Gone are the days of the quarter acre blocks in Sydney and the 600sqm lots in Melbourne.

The demand for intelligent small homes on manageable tiny lots is a growing phenomenon. That movement will comfortably meet the housing challenges we face and will continue to face in the future.

Small lots will require a full overhaul of our archaic planning laws and strategic thinking which was appropriate for the 1980’s. They deliver poor use of space, waste building materials which in turn deliver higher CO2 emissions.

Councils love those inefficient hipped roofs and recessed upper floors- both of which waste building materials- to mimic neighbourhood character which will become irrelevant in the future.

Millennials are spending less time at home and require maintenance free living on the ground. It’s almost their equivalent of apartment living on the ground.

Site coverage should increase, permeability issues resolved through onsite detention or roof gardens and the 35% garden areas are wasteful and almost non-existent in inner city living were communities are bonding and sharing more. To provide safer living for our citizens

Garden design should undergo a revolution and need not be on the ground only.  There are more ways of greening space than just lawns.

Parts of living spaces like laundries and courtyards can be shared which in turn will reduce the building footprint.

The next challenge is the removal of the archaic parking requirements.

Bicycles, electric vehicles, shared driving and community ownership of vehicles means less land being dedicated to the double garage- which is almost the size of a studio living space. Do we want to accommodate cars of humans in our cities?

Small lot community living suburbs will be able purchase essential services like water and electricity in bulk and share the savings with the residents.

Subdivisions will consequently yield more lots and provide affordable home ownership.

Property titles can go back to Community title or in some cases Company title instead of the standard Torrens or strata titled medium density living where Architects and designers are better placed at maximising use of space.

The introduction of dual key  living and granny flats make common sense solutions to mitigate the housing crisis- but both are being rejected by some Victorian councils.