One of Australia's largest shopping centre operators is exploring whether it can build apartments on 42 of its shopping centres. But while some claim this could help the affordable housing crisis, others have reservations.
I absolutely would if it was suitable for me! I absolutely love the mixed zoning buildings they have through large parts of Europe where it’ll be a couple of houses on top of a small business. We have them around here, too, but they generally seem to just be for the people running the businesses and are rarely rented out to the public
I remember watching a video a while ago which I believe was either on Hong Kong or Singapore. Basically, they built train stations under or at ground level, then they built gigantic towers on top of them which had shops, houses, and offices all in the one building. I’m not sure about offices, but that seems like a dream to me. Certainly wouldn’t need to bother with a car, that’s for sure
(Though given it’s Westfield, I suspect that if this eventuates, it will probably just be a bunch of what start off as really nice (and expensive!) apartments, but end up devolving into glorified high rise slums through a lack of maintenance (e: oh and poor quality construction standards and materials). Also I’m willing to bet like most damn apartments in this country, they won’t bother with noise proofing and adequate insulation, and the bottom 4 or 5 floors will basically be unliveable from all the noise in the shops, including all the screaming Everytime some drunk person gets caught stealing by an overzealous security guard desperate to use their karate training on a real life person)
Frequently the entire structure centers on an open courtyard which also serves as a light well for the lower floors. The spaces fronting on the street itself were often used for mercantile functions.
Singapore has apartments above some of the MRT stations, which also usually have a mall attached. Presuming the noise dampening was sufficient, I’d move into one of those in a heartbeat. It’d make shopping and dining out much easier.
I absolutely would if it was suitable for me! I absolutely love the mixed zoning buildings they have through large parts of Europe where it’ll be a couple of houses on top of a small business. We have them around here, too, but they generally seem to just be for the people running the businesses and are rarely rented out to the public
I remember watching a video a while ago which I believe was either on Hong Kong or Singapore. Basically, they built train stations under or at ground level, then they built gigantic towers on top of them which had shops, houses, and offices all in the one building. I’m not sure about offices, but that seems like a dream to me. Certainly wouldn’t need to bother with a car, that’s for sure
(Though given it’s Westfield, I suspect that if this eventuates, it will probably just be a bunch of what start off as really nice (and expensive!) apartments, but end up devolving into glorified high rise slums through a lack of maintenance (e: oh and poor quality construction standards and materials). Also I’m willing to bet like most damn apartments in this country, they won’t bother with noise proofing and adequate insulation, and the bottom 4 or 5 floors will basically be unliveable from all the noise in the shops, including all the screaming Everytime some drunk person gets caught stealing by an overzealous security guard desperate to use their karate training on a real life person)
Like PeachTrees from the movie “Dredd”.
Insane they don’t do them here, the goddamn romans had insulae everywhere
TIL:
Roman architecture
Singapore has apartments above some of the MRT stations, which also usually have a mall attached. Presuming the noise dampening was sufficient, I’d move into one of those in a heartbeat. It’d make shopping and dining out much easier.