The Rise of High Rise

The Beginning 

I want to use this blog as a way to explore my thoughts and ramblings on the broad, yet controversial topic of sustainable development. I have set out a number of issues that I want to discuss over the next semester, but mostly I will use my every-day interactions as a stimulus for writing.

So have a read, and enjoy!

To start off with, an article that I stumbled upon for my Property Investment course had a brief yet stimulating discussion regarding the value of properties with 'green building standards'. Green Buildings were defined as ones that are 'designed to conserve natural resources and improve human health'.

As companies are becoming more energy conscious (whether about their image or their output), green buildings are becoming more prevalent. 

Interestingly, Green Buildings can now be built at the same cost as conventional properties,  and can generate greater income due to the savings in outgoings and with tenants who are more willing to pay higher rents.

Further, research has shown that worker productivity can be increased by working within Green Buildings, as improvements in indoor air quality, lighting, thermal comfort, access to views and acoustics have significant impact . This article reveals all on interesting benefits of the Green Building. http://www.smh.com.au/business/green-buildings-a-plus-for-staff-business-20111018-1lyk6.html

This information about the benefits and the influx of Green Buildings tied in to another article I read about the increase of high-rise apartments in Australia.

***If you are interested, listen to this podcast on Green Buildings from 2008 https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/hba-green-building-podcast/id281010174?mt=2 
(very interesting)

Shanghai, a city that houses around 20 million people, mostly in high rise apartments
Source: Google Images

Currently, as population rates continue to grow, governments and urban planners are increasingly using high-rise and making cities more 'compact' to reduce urban sprawl and create more sustainable cities. Australia is no exception with both federal and state government policy targeting high density development.


The key questions for me when reading these articles were:

• Are high rise residential developments sustainable? 
• Are green building standards set for every building? And if so, will these new developments all be green buildings?
• What is more environmentally efficient, urban sprawl or high density living?

(the article in question is here http://www.u.arizona.edu/~gpivo/RPI%20What%20the%20leaders%20are%20doing%20JPIF.pdf)

Therefore, for my first couple of posts, I want to explore whether this transition to high-rise, high-density living is environmentally friendly and sustainable, or whether it is causing greater environmental issues.

Further, within this sphere of research, I want to look at Green Buildings, and if they are becoming ingrained in building methods. To do so, I will look at a number of areas, specifically;

• The history and usage of Green Buildings 
• The environmental issues and benefits of high rise apartments and high density living
• A Case Study of density: Shanghai 
• A Case Study of Sprawl: Canberra/Sydney
• Australia's history of urban sprawl and its push for density 

These will be my topics for the next couple of weeks. I will deviate and stray from this path, but ultimately I will explore the varied nature of sustainable development.


If you are interested in Green Buildings, have a read of these articles:

http://theconversation.com/green-building-revolution-only-in-high-end-new-cbd-offices-24535

http://www.centralparksydney.com/explore/a-sustainable-habitat