Rising demand for walkability attracts buyers to new Lavender Bay apartments

Twenty minutes. That’s how long it takes to walk from Blue at Lavender Bay, one of the lower north shore’s newest apartment projects, to Circular Quay.

Ray Karslake, the development director for Aqualand, reckons he has done it in 15 minutes, but more from him later.

As Sydney’s population booms – expected to top 6 million by 2028 – infrastructure projects are chipping away at the city’s maddening traffic woes, creating a fresh crop of bottlenecks in the process.

Against this backdrop, being able to walk to where you work and play is rocketing up house-hunters’ wish lists. Developers are busy promoting their projects’ walkability credentials, while agents are quick to point out which properties will enable residents to ditch their cars for good.

At West End in Glebe from Roxy Pacific, nearly half the apartments don’t have car spaces, a situation agent Ian Bennett of Colliers International, says “hasn’t been a problem at all” for the project, which is a few hundred metres from two light rail stops.

Meanwhile, Frasers Property Australia describes its Tailor’s Walk development in Botany as “a walkable community … seamlessly connected to Botany Village and the wider community”. The three-hectare site is vehicle-free at ground level, with underground parking accessible via side streets.

More than just a real estate buzzword, walkability is attracting the attention of urban planners, sustainability experts, public health researchers and politicians.

Domain chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson says the growth of higher density living in Sydney has residents eschewing cars – even bicycles – in favour of walking, particularly in inner-suburban areas. “This will only increase with rising demand for high-rise living,” Wilson says. “Walkability will become increasingly a focus for planners and developers to ensure this emerging trend is consolidated.”

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In the 2013 paper Sydney’s Walking Future, the NSW transport department outlined how it planned to create a culture of walking as a “vital part of the transport mix”.

There are even indices that rate the pedestrian-friendliness of different suburbs. The American company Walk Score evaluates the walkability of suburbs in Australia, the US and Canada, providing scores out of 100 based on distance to amenities and pedestrian friendliness.

Milsons Point, where Blue at Lavender Bay is located, is one of the highest rated suburbs on the north shore with a Walk Score of 91. This places it in the “Walker’s Paradise” category, meaning daily errands don’t require a car.

The message that is emerging is that encouraging people to make more walking trips can ease pressure on public transport, reduce congestion on roads, create more sociable places to live and visit and – importantly for the nation’s waistline – help make people fitter and healthier. All this, and it’s easy on the bank balance, too.

Justin Brown, the chairman of residential projects for CBRE, says his agency has experienced a surge in demand for properties within easy walking distance of everyday amenities. And where demand rises, price growth follows. “Areas such as Potts Point, Surry Hills and Barangaroo have been prime examples,” Brown says. “Other areas, such as Mosman and Double Bay, where the villages have everything people desire, have also been strongly sought after.”

Lavender Bay, next to Milsons Point, hit the headlines last year when it topped 555 suburbs in Sydney for overall liveability, according to a study commissioned by Domain. The study factored in access to employment, public transport, schools and shopping. It also considered several quintessentially Sydney factors, such as water views, ferry access and proximity to beaches.

Lavender Bay, which hugs the harbour between Milsons Point and McMahons Point, offers quick and easy access to north Sydney’s business district and, over the harbour, the Sydney central business district. There’s a gaggle of excellent schools in the neighbourhood, water views in abundance and the leafy gem that is Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden. Unusually for Sydney, the area is serviced by buses, trains and ferries.

“Everything is within walking distance,” Brown says. “You have Sydney’s two major business centres, a train station, the vibrant villages of Kirribilli and McMahons Point, gyms, North Sydney Pool and beautiful waterfront walks. This is very difficult to replicate in Sydney – there really isn’t any need for a car.”

For Blue at Lavender Bay, developer Aqualand is planning a complete overhaul of a 1970s commercial building. Constructed before current height controls were introduced, the 21-storey building on a ridge on Lavender Street offers fantastic views north and south.

Karslake says the design, overseen by architect Andrew Andersons of PTW, will transform the building into a collection of 129 luxuriously appointed residences.

“We’re ripping out everything, taking off the facade, attaching curved balconies and winter gardens and relocating the core,” Karslake says. “One of the big advantages of refurbishing an office building is that the ceilings are higher. The average floor-to-floor height in this building is 3.2 metres.”

Interior finishes include Gaggenau appliances, natural stone as a feature in the kitchens, custom joinery and stone floors.

The project is expected to prove popular among young single professionals who work in the city and enjoy an active lifestyle, older singles done with the hassle of maintaining a house and downsizers seeking a more cosmopolitan lifestyle. Residents will also benefit from north Sydney’s residential renaissance, with more apartment buildings predicted to foster a more vibrant after-hours scene in the neighbourhood.

“Blue at Lavender Bay is really close to the Sydney CBD and everything the city offers, without being caught up in all the hustle and bustle,” Karslake says. “You can retreat to your quiet village and look out over the harbour to the city. This really is the best of both worlds.”

A display suite at level 8, 61 Lavender Street, Milsons Point is due to open on August 12 before sales launch on September 9. 

See more of the project here or download the Domain app to search for more apartments for sale in Sydney