Matt Bowes

Apartment design standards do not magically remove tradeoffs, or make large family apartments cheaper. Requiring apartments be larger and harder to build simply raises the floor of the market, and many chose not to live in the homes built to those standards when given the choice.

But Bagg’s work shows that taking a practical view of democracy’s benefits doesn’t have to detract from its richness. In a time when mature democracies around the globe are facing new threats, it’s a useful guide for reformers everywhere.

I don’t agree with all of Bagg’s specific policy recommendations for democratic reforms. That’s understandable - there will always be disagreement as to what kinds of state capture are most threatening to our democracy at a particular point in time.

Recently in my research at the Grattan Institute, I’ve been thinking a lot about Australian democracy: the factors that have made it successful, the challenges it faces, and how we can make it better. A few thoughts on one of the books that’s helped me with these questions. 🧵

@yimbymelbourne One topic we discussed was that Australian is a highly urbanised country that doesn’t often conceive of itself in that way. I hope that the insights of great urbanists like Alain help us see how important our cities are to Australia's prosperity and culture.

@yimbymelbourne It was also great to hear Alain reflect about the many things Australian cities get right: in particular our many great public spaces and parks, and the vibrant retail precincts that define our inner cities.

Was absolutely thrilled to take part in a panel this week alongside the great Alain Bertaud, as part of an event organised by @yimbymelbourne. In my time researching housing policy at the Grattan Institute, Alain’s work has been both a guide and an inspiration.

Yesterday at our 'How to tackle Sydney's housing crisis' event, Grattan housing policy expert Matthew Bowes laid out where planning reform stands - and what still needs to change in NSW. Read the findings and download the report here: buff.ly/2VTS3ag

You can find the full presentation on our website at the link below. 7/ grattan.edu.au/news/how-to-ta…

Townhouses and flats are just one part of the housing puzzle Australian cities face. But they deserve policymakers’ attention because they’re among the most straightforward opportunities for reform - and we can’t afford to let these kinds of opportunities pass us by. 6/

Excited to have been in Sydney today presenting on some of our research as part of a Grattan Institute event on ‘How to tackle Sydney’s housing crisis’. Here's a short summary🧵