Place Forecast Update #17: Density, map labels, and scenario switching

We've updated Place Forecast with density across the board, labels on every map, and a new way to switch between scenarios.

Density, three ways

How many people live in a square kilometre? How many dwellings sit on a hectare? And how many people live in medium-or-high-density dwellings per square kilometre? Three different questions, three different audiences, three new reports.

(Population density comparison of small areas of Whitehorse (here))

Population density (persons/km²) is total population divided by land area. The ABS uses this to show where people are concentrated, and how that pattern is projected to change.

Dwellings density (dwellings/hectare) is the planner's unit. It compares housing intensity across areas, and reads against zoning, structure plans, and housing targets.

Population in dwellings density (persons/km²) combines the two. Filter by structure type (detached, medium or high density, non-private) to see how many people live in that type of housing per square kilometre, projected over time. It's the natural building block for service-demand planning. How is the population in apartments, detached houses, or non-private dwellings going to change in this small area, and what does that mean for the services a council needs to plan?

(Population density of Whitehorse (here), dwellings density of Whittlesea (here), and population in dwellings density of Gingin (here))

Each report comes with its own plain-language explainer: Population density, Dwellings density, and Population in dwellings density. They cover the gross-density definition, the static-geometry caveat, and why density isn't the same thing as crowding.

And, of course, each report comes with filters and comparison pages.

Area size, on every area

Density needs a denominator, so every area now carries its size: square kilometres for everything from suburbs to LGAs, square metres for mesh blocks. You'll see it on every area detail page, and on the areas list, you can now sort by size. The bars next to each area name make the comparison visual.

(Small areas of Whittlesea with area size information (here))

Labels on every map

Maps without labels are puzzles. Maps with labels are stories. Two updates here.

On the choropleth comparison map, connector lines now reach out to label each small area without overlapping the colour fill. The labels reposition themselves to avoid overlap, with the connectors bending around the geometry.

(Population comparison of small areas of Broken Hill (here))

On the areas page map, area names now sit directly on the geometry as a label overlay, with a layout pass that keeps them readable as you zoom. Toggle them on or off with the button on the left of the map. Hover, click, and highlight behaviour got cleaned up at the same time.

(Areas of Whittlesea (here))

Switch scenarios with one click

Until now, jumping between scenarios meant going back to your forecast list.

Now the scenario badge in the page header is clickable. It opens a popover listing all the scenarios you can access, with the current one marked. Click another, and you land on the equivalent page in that scenario. Comparing fertility rates between Main and Growth? Two clicks, never leaving the page.

(Scenario information and navigation for Whittlesea)

Want to see it in action? Reply to this email to book a walkthrough.

It's been a while since we shared a client milestone. Newsletter #4 (July 2024) was the last time we celebrated the arrival of our fifth. We're now at 16.

A warm welcome to the eleven councils who have joined us since: Wollondilly, Wanneroo, Gawler, Gingin, Subiaco, Mid Murray, Weddin, Junee, South Perth, Cambridge, and Whitehorse. And a heartfelt thank you to the original five who started this journey with us: Whittlesea, Carpentaria, Temora, Vincent, and Broken Hill.

Where a council's name is linked, their forecast is publicly accessible. Click through to see real client work in the wild.

Sixteen councils are trusting us with their demographic projections. That's a milestone we are super happy about.

Andrew and Bernd from Place Info

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