Developers need to take responsibility for the exponential growth of the inner northern suburbs, argues Panos Miltiadou, managing director of Lucent.

Northcote and Brunswick are likely to see rapid growth in apartment developments over the next few decades, a trend driven by enhanced livability and population growth.

"The Australian psyche has changed. It was previously about big backyards and spaces and now we’re finding that younger generations are more inclined to trade off space for other benefits," said Mr Miltiadou.

Mr Miltiadou added new apartment developments need in-built communities to avoid hotel-like living areas.

"Community living in apartments can be done. Our role at Lucent is to make sure it’s designed consciously... we’ve got ultimate responsibility, that’s where I understand it," Mr Miltiadou adds.

This means focusing on long-term, sustainable solutions for evolving communities in these growing neighborhoods, a process that should include local residents from the beginning.

Typically, formal discussion between developers and residents is a reactive process, occurring only after a council decision has been referred to VCAT.

Lucent proposes that the planning process could be sped up by more proactive discussion and collaboration, in order to foster respectful debate geared towards finding solutions for both parties.

To read more, please see the full interview with Panos Miltiadou in the Moreland Leader.
Issue 10, September 2018, p9