BACK TO THE FUTURE - PART 3

Alternative housing types for best-practice urban design 

In ‘Part 2’ of the case study of the ‘Town of Seaside’ in Marcoola, Qld, our comparative analysis suggested that abandoning the original best-practice master plan strategies included in Stages 2 & 3 (and its regulatory code), had a negative impact on urban quality outcomes for the area. In ‘Part 3’, we highlight housing types (discarded in the ‘As Built’ version) that promote the implementation of the principles advocated by the new Planning Amendment (2020); QDesign: Principles for Good Urban Design in Queensland (2018); and Model Code for Neighbourhood Design: A code for reconfiguring a lot (2020). Two types stand out: T3 - Detached Laneway Housing and T5 - Adaptable Townhouse (in red, Fig. 1, below).

Type T3 - Detached Laneway Housing

This type allows for multiple variations (Fig. 2), and is particularly effective at promoting high levels of walkability within interconnected road and pedestrian networks. The hierarchical arrangement (front streets and internal laneways), ensures streets are active public space, while service laneways have a more ‘private’ role accommodating garages, driveways and refuse areas. It also facilitates dedicated on-street parking which provides adequate shading and reduces driveway crossovers. Overall, a more walkable and safer environment is achieved, resulting in enhanced liveability and highly improved architectural and urban amenity (Fig. 3).

Type T5 – Adaptable Townhouses

This type (Fig. 4), is ideal for a ‘best practice’ planning strategy offering multiple housing options through a variety of densities and uses.

The adaptability of the home-office or a home-shop type has several advantages, including:

• Provides a wide range of housing alternatives for a wide range of dwellers.
• Allows genuine mixed-use within a mid/low-density, low-rise environment.
• Promotes streets character through active frontages and a variety of uses.
• Provides sustainable home/office/work alternatives in an expanding home-based labour market.
• Assists in the consolidation of neighbour centres through the controlled agglomeration of mixed uses.

To ensure the proper use of these types, and the proper implementation of best-practice planning principles, the master plan included a comprehensive ‘Urban & Architectural Regulatory Code’ (Fig. 5).