ABSTRACT
The tale of high-density living sought through urban consolidation policies in Perth, Western Australia, has been one of constant struggle against a definitive market preference for wasteful sprawling suburbs. Recognized today as one of the world’s lowest density urban sprawls, Perth was originally colonized solely for free settlers, who were promised a picturesque and bucolic lifestyle away from the dense and congested urban environments of Britain. Since then, the sprawling urban morphology of Perth has been virtually mandated by government health and planning policies, market forces, cheap fringe land and a fervent belief in a lifestyle that became known as the Great Australian Dream. This chapter examines the history of Perth’s addiction to low-density development, thereby illustrating the challenge faced by introducing higher-density housing and apartment living as an alternative to continual outward growth.
