A significant share of Brisbane land rezoned for higher-density housing may be unable to deliver the apartments and townhouses envisioned by planners, according to new Griffith University research.
The study found that only about half of the city’s land zoned for multiple dwellings is large enough to meet the minimum site requirements, raising fresh questions about how Brisbane will achieve its long-term housing targets.
Zoning Alone May Not Be Enough
Dr Rachel Gallagher, from Griffith University’s Department of Tourism and Marketing, examined Brisbane’s zoning maps alongside land parcel data to assess how much upzoned land could realistically be redeveloped.
Her analysis found that while a typical Brisbane residential block measures around 400 square metres, at least 600 square metres is generally needed to accommodate multiple dwellings.
As a result, only 51.2 per cent of land currently zoned for townhouses and apartments satisfies the minimum lot size requirement.
Dr Gallagher said many property owners would need to combine neighbouring lots through land assembly before redevelopment became possible, but described the process as difficult, slow and relatively uncommon.
Housing Supply Goals Face Practical Challenges
Brisbane has increasingly relied on upzoning to boost housing supply by encouraging more homes to be built within existing suburbs.
However, the research suggests much of that planned capacity may prove difficult to realise.
The Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Regional Plan requires Brisbane to deliver more than 210,000 additional homes by 2046. Almost 90 per cent of those dwellings are expected to come from higher-density development in established suburbs, making infill housing a cornerstone of the city’s growth strategy.
Physical Constraints Matter
Dr Gallagher’s earlier research found higher-density projects were most likely to occur on larger sites, in areas already planned for greater density and where supporting infrastructure was available.
The latest study found many newly upzoned areas do not meet those conditions.
Beyond minimum lot sizes, the research noted that neighbourhood character protections, vehicle access requirements and parking provisions could create further barriers to redevelopment.
Dr Gallagher said planning policies also needed to recognise market demand, warning that upzoning in lower-demand areas may increase land values without generating additional housing, while restrictive zoning continued to limit development opportunities in suburbs where demand remained strong.
She said policymakers should place greater emphasis on the physical characteristics of individual sites, arguing that factors such as land size ultimately determine whether planning decisions can achieve their intended outcomes.
The findings have been published in the journal Urban Policy and Research in the paper Misaligned Policy and Practice: Does Upzoning’s Implicit Reliance on Land Assembly Undermine Densification Goals?
Published 22-June-2026
