Until recently, investment in infrastructure meant building mega roads to bring more and more traffic into the city centres. Cars and their ease of movement were at the centre of planning decisions about keeping cities working.
How our thinking has changed! Most cars are only driven for a few hours and then parked for the rest of the day. We drive to work, park, and then drive home and park. Our past planning focus was on providing enough car parking spaces in cities, at amenities and at public transport hubs.
There is very limited land available for more parking in our cities, let alone at a price we are willing to pay.
New services such as ride share from Uber are actually decreasing our demand for parking.
This trend is expected to continue. Electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles (driverless) will to make the cost to travel even lower.
Maybe we will be able to repatriate some into car parking areas into other amenities. What would you like to see done? Could it be the land solution for affordable housing?
The focus on people movements in cities gives rise to ring roads that circle traffic around a city, reliable public transport to move people into city centres; and public squares to facilitate the person’s experience of travel and sense of community.
What does this change in planning mean for the face of Australian cities?
Rising housing prices have delivered a wind fall for the NSW Government with huge budget surpluses due to stamp duty income. The government has chosen to invest in infrastructure to deliver the next wave of opportunity for the state.
The Sydney METRO 1 and 2 projects are the largest public transport infrastructure project in Australia. They will connect through the Sydney CBD from Bankstown to Rouse Hill. The rail service is forecast to reduce congestion and pollution on our roads, though those that use the METRO may be replaced by other car users on our roads.
Central Station has a redevelopment price tag of $3B, according to some leaked papers given to the ABC. This public place needs new appeal to bring us to work with a spring in our step. Parramatta Square has begun construction as the “Martin Place” of the River City with a similar sense of community. Both these amenities are designed to increase our access to transport and increase our sense of community.
The Sydney ring road is being completed with North Connex closing the loop for freeway travel around Sydney from Campbelltown in the southwest to the Wahroonga heading north to Newcastle.
However, Sydney also has West Connex bringing traffic from the west into the city and onto Sydney Airport. The Premier announced the new road from the Northern Beaches Hospital to North Sydney. This will further stress the Harbour Tunnel and inner city road infrastructure with additional vehicles. Could that be the start of a congestion tax for CBD car users?
Other projects on the horizon are the METRO West and Faster Rail. METRO West planning has been drawn forward with delivery forecast in 2024. This rail project will link Parramatta through Homebush to the Bays area with the CBD via underground tunnel. The plan is for fast rail however the number of stops is key to travel times.
The Federal Government has completed stage 1 of its Faster Train prospectus with stage 2 due in December 2017. There are a number of participants still in the process with radical solutions for connectivity, community and affordable housing.
This change in city planning means we need invest in property with access to new infrastructure and reduced commute times. These properties are likely to increase in value more quickly than areas that aren’t supported. Whether we are tenants or home owners, we all want to increase our quality of life through decreasing our commute times, and increasing our discretionary time.
Author Rosemary Johnston, Client Experience, Forrester Cohen. www.forrestercohen.com.au If you would like more information or to continue the social commentary, please email rosemary@forrestercohen.com.au