Civic's future: what will it look like in 20 years

While we all absorb the prospect of a population of 800,000 in 40 years' time , it's worth zooming in on Civic, and the bustling metropolis it is set to become.

That's right, a city centre positively teeming with people; the population of Canberra's city centre is projected to more than triple in the next two decades, from around 6000 now to 22,000 by 2040.

According to the ACT government's City Plan, published in 2014 and updated in 2023, this surge in population will necessitate another 8700 dwellings in years to come.

But they will mainly be apartments geared towards young people and older people, with not much on offer for families; the plan is for Civic to cater to young adults, aged 20-34, and older adults of 60-plus.

These projections are informed by current trends, which will