Abstract: The Australian urban form is increasingly becoming an inherently complex place in which to plan for. In part these complexities stem from the growing need to focus on existing locations that play their own distinct role within the urban milieu. In part this milieu is wrapped up in the world(s) of existing housing markets and sub-markets. To illustrate these complexities this paper draws upon three projects exploring the social implications of compact cities espoused in the current metropolitan strategies, we explore the approaches employed and assess their success and limitations.

This research has collected and analysed data and information at two levels. One has been through the analysis of Census data of the populations living in higher-density housing. The other source has been through rigorously structured surveys and interviews with such residents.

The paper attempts to practically engage with ongoing debates on the nature of urban analysis by examining the relationship between broad (sometimes aspatial) analysis and the complexities of the real world. In providing a critical assessment of our success (or otherwise) in reconciling the two, questions are raised regarding the potential dangers of conflation between identifying the segmentation of markets drivers over space and the spatiality of markets. In so doing issues of scale and geography come into play. Building upon this, the paper advances a more hybrid approach, one that melds housing submarket understanding with ongoing debates in spatial planning paradigms, to develop metropolitan planning functions.