House prices are changing the way we live

By Matt Wade
Updated September 17 2014 - 1:08am, first published 12:15am
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>
<i>Illustration: Kerrie Leishman.</i>

It's spring, the property market is running hot and familiar debates are raging. Have prices overshot? Is there a bubble? Will investors get burned? How can we help first home buyers? But as the state of the property market is canvassed daily, there's surprisingly little discussion about how the dynamics of that market affect how we live, and the way our cities function.