Determining Optimum Design Density for 20-minute Neighbourhoods

The 20-minute neighbourhood faces a unique challenge: more people are needed to support adequate opportunities to promote living locally whereas more opportunities mean less land for residential use to accommodate more people. This study maps 20-minute neighbourhoods for Melbourne’s statistical areas (SA1) and estimates optimum population density for a 20-minute neighbourhood. The results show that, on an average distance to CBD, 19 different types of opportunities and services can be supported at 36 dwellings/ha (optimum). The study reports a range of planning standards at different combinations of density and distance factors.