Medium-Density Done Right 

05.07.24

Brisbane’s housing debate swings between detached houses and high-rise towers. Missing from the conversation is medium-density—housing that adds homes without destroying neighbourhood character.

Done poorly, medium-density creates problems: overshadowing, parking chaos, loss of green space, buildings out of scale with surroundings. Done well, it delivers housing where people want to live, in suburbs with established amenity, without compromising liveability.

What Good Medium-Density Looks Like

Scale matters:

• Buildings that relate to neighbours, not dominate them
• Streetscapes that maintain human scale
• Heights that transition gradually
• Front setbacks that create engagement, not garage walls

Design quality over yield:

• Natural light and cross-ventilation in every dwelling
• Adequate storage (a persistent problem in density housing)
• Private outdoor space in compact dwellings
• Materials that age well
• Communal spaces designed for use, not compliance

Location and amenity: Medium-density works best in established suburbs with existing infrastructure—schools, shops, parks, transport. Adding housing where amenity exists benefits everyone.

The Missing Middle

Brisbane’s housing challenge isn’t about choosing between houses and apartments. It’s about delivering a spectrum of housing types—townhouses, duplexes, low-rise apartments, terraces—that offer genuine liveability in desirable locations.

Medium-density, done right, adds housing without destroying character, creates homes families can afford without compromising quality, and uses established infrastructure efficiently.