Highly Dense and Mobile: How Are Neighbour Interactions Shaped by Urban Consolidation?

Abstract

To sustainably manage a growing population, urban consolidation has become a key strategy for policy-makers in Australian cities. Urban consolidation involves the densification of existing residential areas through the provision of medium and high-density housing. Residential relations in high-density housing are often thought to be problematic due to the altered physical dimensions neighbours must interact within. Additionally, medium and high-density housing is dominated by private renters and, consequently, high-residential mobility and instability. High-mobility diminishes residential interactions as neighbours are less likely to know each other and therefore develop only weak ties with one another. This thesis explores how neighbouring is enacted in neighbourhoods experiencing urban consolidation, compared to more traditional, low-density suburbs. It examines 11 qualitative interviews with residents of Kangaroo Point, a Brisbane neighbourhood characterised by high-density and high-mobility, and 11 from Fig-Tree Pocket, a low-density Brisbane suburb. It shows that medium and high-density housing is often not conducive to incidental neighbour interactions, and high rates of residential mobility often act as a deterrent for establishing strong ties with neighbours. Despite this, it demonstrates that residents in areas of urban consolidation are still able to uphold the basic components of being a good neighbour.