Affordability and sustainability outcomes of 'greenfield' suburban development and master planned communities - a case study approach using triple bottom line assessment
Summary
A triple-bottom line (TBL) approach to a sustainability assessment of affordable housing and urban development is developed for the comparative assessment of two types of residential neighbourhood; master planned communities and, traditional residential sub-divisions. It was found that TBL suite of social, economic and environmental indicators has worked well for the comparative assessment of neighbourhoods. The TBL suite’s greatest potential lies in monitoring the condition of Australia’s cities and towns. It is proposed that appropriate state agencies need to introduce requirements for regular TBL monitoring at local and state level, linked with state of the environment reporting.
Project Number: 70137
Research Theme: Housing_affordability, Urban planning and Development
Project Leader: Prasad, Deo
Funding Year: 2002
Research Centre: UNSW-UWS
Description
Urban development, including the provision of affordable housing, has the potential for significant environmental impact. There is a growing desire to incorporate the principles of sustainability within urban development and in particular the provision of housing. This is driven initially at the Federal level by international protocols, and there clearly is a need for effective integration of existing economic, and social priorities with the emergence of environmental priorities What was currently under-researched was an evaluation of the performance of the two main land development types (normal, regulatory-led sub-divisions and master-planned land developments), in particular how the relative inter-relationship of economic, environmental and social variables co-relate and conflict.
Improvements in sustainability of affordable housing has the potential for increased capital cost, equity, and government subsidy/funding implications, as well as costs and benefits in relation to social and environmental performance. In order to be able to inform a sustainable agenda it is important to assess these main land development alternatives in terms of their triple-bottom line merits and costs. This project aimed to develop clear methodologies for a sustainability assessment, relevant to affordable housing and urban development. This would enable a cross-sectional triple-bottom line assessment of the two different land planning and development types, including the surveying of relative economic, social and environmental performances and relationships. This assessment used existing residential development case studies, which had an overt agenda to address affordability, and sustainability issues. Case studies from three states, namely NSW, QLD and SA (correlating to high, moderate, and low housing cost environments) were investigated so as to provide a national perspective.
More Information
Positioning Paper: No. 050: Affordability and sustainability outcomes of 'greenfield' suburban development and master planned communities - a case study approach using triple bottom line assessment
235KB PDF Document
Final Report: No. 063: Affordability and sustainability outcomes: a triple bottom line assessment of traditional development and master planned communities - Volume 1
1.89 MB PDF Document
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