--- title: How to identify areas of population or dwelling growth in Placemaker description: Use Placemaker to identify areas of population and dwelling growth before selecting a location for a new facility or service. --- [Skip to content](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/how-to-identify-areas-of-population-or-dwelling-growth-in-placemaker#main-content) ![ID-logo-colour\_version\_2.png\]](https://answers.id.com.au/hs-fs/file-2628100188-png/images/ID-logo-colour_version_2.png?height=40&name=ID-logo-colour_version_2.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Search Places](https://www.id.com.au/places/) [Search Places](https://www.id.com.au/places/) Let's find you an answer. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Help Center](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers?hsLang=en) 2. [Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/placemaker?hsLang=en) 3. [Using the Product](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/placemaker?hsLang=en#using-the-product) # How to identify areas of population or dwelling growth in Placemaker ## Use Placemaker to find where population and dwelling growth is forecast, then build a catchment to analyse a location in detail. > This article is for Placemaker customers. Use this guide to find where population or dwelling growth is forecast, before you choose a location and build a catchment. It helps you scan broadly, spot areas worth a closer look, then analyse them in detail. ### Before You Begin - You need an active Placemaker account. See [How to log in to Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-login?hsLang=en). - Your subscription determines which forecast datasets you can see. See [Understanding your data access in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-concept-data-entitlements?hsLang=en). ### Steps 1. **Open Data layers:** on the map, click the 'Data layers' icon in the left sidebar. 2. **Shade the map by forecast change:** in Layer, choose 'Population' for people or 'Dwellings' for housing, then choose 'Total' and click 'Apply'. Placemaker sets the year range to 2026–2046 and the boundary to SA1, so the map shows forecast change for each small area. Change the year range or boundary before you click 'Apply' if you need to. 3. **Find areas of interest:** scan the map for areas with the strongest forecast change. Zoom in to see finer geographies. 4. **Read the figures for an area:** click an area to see its start, end and change. Select 'View details' to see growth year by year and age structure by service age group – for example primary schoolers (5–11) – so you can see which age groups drive the growth. 5. **Check what's driving housing growth:** choose 'Dwellings' then 'Net dwellings per site' to see forecast dwellings from major residential development sites. 'View details' for an area also lists its residential development sites with their capacity. See [What are Residential Development Forecasts?](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-concept-residential-development-forecasts?hsLang=en). 6. **Build a catchment:** once you've found a location worth a closer look, select 'Create catchment' in the area's pop-over, or click 'Create catchment' (the + on the left toolbar) and set a location. Then choose a drive time, walk time or radius, then save. See [How to create a catchment in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-create-a-catchment?hsLang=en). 7. **Review the insights:** open the catchment and click 'View insights' to see population size, forecast growth, age structure and dwelling trends, and who lives there on the Demographics tab. See [How to generate insights for a catchment in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-generate-catchment-insights?hsLang=en). 8. **Compare locations:** repeat for other areas to compare growth and demographics before you commit. ### What to Expect You'll have one or more saved catchments with population and dwelling forecast data for each area of interest. From there you can export insights for a report or move to a detailed site assessment. ### Troubleshooting - **'Net dwellings per site' isn't available:** residential development data depends on your subscription. Contact your .id account manager to confirm access. - **Data isn't at the geography I need:** change the Boundary in the Layers panel. See [How to view population forecast data by geography in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-view-population-forecast-by-geography?hsLang=en). ### Related Articles - [How to view population forecast data by geography in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-view-population-forecast-by-geography?hsLang=en) - [How to create a catchment in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-create-a-catchment?hsLang=en) - [How to generate insights for a catchment in Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-how-to-generate-catchment-insights?hsLang=en) - [What are Residential Development Forecasts?](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/en/placemaker-concept-residential-development-forecasts?hsLang=en) - [General](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/general?hsLang=en) - [Placemaker](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/placemaker?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Getting Started](https://answers.id.com.au/en/answers/placemaker?hsLang=en#getting-started) - 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