WSLHD_CPH_Healthy High Density Living for Families with Chil

Next Steps

This is the first Guide of its kind for any Australian city and requires strong governance and leadership to ensure future high density developments and communities reflect these best practice design considerations. The Healthy Higher Density Living for Families with Children: An Advocacy, Planning and Design Guide is the responsibility of local and state governments, alongside developers and designers working together. Without strong governance and leadership across industry and government, the needs of children and their carers may continue to be overlooked. How can it be done? Advocacy • The principles within the Guide can be used by planners, consent authorities, architects and others to advocate for improved high density developments and neighbourhoods. • Apply the principles and design guidelines to social and affordable housing developments, and associated strategies, to ensure good quality housing is available for all. • Development of a renter’s guide and resources for residents living in high density which include family-friendly principles and considerations such as Hi Neighbours and Meet Your Neighbours, will provide additional support. 68, 69 Planning Decisions • Consent authorities should refer to this document when assessing multi-residential development applications to ensure that the needs of families with children have been considered. • Training by relevant experts can be delivered to consent authority management, so that officers recognise child-friendly design principles at every scale of the planning process.

• Consent authorities should monitor whether the principles and guidelines within this document are being successfully implemented within the building and neighbourhood scale. Embedding these principles within relevant strategies and plans such as Community Strategic Plans, Local Strategic Planning Statements, Housing Strategies, Environmental Strategies and Social Sustainability Strategies will assist with implementation and evaluation. • Mapping play space and school open space within high density neighbourhoods will determine gaps in provision and assist with creating targets for green open space for high density developments and neighbourhoods. Update to Planning • This document can be used to inform new planning frameworks and changes to the planning system via amending Local Environmental Plans, Development Control Plans (DCPs) and/or other regulatory mechanisms. • Create a DCP template based on City of Parramatta (CoP’s) Council’s DCP amendment for other councils to use. • Amendments to existing state-based apartment design guidelines which address needs at a building/ Design • The principles and design guidelines outlined in this document can be used by developers and design professionals when designing new apartment complexes and master-planned residential communities. • Design Excellence Review Panels and Design Awards for multi-residential developments can assess if the principles outlined in this document have been considered as a design consideration when assessing design excellence. • A co-design process which engages with children and their families in building and precinct design should be a priority at early planning stages. apartment scale, can be considered alongside supplementary policies addressing needs at a neighbourhood-scale.

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Healthy Higher Density Living for Families with Children: An Advocacy, Planning and Design Guide