Urban Optimism Series: Unbanning Beauty

As the Victorian Government reviews the state's planning regulations, YIMBY Melbourne brings together three industry leaders at The Capitol Theatre to share their perspectives on the future of our built environment. The evening features three standalone presentations detailing the flaws in Victoria's planning system and offering practical solutions for reform. The presentations conclude with an open Q&A and an evening of networking with local enthusiasts and industry professionals in the Capitol Theatre foyer.

• Andrew Maynard (Austin Maynard Architects)

• Colleen Peterson (Ratio Consultants)

• Kerstin Thompson (Kerstin Thompson Architects)
  

Andrew Maynard Presentation Highlights

• Critiques "Wedding Cake" Formats: Andrew targets the planning requirements that force stepped-back, "wedding cake" building designs. He demonstrates how taking chunks out of upper levels creates clumsy structures, wastes internal space, and introduces severe waterproofing, structural, and thermal defects.

• Advocates for 6-Storey Street Walls: He presents the case for continuous six-storey street walls - mirroring standard urban forms in major global cities. Building straight up preserves passive street surveillance, maximises thermal efficiency, and keeps construction costs down.

• Exposes the Cost of Planning Friction: Using an active VCAT project as a case study, Andrew reveals how arbitrary setbacks, lost housing yield, and prolonged legal disputes add over $300,000 in unnecessary expenses to each apartment - driving up market prices and stripping budget away from sustainable features and build quality.

• Calls for Planning Certainty: He urges councils to empower their front-line planning staff, establish clear, mandatory design envelopes, and stop pushing quality housing projects into long, costly appeals processes.