As Australians become more focused on embracing healthy lifestyles, developers have begun to see the importance of creating projects that prioritise the wellbeing of residents by including innovative health-centric amenities – with the next step being the inclusion of e-bike sharing stations in developments.
Creating and investing in developments that focus on health makes fiscal sense, especially as future buyers become more informed on sustainability and highly-selective about where they choose to live.
This means that health-conscious developers are reaping greater rewards by creating lifestyle-driven developments.
Health and wellbeing amenities for residents are now being considered by buyers to be “upscale” facilities in new buildings, and can also help a project achieve a desirable GreenStar rating or other award nominations for innovation.
Alongside the potential project accolades, state-of-the-art health facilities can also attract new buyer demographics, add value to the project and highlight the developers commitment to both the environment and resident wellbeing – all things that can positively impact the overall profitability of the project and increase developer brand awareness.
Although the industry has been quick to understand the importance of general health and wellbeing facilities (such as pools and gymnasiums), the next phase is heading toward the inclusion of high-end cycling facilities (such as end-of-trip facilities and bike share systems), which are poised to become the norm in many projects – both residential and commercial.
There is no question why this trend is growing, with buyers in high-density areas viewing cycling as an easy way to reduce their reliance on public transport or cars, and as a way to prevent any health issues that are associated with traditionally busy, sedentary lifestyles.
One company working with developers to meet the growing expectations of residents is a NSW-based electric bike-sharing business, BYKKO, who work with developers to improve the green rating of new and existing developments with their innovative and environmentally-friendly form of transportation.
BYKKO has identified a gap in the Australian market for a smart electric bike-sharing system within residential developments.
Using in-house developed advanced technology combined with high quality equipment from leading European manufacturers, BYKKO has been paving the way for healthier living.
BYKKO won best new product in The Urban Developer Awards 2018 and secured Australia’s first electric public bike share pilot program with Transport for NSW as well as various Smart Cities partnerships with local councils including City of Newcastle.
E-bike sharing systems, like what is offered by BYKKO, are quickly becoming the swimming pool or fitness centre for the modern, sustainability-minded consumer and are a key amenity that many can’t live without. This makes them a necessary inclusion for developers looking to attract the next generation of buyers.
Unlike other more traditional lifestyle inclusions, bike-share technology can also potentially generate additional revenue streams for a developer even after the building is complete.
Developers can implement the sharing stations in one single development, or they can roll them out over a number of projects – effectively creating a network of stations to benefit the end-user and creating multiple revenue streams for developers to capitalise on.
By implementing membership-based use and time-specific reservations, the bikes can be restricted to the tenants or residents within the development, and can be free to use or operated with a monthly or annual payment system.
The system can be tailored depending on what operational system works best for each individual project, while the actual resident is able to unlock the bikes with a simple interface accessed through ID cards and smart phones.
For peace of mind, BYKKO stations incorporate inbuilt security mechanisms and anti-theft features to monitor bike use and occupy a neat, space-efficient facility. The system can be adapted for mixed fleets, combining electric and pedal powered bikes on the same dock.
BYKKO can assist with integrating the smart bike-share ecosystem into a development application, and provides on-going facilities services and maintenance, IT support and customer service.
For developers or architects building new lifestyle-conscious projects, e-bike sharing facilities offer an attractive addition and a competitive market advantage that works to draw in potential buyers looking for a health-conscious and easily accessible development. They can also work to activate public spaces and drive community engagement within a development.
For potential buyers and investors looking for a development that offers popular, exercise-based health amenities, bike sharing is an attractive incentive.
E-bikes are a progressive new mode of active city transport, offering a convenient and flexible solution to car sharing or public transit and creating an opportunity for developers to be ahead of the trend toward new health and wellbeing facilities.
Click here for more information on installing BYKKO and the benefits for your future projects.
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