How Do We Build Cities For Everyone?

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The best cities are authentic, inclusive and flexible places that are not just for the affluent. A great city is about more than making a buck.

Many cities are good at cultivating “exclusivity” she says. Think the high-end shopping precincts in Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur or London that “make you feel like you must be a well-heeled consumer to feel comfortable”.

This attitude doesn’t work in Australia, she says, and points to examples like Barangaroo and the Central Park Spice Alley precinct as examples of inclusivity at play.

“At Barangaroo, you can be there to do business, to eat in the dining precinct, to get some exercise or just to bask in the sun. It’s not just for workers, but for families, young people meeting up for a drink and shoppers too.

“Central Park’s Spice Alley is an inclusive, authentic space where you see people from different backgrounds and walks of life dining together. The development blends the modern with the heritage, is faithful to what was there before, but brings new uses, from weekend markets to ice skating rinks in winter.”

Urbis’ team of economists, designers and planners have developed a list of 10 key insights into creating a successful, vibrant mixed-use development, which she says underpins an inclusive city. Among those are local relevance, the right mix of tenancies and uses, and capitalising on innate strengths.

^{Article Header Image and above: Eastwood Centre Redevelopment. Developer: Yuhu Property (Australia). Architect: HDR}

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This means new opportunities to create places for people everywhere to enjoy – regardless of their age, culture or income.

Building places for everyone also demands a commitment to “designing for change”, Ventura says. “It’s about being nimble, and being able to change the uses of a development to suit the market.” Central Park, again, provides a good example, as the upper floor shopping centre is currently being converted into a cinema to better meet the needs of the local community.

We may be on the right track when it comes to inclusive precincts, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels, Ventura says. Housing affordability is a growing concern in some cities, particularly in Sydney which currently ranks as the second least affordable market in the world after Hong Kong.

“This could put at risk the concept of cities for everyone. When some people are priced out of the market, we only get a homogenous set of people. And that isn’t good for any city.”

As our population grows and our cities expand, the places where we work, shop, relax and play are becoming “one and the same” Ventura adds.

“This means new opportunities to create places for people everywhere to enjoy – regardless of their age, culture or income.”

Princess Ventura will join Kevin George from Dexus, Alexander Jan from Arup and Jessica Christiansen-Franks from Neighbourlytics on a panel session at The Property Congress, as we unpack the characteristics of cities for everyone.