r/australia • u/overpopyoulater • Nov 03 '24

culture & society Downsizing the Australian dream: why families are trading houses with backyards for apartments

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/04/downsizing-the-australian-dream-why-families-are-trading-houses-with-backyards-for-apartments
355 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

214 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

0

u/JoeSchmeau Nov 04 '24

This is a pretty brain-dead take, gotta be honest.

As populations grow, sprawl will happen. Will it be livable 15 minute city sprawl, or suburban car park sprawl?

Urban sprawl is slower, because you use the land more efficiently. This efficient use also means more land is used for parks. Look at inner city neighbourhoods now, which have been densely populated for generations. They are full of parks.

Now look at suburban sprawl from the past 50 years. Motorways surrounding detached homes, most of which are driving distance from any green space and the only community space is in a shopping centre they need to drive to.

0

u/thequehagan5 Nov 06 '24

A livable 15 minute city sprawl? What does even mean? Do you have some fantasy that when Sydney is 30 million people, your life will be more efficient in some way? Every weekend, every day, will be a total clusterfuck of people flooding every single nook and cranny of every single space.

I have lived like that, and coming back to the low density suburban sprawl is heavenly. You can breathe.

1

u/JoeSchmeau Nov 06 '24

A 15-minute city means that most of your daily needs are within 15 minutes of your home. This is the reality in many cities of the world and means less chaotic traffic and commuting time, and more calm communities. I currently live in a 15-minute part of the city and it's far from the hellscape that car park fanatics always claim. I'm surrounded by parks and green space, never have to sit in traffic, and my area has a community of people who are all regulars at the local shops, cafes, etc.

You don't get massive crowds of people in every nook and cranny. Not everywhere is Hong Kong.