Medium Density Housing Symposium

The desirability for medium density housing has increased in recent years, against the backdrop of the ongoing housing affordability crisis and a rising preference for more sustainable dwellings. Density and proximity are the keywords of future sustainable urban living, however, there is less understanding on how to achieve that.  

  Canberra is home to a number of visionary medium density developments dating back from the 1970s, including Michael Dysart’s Urambi Village and Harry Seidler’s Lakeview in Yarralumla. It was a decade of great social and political change that heralded a new sense of national optimism and true innovation in Australian architecture. These designs prioritised liveability and connection to community, with a visionary incorporation of natural light and surrounding bushlands.  

  As Australian attitudes to medium density living are becoming increasingly positive, what lessons can we reclaim from this period and the sites that remains with us? How have approaches changed and what role can architects and governments play in future-proofing medium density developments?  

  Join Dr Milica Muminovic, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Design, Architecture at the University of Canberra, keynote note speaker, Tony Fry and a diverse panel of academics and industry experts as they discuss the future of medium density and what can be gained by examining Canberra’s historic examples.