There was also a 10 per cent jump in support for intensifying development in Sydney’s CBD and in inner-city suburbs in the past two years.
The results showed more people in Sydney were open to apartment living: 37 per cent said they would consider living in an apartment in the future, up from 33 per cent a year ago.
The survey suggests attitudes towards higher density development throughout Sydney are softening.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
One of the most significant shifts in attitudes was in Sydney’s northern suburbs, where 52 per cent of residents said they would consider living in a unit, compared to 40 per cent last year.
Despite this, half of Sydneysiders did not believe apartments were an appropriate place to raise a family, compared to 35 per cent who did and 15 per cent who were unsure.
Levinson said: “When you dig into their reasons – not enough space to raise a family, not enough space for children to play and make friends, privacy, pets – all those issues could be addressed upfront in design or through regulatory reform. We think these are eminently solvable problems.”
Access to public transport, proximity to family and friends, and a nice street were the attributes people most wanted in their neighbourhood, as well as proximity to jobs, schools, sports fields and parks.
Sydneysiders covet neighbourhoods that are close to public transport and social networks.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Levinson said these priorities highlighted the importance of “density done well”, particularly as the NSW government planned to build more apartments around train stations – a policy that had drawn a mixed response from councils and residents in some areas.
“People are happy to make that move to density, but they want all those things that make it a good area,” he said. “If we’re serious about driving that move to more dense urban areas around train stations, we’ve got to make sure we’re hitting all these targets.”
The report found younger Sydneysiders were increasingly reaching for the Australian dream of owning their own home, despite the city’s stubbornly high property prices. It found 53 per cent of Gen X respondents cited homeownership as important or essential, up from 40 per cent last year.
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Levinson said while the reason for Gen X’s desire to buy a home was unclear, Sydney had to contend with its emphasis on ownership and create better conditions for renters.
“If this is a generation that is most likely to be renting for life, we need to set suitable controls that make renting an aspirational option for people like it is in other countries.”
The survey also asked Sydneysiders to pinpoint the most critical matters facing the city in 2025.
About 65 per cent of people cited inflation and the cost of living, while 57 per cent chose housing affordability. Those issues were trailed by the economy, healthcare, hospitals and transport.
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