Higher Density Coming to Sydney's North Shore … Very Very Soon

The NSW Government has been talking for years about the renewal of older suburban areas with good general and transport facilities as part of its strategy to get more dwellings in Sydney without sprawl (after all The Metropolitan Strategy identifies that Sydney needs approximately 640,000 new homes by the year 2031 and that’s a lot of development).

But, now they’ve done something about it by approving plans for 4500 dwellings in six north shore suburbs when the Planning Minister, Tony Kelly, approved the Ku-ring-gai Town Centres Local Environmental Plan.  See the media release here.

The plan includes the following development strategies – 

• allowing six storey developments near railway stations,
• permitting small strip shopping centres to become will be transformed into town centres in places like Roseville, Lindfield, Gordon, Pymble and Turramurra
• developing St Ives as a future town centre
• approving another 5500 new dwellings now
• preparing to approve another 10,000 extra dwellings in Ku-ring-gai

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that residents of these north shore  garden suburbs ‘campaigned hard against the plan, arguing it is an overdevelopment that will see the destruction of up to 700 heritage homes … and that the rail line and Pacific Highway are at capacity and the new homes will choke the area’. 

This is nothing new as the Ku-ring-gai local residents were instrumental it ending the dual occupancy frenzy in Sydney during the later 1990s by opposing most developments of that kind and leading to changes in the LEP and planning controls.

But, the centralising of planning powers in the NSW Department of Planning over the last few years and the development of the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy has by-passed local views in Sydney’s north shore that oppose higher density.

And, if you work in strata then it seems Sydney’s north shore will also be a better market than ever before.

Francesco ...

OCN Spreads the Strata Message in June

The  Owners Corporation Network is running day workshops in June for strata owners to teach them the facts of strata living.

The  workshops (called The Essentials of Strata Living – What Every Owner Needs to Know) are for  owners in strata apartments who want to learn more about –

• getting the best out of apartment living
• protecting their home and their investment

The workshops are particularly focused on helping executive committee members to know their rights and responsibilities in managing their strata scheme.

The workshop are being held at the Kirribilli Club in Lavendar Bay  on 12 June 2010 and 26 June 2010 between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm and cost $60 for non-members.  And, they’re presented by some knowledgeable strata people.

So, why not spend a day immersed in strata learning ? You can register here.

And, why not join OCN ?  You can find our more about membership and/or join here.

See you at the workshops.

Francesco ….

Street Art … San Francisco Style

Even more on street art in urban environs today …

Things are a bit more risqué in San Francisco than many other parts of the world including in relation to graffiti and street art.

In fact something called Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo has been created to captures the essence of San Francisco: community, diversity, color, expression.  

As one person said - “It's a city that belongs to its artists, and this book feels that way too."            

Birthed in the early 1970s, a provocative new street art scene transformed San Francisco’s legendary Mission District into an art epicenter that crosses popular culture, fine art and political audiences. “Mission Muralismo,” is an ever-growing movement of accomplished street art combining elements of Mexican mural painting, surrealism, pop art, urban punk, eco-warrior, cartoon, and guerilla graffiti that has catapulted many San Francisco artists into the international spotlight.

Now a book, called Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo, edited by Annice Jacoby [Abrams; June 2009; hardcover] showcases these vibrant works in hundreds of color photographs, with in-depth commentary by the artists who produced them and Mission-savvy writers including a foreword by Grammy Award Winner Carlos Santana.  Featuring over 500 full-color photographs and 30 essays, including artists R. Crumb, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Barry McGee (TWIST), Rigo, and Spain Rodriguez, Street Art San Francisco comprehensively exposes more than three decades of this expansive and vibrant public art movement. 

Buy it on Amazon.com here.

Or, just look at the cool images below.

Francesco ....