With less private space, apartment residents are assumed to rely on public spaces for physical, social and recreational activities. Yet little is known about which spaces they use and why, and what they would prefer. Expected outcomes include tailored, equitable evidence-based recommendations for public open space planning and apartment design guidelines. Benefits include the delivery of sustainable high-density precincts that cater to community needs.
The benefits of green public open spaces are well known. A considerable body of evidence associates public open space with physical activity, psychological wellbeing, and general health among urban residents. However, there little understanding of which public spaces apartment residents use, for what purposes, and what they would prefer. Moreover, the assumption that apartment residents have an increased reliance on public open space to compensate for limited private indoor and outdoor, and communal space, has not been comprehensively evaluated. Such evidence is vital to inform the design of apartment developments, the planning of apartment precincts, and the provision of ‘fit-for-purpose’ POS in higher density neighbourhoods.
