Introduction
Many global cities were villages and towns where people lived, worked and played, before they became cities.
Melbourne grew into a central activity district focusing on commercial, retail and entertainment uses with a small residential population. For decades Australian capital cities have been encouraging growth in their residential numbers. Now we have an opportunity to make a difference in creating more city dwellers.
Empty Office Towers
Post COVID, because of working from home and more flexible approaches to working from anywhere/anytime, there are many empty office towers in the Melbourne CBD. Employers have taken advantage of the evolving work practices and reduced their requirements for office space.
Providing Affordable Housing
The empty office towers could be and should be refurbished for residential use. According to a new report for the Property Council of Australia there are 86 buildings that could be repurposed to create some 12,000 homes to alleviate our housing crisis.
Repurposing empty CBD office buildings to provide affordable housing will address the growing demand for affordable housing as well as offer significant benefits in terms of sustainability, community wellbeing and economic development.
Sustainability
Retrofitting existing structures is often more environmentally friendly than constructing new buildings, as it reduces the carbon footprint associated with use of construction materials and energy consumption.
Community Wellbeing
Repurposing empty office buildings can foster significant community wellbeing and breathe new life into city centres, creating vibrant neighbourhoods where people live, work and play.
Economic Development and Productivity
Economically, repurposing office buildings can have a positive ripple effect. The conversion process generates employment opportunities, stimulates local businesses and boosts supply of affordable housing.
Providing a roof over people’s head goes some way to returning them to productive members of our society.
Conclusion
Australia, like many countries, is facing a housing crisis. Repurposing vacant CBD office buildings for affordable housing could be a game-changing solution without having to deal with issues and challenges of urban infill and urban sprawl.
National Cabinet meets tomorrow to discuss our nation’s housing crisis. Incentivising the refurbishments of empty office towers should be considered to create affordable housing alternatives.
More of the same approaches will not increase the supply of housing anytime soon. Australian governments coming together to incentivise repurposing of empty office towers can create affordable housing in a timely manner.
About Us
Ravim RBC is a strategic consultancy assisting councils to move beyond day-to-day management. This includes working with councils on strategic initiatives such as business transformation, workforce strategy and best practice programs.
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