Home-making in Higher Density Cities: Residential Experiences in Newcastle, Australia

Increasing residential densities by promoting urban in-fill housing is a central element of contemporary Australian urban strategy. Such increases will rely, in part, on maintaining a resident appetite for higher density housing forms. Despite the important role that residents' tastes, values and experiences play in securing the success of current urban strategy, there are relatively few accounts of resident experiences in higher density urban in-fill housing. This article focuses on resident experiences in such housing using a qualitative case study based in the regional city of Newcastle, NSW. Through the lens of home-making', this article explores affective connections between residents and their housing. It attends to personalisation and neighbouring, and demonstrates how residents engage in site-specific material and social home-making practices that both enable and constrain their ability to be at home' in higher density housing.