What will shape Perth in the 2020’s?
New decades herald new fashions, technologies and generational change. At KPA Architects we think there will be big changes for Perth property in the 2020’s.
Key elements shaping the city in the next decade include a new generation of seniors that want more from their housing; major infrastructure investments in public transport and suburban centres; and the convergence of technology and daily living. Here are some highlights.
Housing for Life
By mid-decade more than 500,000 people will be aged over 65 in WA. This is a 40% increase on current numbers and their housing needs will influence the broader market.
The biggest challenge will be providing more opportunity for seniors to remain in areas that they are familiar. This includes more compact housing with smart features close to local amenities as well as modern care facilities. When this is achieved it will free up larger homes for larger households and people with special needs.
However the market will demand more livable and adaptable housing designs – diverse and flexible housing options including dual-key and ancillary dwellings, and transformable spaces that can be easily adapted as use of buildings change.
‘Build to rent’ should come of age in the next decade with large numbers of seniors freeing up capital in the family home and choosing rental packages with bundled services such as a laundry service, transport service, pharmacy discounts, club memberships, travel and hire company alliances etc.
Continuity of care will increasingly influence housing for ageing persons. Aged care facilities will resemble hubs of activities to support people as they progress through various stages of ageing.
Government funding for residential care will adopt a more consumer directed care model. That is, funding will follow the consumer, not the facility. This would open the industry up to a variety of new, more societally integrated models of care that are able to accommodate a variety of patient acuity levels either at home or in a facility depending on need.
Centres and Transport Led Development
Big investments in transport infrastructure and suburban activity centres in Perth will dictate the location and design of most new developments in the next decade. This is because the two most important features influencing contemporary housing choices are public transport and community amenities like café’s, restaurants and shops.
Perth’s urban shape will increasingly resemble a pattern of mixed-use activity hubs with connecting transport lines.
Currently only a quarter of all new homes are units or apartments however this is likely to grow strongly with the increasing popularity of strata titles in new developments. Strata title lot already make up over 50% of new lot production in WA. These will take shape in the next 10 years.
Sometime in the next decade the take-up of on-line retailing is likely to plateau. At the same time the evolution of shopping centres currently in full swing will be fully realised.
Centres in the 2020’s will fall into two camps, large centres at the core of suburban station and commercial precincts offering a town experience; and smaller centres based around local convenience or niche activities.
Transport will continue down the path of automation, with driverless public transport appearing first. Parking shortages may lead to the viability of automated car park stacking in congested centres. These technologies will become very useful for a population that is ageing and new transport options that are considered safe and reliable for the elderly will prevail.
Internet of Property Things
The inevitable convergence of technology and daily living will increasingly shape new buildings and places in the next decade.
Examples already in use include electronic monitoring systems to amalgamate services in independent living and aged care buildings, which are traditionally separated. Residents in connected complexes can directly access services when needed without having to leave their home, such as ordering dinner from the kitchen and having it delivered.
The system also monitors emergency and security controls, and building equipment maintenance to identify malfunctions and issue work orders.
Buildings and precincts will be planned and built to accommodate the increasing use of artificial intelligence to perform services like healthcare, deliveries and cleaning.
‘Big data’ will have an increasing role in the operation of buildings and spaces. Information captured from sensors will drive the use and management of places. Real-time rating systems for buildings will also inform users of key information like environmental performance.
Image: KPA Architects, Casa Cabrini