It is not enough to mandate an area “mixed use” and hope that the market will follow. A successful mixed use urban development requires more active planning and consideration than simple re-zoning.

Traditionally, it was quite common for people to have a business downstairs and live above the shopfront, but with the rapid industrialisation of the 20th Century and the proliferation of private vehicles came low density living and an increasing segregation of uses.

Now, with the growing concern about the width and breadth of urban sprawl, and the associated problems with transport and sustainability, there has been renewed interest in mixed use developments.

But while “mixed use” is a planning buzz term, there needs to be greater appreciation of what is required to prevent lost opportunities and ensure a development’s success. 

There would be little benefit, for example, of zoning an area “mixed use” in a suburb such as Woodvale and expecting commercial and residential markets to follow. There is no train station within walkable distance, very little nightlife, few restaurants… what is there to persuade people to give up a quarter acre block elsewhere to come to live in a much smaller apartment in the area? And why would commercial operators move in without the critical mass of residents?

We have seen with the likes of the development of Clarkson train station that there needs to be better planning. It was intended that the area around the precinct would be mixed use. But because the development was still in the early stages it wasn’t viable for commercial operators to locate there. They needed the population to support the activity and this required time. Ultimately the developer wanted to sell the land to maximise return and it reverted to the old model of single-use residential. 

There are certain prerequisites for a successful mixed use urban development:

• Proximity to reliable, efficient, public transport. When mixed use works, one of the big benefits is the reduction in travel demands, bringing the commuter’s origin and destination closer together -  one of the key features of a sustainable urban development;
• Proximity to employment, retail and commercial activity;
• An awareness of what the key clientele wants;
• A mix of uses that will complement and support each other, so they reinforce the development. Retail is a good example of a land use that is highly compatible with residential activity; light industrial, on the other hand, causes a number of negative externallities such as pollution and noise and is unlikely to complement or support residential activity;
• The general amenity of the area needs to appeal to residents because they are ultimately sacrificing their private space. There needs to be trade-offs such as cafes, restaurants, public open spaces and parks to make it worthwhile surrendering the quarter acre block;
• Provide the right context for commercial activity – ie the provide a critical mass of residential population to support viable trade or in the short term provide incentives from business to locate in the area

If the mixed use development is not well planned and implemented short-term goals will invariably take precedence over long-term strategies, as was the case with Clarkson. Rather than helping combat the problems of urban sprawl, the result is the reverse and all we end up with is yet another dormitory suburb.