OPINION: Where the jobs are – our suburban economy

At least four out of five jobs in Australia’s major cities are in suburban locations, and understanding where the suburban concentrations of employment are has implications for urban development and urban policy.

That’s the view of veteran industry watcher Ross Elliott, a former Executive Director and COO of the PCA, and national Executive Director of the Residential Development Council.

Now an industry consultant, Elliott is working on a series of research pieces in association with research firm

Urban Economics, looking in more detail at the suburban economy of our major centres.

“You could be forgiven for thinking that all the action takes place within five kilometres of the CBDs, based on what we read in much of the property media,” he said.

“But outside this inner circle are the majority of workers in our urban economies and in some locations, the numbers of workers rivals those found in our CBDs.”

Brisbane’s Southside employment lands for example are home to more than 179,000 jobs – more than the CBD.

The Logan and freeway south area alone has around 55,000 jobs, equivalent to a third of the CBD. The density of workers in these areas is much lower than the CBD but in terms of raw numbers, Elliott contends they present a significant opportunity for urban development and improvement.

In Sydney, the western region (above) is home to over 220,000 jobs, roughly equivalent to the CBD and in Melbourne, employment lands to the south east are home to around 150,000 workers, compared to 180,000 in the CBD.

“Suburban employment districts don’t operate at the same densities as our inner cities but they are still substantial in raw numbers and responsible for creating most of the transport movement across our urban areas.”

“Plus, they are significant generators of economic demand for services and products in their own right, as is the CBD.”

“The Urban Land Institute in the USA recognised this some years ago with their work on

‘Transforming Suburban Business Districts’ and it is timely for Australian cities to recognise the opportunities presented by doing the same here.”

The ULI found that suburban business districts in the USA typically feature: a disparate group of uses with little integration; a transport system that offers limited choice other than the private car; an environment generally not pedestrian oriented; and a near absence of civic identity. Australia seems little different, says Elliott.

“If we could add to the economic efficiency and capital value of these suburban employment lands in Australia we could potentially release more economic energy and improve the amenity of areas where the majority of people actually work,” he said.

For more on this research, the full article is

here.