FACTBase Special Report - Perth as a region of 2 million people

Nine months in the making, the latest FACTBase Special Report by the Committee for Perth examines and maps the urban settlement patterns that have shaped Perth’s morphology as a region of 2 million people.

The report finds that the Greater Perth region is of a lower-density and is more dispersed compared to major Australian capitals of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane but remains a place where the traditional “Australian Dream” is still a reality. However the report also finds that Perth lacks high-intensity, mixed-use hubs and a bustling city centre.

Key Findings

• The “Australian Dream” still exists in Perth, although the size of backyards is shrinking.
• Greater Perth remains the most suburban of the four major Australia capital cities.
• In WA, the rate of home ownership was below the Australian average from the 1960’s - mid-2010, however now at 64%, WA is currently higher than the national average.
• Perth currently lacks a large number of high intensity mixed use residential, employment and entertainment hubs. Perth’s top hubs include Perth City; Osborne Park; Subiaco/Shenton Park; Wembley/West Leederville, Glendalough and Mount Hawthorn/Leederville.
• Greater Perth is notable among Australian capitals for its low and relatively uniform population densities. In Greater Perth, population densities are more consistently suburban than other capitals.
• The Perth region does not exhibit a significant spike in population density in its city’s inner urban core.
• Perth City centre is the lowest mixed-use city centre and exhibits low employment and population density compared other Australian capitals.
• In Greater Perth, the top 20 mixed-use hubs are dispersed throughout inner urban and middle suburban locations, while in Melbourne and Brisbane they are highly centralised.