YIMBY Melbourne today released our first flagship report—Melbourne's Missing Middle—on necessary changes to Victoria’s planning and tax systems to build a more liveable, sustainable and affordable city for all.
Melbourne’s density drops precipitously from high-rises to single-family homes, with very little medium density between. The Missing Middle is the most desirable, walkable urban form, typified by inner Paris, and it should be legal to build in our most desirable, economically productive areas.
Melbourne’s Missing Middle’s signature recommendation—a new Missing Middle Zone—would enable six-storey, mixed-use development on all residential land within 1 kilometre of a train station and 500 metres of a tram stop—building an interconnected network of 1,992 high-amenity, walkable neighbourhoods.
Melbourne’s Missing Middle envisions Parisian streetscapes across all of inner urban Melbourne, along our train and tram lines and near our town centres. Gentle, walk-up apartments, abundant shopfronts, sidewalk cafes and sprawling parks replacing unaffordable and unsustainable cottages.
The report also recommends
The final report is available on the YIMBY Melbourne website here.
Quotes attributable to Jonathan O'Brien, Lead Organiser
Melbourne's Missing Middle is about seizing this once-in-a-lifetime moment to say yes to building our city up, not out.
It's about believing in the city. We can empower more people to live close to each other, to share in the energy of the city, and to live securely in the places they want to live.
We've put this together out of our love for this city.
We want to see a bigger city, a city for everyone, a city where homes are abundant. Our ideas are the first step toward making that a reality.
The most desirable parts of the city are the densest. We want this style of living to be accessible to everyone. We know what it looks like—we just have to allow it to be built in more places, for more people.
Melburnians want to move beyond clusters of skyscrapers surrounded by multi-million-dollar cottages.
Everyone who wants to live in a city that's serious about confronting both the housing crisis and climate crisis should embrace the Missing Middle. Right now, our city has the rare opportunity to take meaningful action on two crises at once.
Endorsements of building Melbourne's Missing Middle
Quotes attributable to Dr Max Holleran, Lecturer, University of Melbourne
Melbourne is desperately in need of a Missing Middle policy. The city can no longer be a vertical and cramped CBD immediately flanked by single family homes.
Diversity in dwellings will bring greater economic diversity of who can live in the city centre.
If Melbourne wants to maintain its status as a world class city, it is high time to embrace smart growth through upzoning. This report supplies sensible and clear policies in that direction.
Quotes attributable to Colleen Peterson, CEO, Ratio
The housing challenge facing Melbourne is daunting and requires radical changes in thinking if we are to solve it. Building Melbourne’s Missing Middle is a logical part of the solution by providing meaningful amounts of housing where people want to live and work.
Some of these suggestions are challenging, but it’s time we had a conversation about significant changes to our city rather than tinkering around the edges.
Quotes attributable to Dan McKenna, CEO, Nightingale Housing
Our city is crying out for good quality, medium density housing in areas well serviced by public transport, schools, shops.
We have the opportunity right now to build up Melbourne's Missing Middle, reducing people's emissions, lowering the cost of living and contributing to more vibrant and healthy communities
About YIMBY Melbourne
YIMBY Melbourne is a grassroots team of individuals who care about real, workable solutions to the housing crisis.
From planners and lawyers to students and social workers—the YIMBY movement is a diverse group of people working toward a bigger, better Melbourne.
Our members come from across the political spectrum, and represent major and minor parties alike—all united under a central goal of building more homes where people want to live.
YIMBY Melbourne is a founding member of the Abundant Housing Network Australia.
-ENDS-
Media contact: Travis Jordan | 0448 484 684
Spokesperson: Jonathan O'Brien | lead@yimbymelbourne.org.au | 0402 992 345