🚆 Why Australians Aren’t Buying Into Transit-Oriented Developments — And What We Should Be Building Instead

Danny Ghaebi
Jan 2
2 min read

Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) sound like the future: high-density apartments, mixed-use precincts, walkable cities, and thriving hubs around train stations. Politicians love them. Planners promote them. But there’s just one problem.

🏘️ Australians aren’t buying it. Literally.

At OwnerDeveloper, we work on the ground with real homeowners, builders, and investors—and what we’re seeing doesn’t match the headlines.

Here’s the reality check.

🧱 1. The Market Wants Space—Not Slogans

TODs are often designed for singles and couples without kids. But most buyers in the current market? They're families, retirees, and professionals looking for:

Privacy
Room to grow
Driveway and garage access
Local parks and community feel

That’s not what most TODs deliver. Compact apartments above noisy retail strips don’t exactly scream “family living.”

💰 2. Affordability Is Still Out of Reach

The theory goes: Build near transport hubs = more affordable housing. The reality?

Land near stations is expensive
Mixed-use buildings are expensive to build
Planning regulations are slow and complex
The final product? Often not affordable at all

Without meaningful subsidies or incentives, these projects are priced like luxury housing but marketed as social solutions.

🏢 3. Mixed-Use ≠ Mixed Demand

TODs promise vibrant live-work-play communities. But when commercial tenants can’t survive due to low foot traffic, you’re left with:

Empty shops
Low community appeal
Poor returns

It becomes a feedback loop: buyers don’t want to move in, retailers don’t want to rent, and the development struggles to stay alive.

📋 4. Red Tape + Planning Fatigue

Even when the intent is good, the process is broken.

TOD projects face:

Long approval timelines
Council pushback
Unrealistic design conditions
Requirements for public art, open space, sustainability features — all of which add cost and complexity

It’s no wonder many developers walk away before they break ground.

🚗 5. Cultural Reality: Cars Still Rule

TODs want to eliminate car reliance. But ask a family in Western Sydney or a downsizer in Newcastle — most aren’t ready to give up their cars.

Australia’s “dream home” is still a detached house with space and a garage. That’s not changing overnight.

✅ So… What Should We Be Building?

At OwnerDeveloper, we believe the future isn’t about forcing people into high-density boxes.

It’s about building smarter, liveable communities that match real demand.

✔️ Low-rise duplexes in suburban growth zones

✔️ Medium-density townhomes with flexibility

✔️ Custom knockdown-rebuilds that retain neighbourhood character

✔️ Clear site supervision and communication, so builders and families stay aligned from day one

We aren’t anti-TOD. We’re anti-one-size-fits-all. Transit-oriented ideas can work — but only when they are driven by market logic, not political slogans.