The High life.

The planning controversy mentioned yesterday has a lot to do with proliferation of Hi-rise residential projects and, in particular, the way they tend to overshadow more traditional forms of housing.

My difficulty with them is that I'm latently acrophobic. I don't really like visiting acquintances who choose to live in the giant complexes springing up south of the river in down-town Melbourne (and probably elsewhere in OZ)... let alone exist in such an environment myself. I know young people working for CBD-based businesses find such accommodations pretty 'swish' and convenient abodes. But, taking a longer view, what about their suitability for children? Though play-ground facilities are probably taken into account by developers(?) what a joy it would be to have to descend something like 30 or 40 floors just to let a kid enjoy a turn on the swings! Similarly, having to ride up the same distance to your haven of rest after a long and stressful day at work can't be all that much fun either?

Ah well ... everyone to his/her own poison.