Melbourne city planner reckons that bigger cities are better cities: Rob Adams at TEDxSydney

Overview

Rob Adams (TEDxSydney) argues that bigger, denser cities can be better cities, particularly as climate change forces urgent urban reform. He notes that cities already house about half of the world’s population, and that this share is projected to rise to roughly 70% over the coming decades—meaning urban areas must quickly “double” capacity. Because cities produce the majority share of greenhouse gas emissions, he frames climate change as an urban planning problem, not only an environmental one.

Critique of “utopian” post–Industrial Revolution ideas

Adams critiques two approaches that were widely promoted after the Industrial Revolution:

1. Modernism’s functional separation

   • The push to rationalize and separate city functions allegedly produced poor living environments, including in parts of Asia.

2. Countryside living with commuting

   • The belief that people could live in the countryside and commute to cities assumed transport would remain uncrowded.
   • He argues this shaped infrastructure patterns that concentrate daily movement, creating inefficiency and vulnerability.

Fringe expansion: social and financial costs (Melbourne example)

Using Melbourne as a case study, Adams argues that expanding outward at the urban fringe (adding land at the perimeter) is costly in both social and financial terms.

• He cites a study suggesting peripheral residents face increasing financial and social isolation.
• He contrasts long-term costs of fringe housing development with infill development, quoting large cost differences over 50 years.

Optimistic examples of urban transformation (EU-focused cases)

Adams highlights transformations he studied for the European Union, including:

• Glasgow

  • After failing socially/economically following post-war decentralization, it later centralized and improved outcomes.

• Bordeaux

  • Investment in high-quality public transport and public spaces helped draw people back into the city.

• Malmo

  • After industrial decline, redevelopment included downtown institutions and “zero-carbon” style urbanism.

• Bogotá (with Enrique Peñalosa)

  • Prioritizing walking, cycling, and transit over cars, plus building bikeways and parks, is linked to a major reduction in crime.

A “transformational” tactic: reuse instead of rebuild

Adams emphasizes a “transformational” strategy: repurposing existing infrastructure/buildings. For example, after the late-1980s property crash, cities could convert redundant office buildings into residential use, substantially changing city centers without building everything from scratch.

The “7.5% city” proposal

Adams’s central method is what he calls the “7.5% city”: doubling urban population by using a small fraction of additional land more efficiently, mainly through transit-linked growth:

• 6.5% around rail-linked activity centers

  • These locations can support high density because they connect to the center by rail, rather than requiring radial commuting patterns.

• ~3% along road-based public transport corridors

  • He argues tram/bus corridors are currently underutilized.

Planning capacity analysis (Melbourne)

He describes a detailed capacity analysis for Melbourne, including steps such as:

• Mapping and filtering parcels across the metro area
• Excluding central-city/activity-center properties
• Excluding land uses like parks/public use/industry
• Focusing on sites with alternative access suitable for good street design

He reports thousands of eligible sites where increased density along transit corridors could raise city populations significantly—presenting figures up to about 2.4 million living adjacent to tram/bus routes, potentially achievable with mid-rise development (roughly up to 5–6 stories along those corridors).

Important constraint: no high-rise sprawl into suburbia

He stresses that the strategy should not push high-rise development deeper into surrounding residential neighborhoods. Instead, height and street rhythm should be used as a planning mechanism to manage change (including examples such as Swanson Street), while keeping the broader suburb character largely intact.

“Green wedges” for the rest of suburbia

Adams claims ~90% of suburbia can remain largely unchanged—reframed as the city’s “green lung,” supported by environmental upgrades such as:

• photovoltaics on roofs,
• productive back gardens,
• water capture,
• more street trees,
• and local amenities.

Fast-tracking planning + reallocating road space

Planning simplification

Adams argues Melbourne should streamline planning rules by:

• reducing lengthy strategic plans into fewer zoning/area categories,
• making development easier in targeted “red” areas where change is desired.

He also suggests other governments are already making similar shifts, including re-timing or reprioritizing public transport benefits.

Congestion and road space strategy

To address congestion concerns, he argues cities should reallocate road space toward buses and trams rather than increasing car capacity. He cites evidence that:

• people near public transport tend to drive less,
• public transport users often get built-in walking/exercise as part of daily routines,
• and the resulting health improvements can reduce costs (he cites obesity-related costs).

Demographics and housing demand

He argues the demand side supports density:

• apartments in many Melbourne areas are selling faster than detached houses,
• the fastest-growing age group (people over 50) is increasing.

He also suggests older residents often want community proximity to the central city rather than peripheral fringe living (e.g., larger homes on the outskirts).

Construction methods and energy costs

Adams adds operational and technology arguments:

• Unitized/prefabricated construction

  • He claims it can deliver multi-unit housing faster and at lower cost.

• Solar cost myth

  • He argues the fear that solar is too expensive is outdated, pointing to rapid declines in solar PV costs and expecting greater benefits as energy prices rise.
  • He urges removing fear/uncertainty to accelerate adoption.

Closing vision

He concludes with a familiar—rather than futuristic—urbanism vision:

• more trees,
• solar panels,
• water collection,
• and mid-rise buildings along tram corridors,

presented as both sustainable and socially better than the current model. He hopes cities like Melbourne “get on the agenda,” and he notes Dubai as a place where urban reform should be discussed.

Presenters or Contributors (as referenced)

• Rob Adams (main speaker)
• Saul (referenced regarding hosting the Olympics; context implies a political/city leadership figure)
• Enrique Peñalosa (Bogotá)
• HRI / “Vampire” study (Griffith University study; not a named individual)
• Albert Einstein (referenced)
• Australian Government / Victorian Government (referenced as institutions)
• Architects of Australia (referenced as producing urbanism proposals)
• N Cates build (referenced as a builder/manufacturer for unitized development)
• ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics; referenced for data)