Expect to see more townhouses pop up in and around Brisbane as the nation's two largest residential developers place medium-density development high on their agenda.

With property analysts predicting Generation Y might never desire a house and backyard, Mirvac and Stockland have expanded their focus to include apartments and townhouses.

Artist's impression of Stockland's Mode Village at North Lakes.

Their strategies, revealed at separate investor briefings on Monday, propose extending their business beyond the historic backbone of house-and-yard packages.

While suburban homes remain central to Stockland's strategy, the developers plan to build about 400 townhouses and terraces each year from 2018.