But if we are to become denser - nobody wants the city to keep sprawling outwards indefinitely - our city planners have some questions that need answering.

Much of the angst around inevitable densification is related to the changing character of the suburbs - the spectre of small, vintage houses nestled resentfully among looming high-rise apartment blocks is rightly invoked as we watch streets in certain suburbs gradually turn into wind tunnels lined with apartments, all of which are apparently occupied as vacancy rates remain low.

But the angst isn't always of the NIMBY variety. Just as often, it's directed at the buildings themselves, so often of dubious quality, aesthetic appeal and longevity. What of the occupants? What quality of life can be had in a hastily-constructed box in a building that may, in months rather than years, already begin to show cracks, both literal and metaphorical?

It's a concern that has been raised time and again, with constant assurances, and reassurances, that from now on, high standards and building quality will be maintained.

So what, then, of the alarming prevalence of retrospective approvals for buildings that were supposed to accommodate a small number of good-sized apartments, and are now set to house a large number of tiny apartments?

This is where the concept of Canberra's "missing middle" comes in - the netherland between large blocks and over-sized houses, and one-bedroom apartments.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says this is being partly addressed by the changing rules around dual occupancy to allow Mr Fluffy blocks to be redeveloped to accommodate smaller, more affordable homes in established areas. "There's a way to do this that would address legitimate concerns about neighbourhoods changing dramatically, but at the same time offer more product and a house size that's 100 to 150 square metres ... in a gentle transformation of some of the larger blocks in places where people want to live," Mr Barr said.

These are encouraging words, but we now know that as current planning projections suggest, they only seem to apply to those living in Canberra's northern suburbs.

The inner north is set to double its population by 2060 - with all those extra people presumably crammed into apartments or living in harmonious dual-occies, those expansive blocks filled with veggie gardens and fruit trees a thing of the past.

The south, meanwhile, is set to stagnate, for reasons that are yet to be made clear, especially to all those who live there.

But in the interim, even those most concertedly opposed to densification must be able to see that a middle ground is needed.

Families, newcomers, retirees - all want options that accommodate all kinds of lifestyle considerations.

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Not everyone yearns for a veggie patch, just as not all people want to live close to the city.

But if we want to reshape our suburbs - an inevitability for a growth city - how can we be assured that we're not making them worse?

There's something to be said for paying attention to the things we already love about our suburbs, and nurturing these elements, rather than selling them short in the name of progress.