My Suggestion Of Zoning Changes To Create Three Tiers Of Buildings Facing Albert Park Lake

 

 

Melbourne has a few things in common with Vancouver and Chicago. It has a large amount of waterfront close to the city centre thanks to its large bay. It is viewed as an attractive city and hence has had high population growth over the years. Chicago's population has shot up at various times and now stands at over eight million people. Melbourne’s population has grown rapidly and currently stands at around 5 million. Vancouver has grown by approximately 1.4 million residents since 1980 to around 2.6 million people today, almost double the population of that time. All three cities have universities that are ranked among the world’s top 50, hence, they attract talent. Over the years, Vancouver and Melbourne seem to alternate on their number one positions on The Economist’s rankings of the world’s most liveable cities and always seem to be in the top 10. Chicago often ranks among the top 50 ahead of cities like New York. All three cities are not afraid of heights and hence they build sky-scrapers. Vancouver has built up to approximately 200 meters, Chicago (the originator of the sky scraper) has built up to approximately 440 meters and Melbourne up to approximately 320 meters (latest sky scraper approved will stand at over 360 meters). But what are these other two cities doing that Melbourne isn’t doing?

While Vancouver and Chicago are taking advantage of their waterfront positions and beautiful views to build high rise apartment buildings that capitalise on those views and allow large numbers to live close to the waterfront as well as to jobs in the city centre. Melbourne isn’t. Melbourne is more like coastal California in that area. NIMBYism and strict zoning ensures that Melbourne’s middle to inner suburb's coastline is preserved mostly for the well to do. 

True, you can live at Southbank among Australia's tallest residential skyscrapers and have views towards the bay as well as proximity to the beach if you are not caught in traffic. But it's not that close to the coast for daily visits to the beach for walking and cycling. Anywhere, close to the CBD gets you caught in traffic or stuck at traffic lights, which acts as a restraint for daily coastal visits.

Port Melbourne, Middle Park and St Kilda, all within easy reach of the city centre, have a small number of mid rise apartment buildings opposite the beach and St Kilda is building a few more, but they are scarce and their prices will make your jaw drop. Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham have low rise apartments but they are also scarce and obviously not cheap either. 

Where then could inner Melbourne improve in providing coastal views as well as coastline proximity - to a large number of residents - without NIMBY's interfering and affordability issues? My answer to that question is the City area that flanks Albert Park Lake (home of the Melbourne Grand Prix). This part of the city includes the beautiful tree lined St Kilda Rd as well as Queens Rd. These two parallel roads create the borders of a nice big oblong Urban area that has been steadily growing with new buildings since the 1980’s. In recent years a number of swish apartment towers have added to this area’s urban appeal. 

This area has a height limit of around 60 meters which allows for around nineteen stories of apartments. While this is reasonable, and is creating a nice aesthetic of uniformed buildings which include office, hotel and apartment buildings, it doesn’t capitalise on this area’s prime location. This location is not only within easy reach of the CBD (approximately 10 minutes by tram), but is around an easy 5-7 minute drive from the beach.

This area boasts great views over Albert Park Lake with the bay beyond. If you live anywhere above say the third floor in an apartment building on Queens Rd, facing Albert Park Lake, then you benefit from these stunning views. But if you are on the nineteenth floor (facing west) of an apartment building on St Kilda Rd, then you miss out on those stunning views. That is, if another building of the same height is in front of you. And if you live on the east side of St Kilda Rd, such as in the recently built St Boulevard apartments (pictured above in the foreground) you would need to be among the lucky few who get those views.   

So, what change of policy would help? My thoughts on this are as follows. I suggest zoning changes to do with height restrictions to be applied to this mixed-use precinct that sits adjacent to Albert Park Lake.  The height restrictions on Queens Rd would stay the same. Around 20 stories (if apartments). The next tier of buildings - on the west side of St Kilda Rd - would have a limit of 30 stories. Finally, the third tier of buildings - the east side of St Kilda Rd - would have a limit of 40 stories. 

There are currently a large number of office buildings around six stories high or so, on St Kilda Rd (adjacent to Albert Park Lake) that could potentially be knocked down and replaced with a building four to six times its height. 

Such zoning changes would not only allow for many more residents, office workers and hotel guests to enjoy stunning views across the bay. But it would allow for thousands more to live in proximity to the beach. 

Vancouver’s city planners did a similar thing decades ago and thus maximised the views of residents in the buildings behind those along the waterfront. Of course, each building application has its own circumstances. But such a policy would make Melbourne more like Vancouver and Chicago and less like San Jose. 

Additionally, allowing such heights in this part of Melbourne would activate the ground level more with cafes and restaurants which would make it an even more attractive place to live, work, stay and visit.