“One would expect to see very similar developments in other locales and cities in Australia or internationally,” he said. Apartments developments across Sydney from inner-city Darling Square to suburban Kogarah, Canterbury Road and Dee Why look strikingly similar. “When the city is generic, it is unloved and therefore not looked after by its occupants,” Professor Knapp said. 'Out of whack' Not all residents of the Sutherland Shire share Mr Gallen's enthusiasm for the development, which houses 749 apartments and a shopping centre in seven buildings between five and 13 storeys high.

The council, which did not approve the development, does not appear to share his enthusiasm for the project either. “Council did not support the development in the form proposed,” a council spokeswoman said. She said the council had made several submissions to the NSW government during the approval process expressing concern about the height and density of the development as well as its impact on traffic and parking in the area. Concerns have been expressed about the strain on local infrastructure that will be caused by the South Village development. Credit:John Veage “Council raised concerns about the scale of the development, building form and height and how the proposal will integrate with the existing Kirrawee Town Centre,” she said.

She said the council had a “constructive working relationship” with the developer to improve roads and build a public park. Community activist Neil de Nett is critical of the scale of South Village and its impact on local infrastructure - concerns he said were echoed by many other people in the area. “It is a monstrosity,” he said. “It dominates the skyline and is visible from all directions. Community activist Neil de Nett described South Village as a "mostrosity". Credit:Chris Lane “It is totally out of whack with Kirrawee. It will have a severe impact on schools, small shops in Kirrawee [and] parking.”

A spokeswoman for Deicorp said South Village had been designed to retain the suburb’s “village atmosphere” and allow residents to engage with each other as a community in facilities such as the park. The development was close to a train station, she said. “Both local and state government authorities are working with our project team to improve the streets immediately around our project.” A concept plan for the development was approved by the former Planning Assessment Commission in 2012 after consideration of issues including traffic and the height and scale of the development. South Village is being built on the former brick pit site at Kirrawee. Credit:Dean Sewell A spokesman for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment said that approval provided “clear requirements” to ensure the buildings would be well designed in accordance with industry best practice.

The department has since made further design quality reforms with the introduction of Better Placed, which sets out principles to create “great places” for new developments, he said. Chris Johnson, the chief executive of Urban Taskforce Australia, a lobby group for property developers, said South Village was well-designed and an improvement on older, smaller apartment blocks. Loading “Some decades ago flats and apartments were associated with red texture brick walk-up flats that spread across Sydney,” he said. “Their design was poor and they did not create parks and amenities that led to a community spirit.” Mr Johnson said the South Village development was located close to a train station, schools and cinemas and town centre shopping in Miranda.

“On top of this the development reinterprets the history of the site through keeping the archaeology of the old kilns from the brick pit days,” he said. 'Relatively generic' Professor Chris Knapp, the chair of architecture at Western Sydney University, said he thought it was unfair to call the development a monstrosity. “But let’s discuss what this project appears to be, which is a fairly conventional developer-led project that meets an acceptable aesthetic standard of “modern” appearance,” he said. However, Professor Knapp said “it might not ignite inspiration for the soul”.

Professor Knapp said the developer had made a good effort to retain and relate the development to existing native vegetation and the site’s history as a brick pit: “But beyond this, the project could be anywhere, and in general, people want to feel more attached to where they live.” He expressed support for increasing housing density across Sydney, especially areas with transport options and former industrial sites. Loading But he said: “Going to 13 floors is likely too intense for this area when it is the first big project in the district. It will be very disruptive visually. But, over time other multi-unit development will follow.” Architect Penelope Seidler said proper planning to provide open space and access to amenities such as transport, schools and shopping was vital.

Ms Seidler expressed concern about two developments that promise to loom large over Sydney’s CBD. “The proposed tower replacing the Gold Fields building at Circular Quay is outrageous - a 59-storey tower on the waterfront casting shadows all along George Street is bad planning. It will dominate the area,” she said. “Also the casino development at Barangaroo will be a disaster and will loom over the CBD, it should never have been approved.” Sydney's generic building boom Other developments that have polarised opinion

Meriton's $400 million Lighthouse development includes two 17-storey towers housing 351 apartments in Dee Why's new town centre. Credit:James Brickwood Dee Why: Meriton’s $400 million Lighthouse development includes two 17-storey towers housing 351 apartments in Dee Why’s new town centre. Darling Square: Built on the site of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Lendlease's development includes 1500 apartments, 60 shops and commercial offices. Kogarah: The Princes Highway at Kogarah has been transformed by medium-density apartments developments. Canterbury Road: Apartment developments along Canterbury Road have been criticised for straining local infrastructure and turning the area into "a noisy, polluted and harsh environment".