Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has called on Melbourne to embrace higher-density housing development if the city wants to remain affordable and maintain its social diversity.
De Blasio, who led New York from 2014 to 2021, argued that building upward is essential for cities facing housing affordability pressures, and that Melbourne must follow a similar path to avoid pricing out lower and middle-income residents.
His comments add an international voice to an ongoing debate about how Australian cities should respond to housing shortages, with Melbourne under increasing pressure to accommodate a growing population while keeping homes within reach of everyday residents.
