018-08-06T19:39:29Z2018-08-06T19:39:29ZMore children are living in high-rise apartments, so designers should keep them in mind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230696/original/file-20180806-119612-x9htn7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More Australian families are raising children in high-rise apartments.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian cities are changing. Instead of families living in low-density suburban areas, more parents are raising children in high-rise housing in inner-city areas. Despite this, much of the <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00420980601131894?journalCode=usja">high-rise housing stock</a> in Australia has been developed for residents without children.</p>
<p>Our recent study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23748834.2018.1483711">Cities & Health</a>, explored parents’ experiences of raising preschool-aged children in high-rise apartments. We found while parents appreciated that apartments offered affordable housing close to employment, they found the design challenging for raising children.</p>
<p>Considering the growing number of families raising children in inner-city apartments, city planners must start designing for more child-friendly living. This includes providing communal spaces where children can play, adequate laundry facilities and ensuring design features are safe for children.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/density-threatens-liveability-if-we-miss-the-big-picture-of-how-a-city-works-69549">Density threatens liveability if we miss the big picture of how a city works</a>
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<h2>Photographed experiences</h2>
<p>Apartment living for families with children is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia, but it’s growing. According to <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7EApartment%20Living%7E20">2016 Census data</a>, the number of families with children living in apartments increased by 56% between 2011 and 2016. And nearly half of all apartment dwellers on census night in 2016 were families with children.</p>
<p>But this type of housing may not be meeting the needs of Australian families. A 2015 <a href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ND5h3G6APdEJ:https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/-/media/files/the-area/yarras-future/liveable-yarra/planning-for-the-future-2015--results-from-a-randomised-household-survey--yarra-city-council.pdf%3Fla%3Den%26hash%3D4347CF25B93E3040A32FBE3F459D3746D5EF42CE+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au">household survey</a> in the City of Yarra (an inner-Melbourne municipality where apartments now <a href="http://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA27350">make up 46% of the housing stock</a>), found residents in high-density areas were less satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to raise children than those in lower-density areas.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-equity-got-to-do-with-health-in-a-higher-density-city-82071">What's equity got to do with health in a higher-density city?</a>
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<p>Our research used a method called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9158980">Photovoice</a> to help understand why parents in private, high-rise dwellings in Yarra felt this way. Over a three-week period, parents photographed aspects of apartment living they considered beneficial and challenging for raising preschool-aged children.</p>
<p>We then interviewed them individually and as a group. Parents accepted some of the challenges in return for having easy access to employment, which they said allowed them to spend more time with their children. They were also accepting of having only a small amount of private outdoor space or none. </p>
<p>But many were concerned that the communal outdoor space in their apartment complex was either absent or inappropriate. This reduced the opportunity to spend time outdoors with their children. One parent captured this in the below photograph.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230690/original/file-20180806-119599-8qdlpw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">One parent’s photograph, ‘concrete non-playground’, shows the space available for her child to play outdoors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23748834.2018.1483711?scroll=top&needAccess=true">Fiona Andrews, Elyse Warner, Belinda Robson</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>She explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There’s no softness in the space, there’s no child-friendly area… I can’t just hang out in my complex, I have to leave if I want to give him some outside time… so I find that really challenging ’cos I just want to be able to go outside with a cup of tea and put him down so he can crawl around.</p>
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<p>The close proximity of apartments was problematic too. One parent described it as “like living in Big Brother house”. This had the effect of some families keeping their blinds down all day. </p>
<p>Parents were also concerned about opening windows at night because noise from other residents would wake their children. Conversely, trying to keep family noise to a minimum so as not to disturb neighbours was a constant battle.</p>
<p>Child-unfriendly indoor and outdoor design features were a challenge too. These included tiny sinks, unsuitable for washing nappies, and no clothes drying facilities. The design of windows, balconies and car parking areas were potentially dangerous. One parent photographed the window in her apartment and explained:</p>
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<p>… our bedroom window … opens to someone’s balcony underneath us… the monkey’s lying at floor level, the window opens from the floor up … there is a lock on the window which does restrict it to just being open about 10 centimetres but … the layout to the apartment is incredibly narrow … it gets really hot and stuffy and then if we undo the lock to let any air in, it’s a hazard.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230692/original/file-20180806-119624-tgy4l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">One parent showed the dangerous windows in her apartment in her photograph ‘Monkey might fall to his death’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23748834.2018.1483711?scroll=top&needAccess=true">Fiona Andrews, Elyse Warner, Belinda Robson</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>Health impacts</h2>
<p>A range of housing issues have been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23953987">associated with poor health</a> and development outcomes for children. These include overcrowding, insecure tenancy, air quality, exposure to pollutants, hazards and noise. Yet specific research on the impacts of high-rise living on children is sparse.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1540-4560.00074">some reviews</a> that highlight negative impacts on children’s psychological <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3763/asre.2007.5002">health and development</a>. But many such studies have focused on disadvantaged children in high-rise housing, so it’s difficult to isolate the physical aspects of dwellings from other socioeconomic influences. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-time-to-recognise-how-harmful-high-rise-living-can-be-for-residents-87209">It's time to recognise how harmful high-rise living can be for residents</a>
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<p>Evidence of some negative aspects of apartment living in Australia is emerging though. Research in Sydney showed an <a href="https://kidshealth.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2012_2_prop_l_rev_22-_cathy_sherry_article_2.pdf">increase in children presenting</a> at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead with serious injuries due to falling from apartment windows and balconies. </p>
<p>Another <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755458617301093">study showed</a> parents’ management of children’s noise in high-rise apartments in Sydney affected the way parents allowed their children to sleep and play. Parents reported closing windows and not having friends visit. </p>
<p>Similarly, a Melbourne study showed that primary-school-aged <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08111146.2012.663729">children felt discouraged</a> from everyday play in so-called “communal areas” in private high-rise apartment complexes due to neighbour complaints.</p>
<h2>What needs to be done</h2>
<p>A recent report by the <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/future-living-discussion-paper.pdf">City of Melbourne</a> states that one in three apartments in Melbourne built prior to new guidelines being implemented were considered to be of poor quality in relation to criteria including size, privacy, ventilation and communal space.</p>
<p>New <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/80994/Apartment-Design-Guidelines-for-Victoria_August-2017.pdf">apartment design guidelines</a> in Victoria, which include requirements for building arrangements and amenity, are a start to addressing some of the generic issues raised by families in our study. </p>
<p>But these can’t resolve problems in apartments designed before the guidelines were implemented. And given the high proportion of children living in high-rise apartments in Australia, it is disappointing that the Victorian guidelines mention them only once. </p>
<p>It may be time to consider more explicit child-friendly guidelines for high-rise living. Overseas <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-103920.pdf">examples could be drawn on</a>, such as <a href="https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/Family_Friendly_Housing_Policy_(July_2016).pdf">those developed</a> in <a href="https://guidelines.vancouver.ca/H004.pdf">several Canadian cities</a>. These include objectives such as designing the environment with the safety needs of children in mind and providing children of all ages with easy access to appropriately located, designed and landscaped outdoor play areas.</p>
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<p><em>The study was carried out in conjunction with Dr Elyse Warner from the School of Health & Social Development, Deakin University, and Dr Belinda Robson from the City of Yarra.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100756/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Andrews does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The number of families living in high-rise, inner-city apartments is growing. Yet our research shows many parents find it challenging to raise children in such housing.Fiona Andrews, Senior Lecturer, School of Health & Social Development, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.