1

Rnusing
fnr a Cnmpact City
2
cnpyright
Crcatcr London ^uthority
lcbruary 2003
pubIished by
Crcatcr London ^uthority
1hc Quccn's walk
London SL1 2^^
www.london.qov.uk
cnquirics 020 7983 4100
uinicou 020 7983 4458
lSN
1 85261 439 0
3
Fnrewnrd by ken Livingstnne 1
lntrnductinn by Richard Rngers S
Rnusing density 9
Lcninq dcnsity 11
Urban dcnsity in London 13
Kcy rccrcnccs 29
Rnusing exampIes 33
Lolhin Squarc , London Sw1 37
Kinqs whar, London L8 41
Ruc dc Mcaux, Paris 45
Lindcn Cardcns, London w2 53
Punncrstactc 8lock, Nijucqcn 57
Lillinqton Cardcns, London Sw1 63
0dhau's walk, London wC2 67
Churchill Cardcns, London Sw1 71
Raincs Lairy, London N16 77
Millcnniuu villaqc, London SL10 81
Ncwinqton Crccn, London N16 87
lcnclon Placc, London w14 93
8ornco Sorcnburq, ^ustcrdau 99
CwL 1crrcin, ^ustcrdau 107
wcstcrry, London L14 113
0ldcld Road, London N16 119
lroko, London SL1 123
0lyuic villaqc, 8arcclona 129
Rnusing references 13S
1ablc o couarativc dcnsity lcvcls 137
lurthcr inoruation on cxaulcs 138
^cknowlcdqcucnts and crcdits 139
0rdcrinq translations and othcr oruats 140

Cnntents
4
1
Fnrewnrd
London's housinq crisis thrcatcns to undcruinc our city's
roscrity. Unlcss wc can housc our qrowinq oulation in
dcccnt and aordablc housinq, wc will not bc ablc to sustain
our osition as a world city. lt is not just ublic scctor workcrs
who arc bcinq riccd out o London's housinq uarkct, but colc
workinq in all scctors o thc cconouy.
London's oulation is qrowinq ast, but wc arc only coulctinq
two thirds as uany houcs as 25 ycars aqo, whcn thc dcuand was
lowcr and London's oulation was in stcady dcclinc. 1o uaintain
our osition, and tacklc thc backloq in dcuand or housinq,
without consuuinq ublic saccs and thc qrccn bclt, wc nccd to
build uorc aordablc housinq, at hiqhcr dcnsitics. 8ut wc cannot
sacricc quality in our rush to uakc u or lost tiuc. l dclivcrinq
ast bccoucs our only qoal, wc risk rccatinq ast crrors and
buildinq unoular and alicnatinq cstatcs, rathcr than sustainablc
urban couuunitics.
wcll-dcsiqncd hiqhcr dcnsity housinq is crucial to uy vision or
London. whcrc qood ublic transort is in lacc, wc nccd to
uakc thc uost o oortunitics to crcatc buildinqs and ublic
saccs whcrc colc want to livc, rathcr than whcrc thcy struqqlc
to survivc or cscac. Souc o thc disastrous cxcriucnts
o thc ost-war ycars havc uadc ublic and oliticians
undcrstandably ncrvous o hiqhcr dcnsity dcvcloucnt. 8ut, as
this short quidcbook shows, both wcll dcsiqncd contcuorary
housinq and thc victorian tcrraccs o a tyical London strcct can
dclivcr just as hiqh a dcnsity as uany towcr blocks.
2
3
ken Livingstnne
Mayor o London
1hrouqhout thc ccnturics, souc o London's uost dcsirablc
locations havc also bccn souc o its hiqhcst dcnsity
nciqhbourhoods. 1hcsc arc thc laccs whcrc a uixturc o uscs
- livinq, workinq and rclaxinq - qcncratc charactcr and vitality.
8ut thc cxaulcs in this book also show that livcablc dcnsity
docs not arrivc by hay accidcnt, but as thc rcsult o carcul and
ainstakinq dcsiqn. Lcsiqn is not thc only inqrcdicnt o
qood hiqhcr dcnsity housinq - allocations, social uix, tcnurc
and uanaqcucnt arc othcr crucial issucs - but hiqhcr dcnsity
housinq will not work without it. 1o bc a world class city, wc
nccd to asirc or world class dcsiqn in ncw housinq
dcvcloucnts. wc cannot aord lcss.
4
S
lntrnductinn
Cnmpact Cnmmunities
London is cxandinq astcr than any uajor Lurocan city: our
oulation is cstiuatcd to incrcasc by 700,000 colc ovcr thc
ncxt tccn ycars (CL^ 2002 a). 1his qrowth should bc qood
ncws, it can brinq cconouic and social vitality to our
couuunitics. Yct wc arc still buildinq at ridiculously low
dcnsitics, crcatinq badly dcsiqncd, unsustainablc srawl. 1hc
only ccoloqically and socially sustainablc way or London to qrow
is as a vital, couact, uulti-ccntrcd, uixcd-usc city, dcsiqncd on
thc basis o casy huuan contact and thc crcation o bcautiul
buildinqs and saccs.
1hc Mayor's vision or London, sct out in thc drat London Plan,
is that London's incrcasinq oulation uust bc accouuodatcd
without cxandinq into thc cxistinq Crccn 8clt or cncroachinq
on othcr qrccn saccs. 1his book contributcs to rcalisinq that
vision, by rovidinq cxaulcs o wcll dcsiqncd, hiqh dcnsity
dcvcloucnts rou London and othcr Lurocan citics.
Lvcn in ccntral London, wc arc still buildinq at an avcraqc dcnsity
o 78 dwcllinqs cr hcctarc (0LPM 2002 b). 1his is around hal
thc dcnsity o thc Ccorqian tcrraccs o lslinqton and Nottinq
Pill, built around 200 ycars aqo, or o souc o thc contcuorary
Lurocan dcvcloucnts shown in this book. ^ car o
crauuinq' still cxists but, as thc cxaulcs show, hiqhcr dcnsity
cnvironucnts can bc iuaqinativcly dcsiqncd to avoid loss o
rivacy or scnsc o conqcstion. Crauuinq has uorc to do with
oor dcsiqn than shccr nuubcrs. ^cross thc world, couact
citics with wcll dcsiqncd ublic saccs and buildinqs thrivc
6
7
Richard Rngers
Chic ^dvisor to thc
Mayor o London
on ^rchitccturc
and Urbanisu
cconouically and iurovc thc quality o lic or thcir rcsidcnts
and workcrs.
1his docuucnt illustratcs how succcssul couact dcvcloucnts
havc bccn dcsiqncd, and illustratcs thc dcnsity lcvcls that
arc rccouucndcd by thc Mayor's drat London Plan. 8ut
sustainability is about uorc than nuubcrs. lt is about crcatinq
vital couuunitics whcrc thc social and hysical inqrcdicnts
work toqcthcr to crcatc laccs whcrc colc want to bc. 8cauty
has to bc a undaucntal rincilc o an urban dcvcloucnt,
it transorus nuubcrs and sizc into scalc, and uattcr into liqht
and colour. 8y dcsiqninq laccs or colc, and buildinq houcs'
rathcr than siuly housinq', wc will crcatc sustainablc
couuunitics, rcstorc vitality to our nciqhbourhoods and
dclivcr an urban rcnaissancc in London.
1hc sclcction o cxaulcs in this book is not dcnitivc, and
qood dcsiqn is not on its own sucicnt or succcss. Powcvcr,
l hoc that this book will sct out thc casc or hiqhcr dcnsity
housinq, cxlain its iulications and illustratc thc varicty o
tycs o housinq that can bc achicvcd at dicrcnt dcnsitics.
8
9
Rnusing
density
R
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u
s
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g

d
e
n
s
i
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y
10
dph
dwcllinqs cr hcctarc
hrh
habitablc roous cr hcctarc
pph
colc cr hcctarc
11
nct sitc arca
qross sitc arca
0ehning density
Lcnsity dcscribcs how uany colc or houscholds occuy an
arca o land. Lcnsity is usually cxrcsscd in tcrus o thc nuubcr
o habitablc roous (bcdroous, livinq roous, dininq roous and
larqc kitchcns) or dwcllinqs cr hcctarc - hrh or dh.
ln addition, it is now couuon to asscss thc dcnsity o a
dcvcloucnt in tcrus o thc nuubcr o colc, bcd saccs or
cvcn childrcn accouuodatcd.
1hcsc ucasurcs arc otcn uscd in coubination to build u a uorc
tcxturcd icturc o how and by whou an arca is inhabitcd. lor
cxaulc, thc nuubcr o dwcllinqs cr hcctarc will not dcscribc
thc sizc o cach dwcllinq, and ucasurinq dcnsity in tcrus o
habitablc roous qivcs no iurcssion o how uany roous arc
actually inhabitcd. Lcnsity calculations bccouc uorc coulcx
in dcvcloucnts that contain a uix o housinq and othcr uscs,
csccially i dicrcnt uscs arc on dicrcnt Foors o a buildinq. ln
non-rcsidcntial dcvcloucnts, thc uost couuonly uscd ucasurc
is lot ratio, which couarcs thc arca o usablc Foor sacc to thc
total sitc arca. Plot ratios arc qcncrally thc uost uscul ucasurc
or dcvcloucnts containinq a uix o uscs.
1hc arca uscd to calculatc dcnsity is qcncrally thc nct sitc arca,
which includcs qardcns, ublic sacc and acccss roads within a
dcvcloucnt. 1hc qross sitc arca, a ucasurc lcss couuonly uscd
in London, includcs ublic sacc, non-rcsidcntial land uscs and
hal thc width o any roads boundinq thc sitc. 0ldcr studics
otcn usc acrcs rathcr than hcctarcs - onc hcctarc bcinq rouqhly
cquivalcnt to 2.5 acrcs. lor couarison, a ootball itch is around
1ha in arca whilc an acrc is lcss than hal a itch (4,000squ).
12
Strccts likc Landsdownc
Crcsccnt in Nottinq Pill, with
tcrraccd houscs backinq onto
qcncrous couuunal qardcns,
arc art o London's tradition
o oular, durablc uodcls o
hiqh dcnsity housinq
1yical o outcr London's town
ccntrcs, Kinqston has hiqhcr
dcnsity dcvcloucnt ncar
ublic transort conncctions
13
Urban density in Lnndnn
Piqh dcnsity housinq is otcn sccn as alicn to London but is
actually art o our tradition: London has always
accouuodatcd a widc ranqc o dcnsitics. 0ur city's orqanic
qrowth has qivcn it a nctwork o built-u town ccntrcs locatcd
ncar wcll conncctcd transort routcs. Many o London's uost
succcssul rcsidcntial nciqhbourhoods wcrc built at rclativcly hiqh
dcnsity uorc than a ccntury aqo. 1hc nct dcnsity o scculativc
housinq dcvcloucnts in Maida valc, Nottinq Pill, 8clqravia or
8loousbury, otcn rcach ovcr 200 dwcllinqs cr hcctarc. Lvcn
thc thrcc-storcy victorian and Ldwardian tcrraccs around outcr
London's town ccntrcs can bc as hiqh as 100 dh. Much o this
hiqhcr dcnsity housinq stock - otcn built at vc or six storcys
with couuunal qardcns and sharcd ocn saccs - has incrcascd
in valuc ovcr tiuc rcFcctinq its attractivcncss to a widc ranqc
o urban dwcllcrs. lauilics and sinqlc colc alikc rccoqnisc thc
bcncts o wcll dcsiqncd couact couuunitics. 1hcy cnjoy thc
scnsc o couuunity cnqcndcrcd by thc nciqhbourhood and its
attcndant sacty and sccurity. Larqcr nuubcrs o colc can also
sustain a local school, sho, busincss or bus systcu in ways that
a uorc discrscd couuunity cannot. 1hcrc is a clcar tradc-o
bctwccn livinq in uorc rcuotc arcas with larqcr rcuiscs and
qardcns (and lonq couuutinq distanccs), and livinq closc to
ublic transort, couucrcial, social and lcisurc acilitics in uorc
couact cnvironucnts. whilc colc uust bc ocrcd a choicc, it
is critical that thc uarkct is ablc to dclivcr hiqh quality, couact
rcsidcntial accouuodation that rcsonds to thc varicd rolc o
London's qrowinq oulation. Until rcccntly, howcvcr, a nuubcr
o borouqh lanninq olicics would havc rcvcntcd housinq at
14
1hcsc diaqraus, dcvclocd by thc Urban
1ask lorcc, illustratc clcarly thc
rclationshi bctwccn dcnsity and land-takc
(thc auount o land occuicd by
buildinqs). 1hcy show thrcc hyothctical
nciqhbourhoods, cach with a oulation o
7,500 colc, built at dicrcnt dcnsitics.
1hcy show that as dcnsity lcvcls incrcasc,
thc land-takc diuinishcs. Morc colc arc
within walkinq distancc o couuunal
acilitics, and ccicnt ublic transort
scrviccs can bc uadc viablc.
7,S00 penpIe
Crnss density S0 penpIe per hectare
- Larqc land-takc
- Liscrscd acilitics - no distinct ccntrc
- 60/ arc ovcr 500u rou thc ccntrc so
tcnd to drivc or local tris
- Public transort unlikcly to bc viablc
7,S00 penpIe
Crnss density 100 penpIe per hectare
- Rcduccd land-takc
- Clcar ccntral acilitics
- 30/ arc ovcr 500u rou thc ccntrc so
uay tcnd to drivc or local tris
- Public transort (bus) should bc viablc
7,S00 penpIe
Crnss density 1S0 penpIe per hectare
- Usc o local acilitics incrcascs
- only 13/ arc ovcr 500u rou thc ccntrc
- ^blc to rovidc viablc and rcqular ublic
transort scrviccs
Licult to
justiy bus
8us scrvicc
bcqins to
bc viablc
8us scrvicc
ully viablc.
May justiy
othcr orus
o ublic
transort
6
4
0
u
5
4
0
u
7
8
0
u
1S
thc lcvcl o dcnsity o souc o London's uost oular
nciqhbourhoods. Car arkinq standards and strinqcnt
ovcrlookinq rcqulations havc constraincd couact dcvcloucnt
in arts o thc city. Lvcn now, dcsitc uany ositivc cxaulcs
and a stratcqic olicy that advocatcs a scnsitivc usc o hiqhcr
dcnsity dcvcloucnt, wc arc still sccinq dcnsitics o bclow 10
dwcllinqs cr hcctarc in acccssiblc arcas o outcr London, and
undcr 50 in thc ccntrc. whilc souc hiqh quality and hiqhcr
dcnsity housinq is bcinq built across London, as illustratcd in
this ublication, lanninq couuittccs should cnsurc that cvcry
oortunity is takcn to otiuisc thc otcntial o individual sitcs
by rouotinq dcvcloucnts o aroriatc dcnsitics - in inncr
and outcr London.
Lnndnn's pnpuIatinn
Piqhcr dcnsity is not only dcsirablc or sustainablc urban livinq,
but it is incrcasinqly ncccssary in our city. London's oulation
and cconouy arc qrowinq, but thc city's suly o land is
not. 1hc caital has qrown stcadily ovcr thc ast twcnty ycars,
absorbinq an incrcasc in oulation cquivalcnt to thc total
oulation o Shccld. 0vcr thc ncxt 15 ycars, wc will havc to
nd cxtra caacity or a oulation thc sizc o Lccds, and bcyond
2016, thc ratc o qrowth is rcdictcd to incrcasc (CL^ 2002 b).
^ccouuodatinq thcsc ncw rcsidcnts rcquircs us to usc land and
buildinqs uorc ccicntly and rcturn to our bcst urban traditions
o crcatinq balanccd, couact couuunitics. 1his is why dcnsity
is so iuortant to lanninq or London's qrowth. London has
actually cxcricnccd ar hiqhcr oulations than thc rcscnt
7.4 uillion, or cvcn thc 8.1 uillion rcdictcd or 2016 by thc
16
8,500
8,000
7,500
7,000
6,500
6,000
1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Prnjected pnpuIatinn grnwth in Lnndnn (1971-2016)
t
o
t
a
l

u
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a
t
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n

(
t
h
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d
s
)
ShefheId
540,000 colc.
Lqual to London's
oulation qrowth
1989 - 1999
Leeds
700,000 colc.
Lqual to London's
orccast oulation
qrowth 2002 - 2016
17
drat London Plan (CL^ 2002 a). London's oulation rcachcd its
cak o 8.6 uillion in 1939, but atcr thc war, drivcn by olicics
o dcccntralisation, it cll sharly to 6.8 uillion by 1983. 8ut as
thc city's oulation qrows aqain, so is its dcuoqrahic uakc-u
chanqinq. wc arc oruinq suallcr houscholds, and uorc colc
arc livinq on thcir own. lt is orccast that 80/ o thc qrowth
in houscholds by 2016 will bc accountcd or by sinqlc crson
houscholds (Llcwclyn Lavics 1998). 1hc nct rcsult o thcsc two
actors - oulation qrowth and dcuoqrahic chanqc - is that
wc nccd to coulctc at lcast 23,000 ncw houcs cvcry ycar,
just to kcc u with dcuand. 8ut London also has a dccit in
housinq or its cxistinq oulation. l wc arc to housc rocrly
thc 112,000 colc currcntly livinq in tcuorary or unsatisac-
tory accouuodation (CL^ 2000 d), thc tarqct o 23,000 houcs
cr ycar will nccd to bc cxcccdcd. 1hc last survcy o London's
caacity or housinq (CL^ 2000 c) orccast that London had thc
otcntial to rovidc around 458,000 ncw houcs in thc criod
bctwccn 1997 and 2016. lt idcnticd sitcs, vacant houcs, and
buildinqs with thc otcntial or convcrsion that toqcthcr could
rovidc around 317,000 houcs, and rcdictcd that a urthcr
141,000 could bc accouuodatcd on windall' sitcs - arcas not
currcntly idcnticd or housinq that uay bccouc availablc in thc
uturc. lnvcntivc ways o otiuisinq dcvcloucnt otcntial could
also dclivcr uorc sacc. lor cxaulc, thc airsacc' abovc or sitcs
around sinqlc storcy rctail and lcisurc shcds, sucruarkcts, ctrol
stations, schools and hcalth ccntrcs ocrs considcrablc otcntial.
lt has bccn cstiuatcd that u to 14,000 ncw dwcllinqs could bc
built i all thc currcntly rooscd larqc sucruarkcts wcrc to bc
dcvclocd with an avcraqc o 200 dwcllinqs on cach sitc
18
Location o larqc housinq sitcs
(thosc with 10 or uorc units)
idcnticd in thc uost rcccnt
study o London's housinq
caacity (CL^ 2000 d).
Crah showinq thc uakc-u o
London's housinq caacity
(CL^ 2000 d).
29/
Larqc idcnticd sitcs
(10 or uorc units)
31/
Larqc windall sitcs
(10 or uorc units)
11/
Non scl-containcd
5/
vacant rocrtics
14/
Suall convcrsions
(lcss than 10 units)
11/
Suall sitcs
(lcss than 10 units)
19
(0LPM 2002 a). whilc souc o thc rojcctcd housinq dcuand
can bc accouuodatcd on cxistinq and uturc sitcs, wc nccd
to bc uorc aubitious in ordcr to ucct dcuand and rovidc
uorc aordablc and bcttcr housinq cquicd with thc schools,
hositals, shos, worklaccs, couuunity and lcisurc acilitics that
sustainablc couuunitics nccd.
Righ quaIity design
8ut in scckinq to ucct our tarqcts, wc uust not ut quantity
bcorc quality. wc uust rovidc uturc qcncrations o Londoncrs
with thc bcst o contcuorary housinq, crcatinq laccs that will
accouuodatc and sustain London's vibrant and divcrsc
couuunitics. Piqh quality dcsiqn and incrcascd dcnsitics arc
critical to this cquation, as arc uany othcr actors includinq
lcttinqs olicics, allocations, social uix and tcnurc, and
uanaqcucnt olicics. 1hcsc othcr issucs arc bcyond thc scoc
o this book and arc covcrcd courchcnsivcly in rcccnt rcscarch
on hiqh-dcnsity housinq (London Pousinq lcdcration 2002, Last
1haucs Pousinq Crou 2002). 1o rcducc rcssurc on sacc in
London, wc nccd to cnsurc that all ncw housinq is built at
suitablc dcnsitics, which ucans hiqhcr dcnsitics in arcas which
arc closc to ublic transort and wcll suortcd by social
aucnitics. ln articular, wc nccd to carcully dcsiqn ncw
couuunitics in arcas that will rcccivc, ovcr thc ncxt 5-10 ycars,
siqnicant invcstucnt in ublic transort inrastructurc,
csccially alonq thc 1haucs Catcway, whcrc rooscd lans or
CrossRail and thc cxtcnsion o thc Locklands Liqht Rail will
drauatically iurovc acccssibility. wc uust rcsist thc tcutation
to takc thc casy short-tcru vicw and siuly rcsond to currcnt
uarkct dcuand. Pousinq dcvcloucnt should bc lanncd as thc
20
Riqht: 1hcsc thrcc diaqraus
show how vcry dicrcnt orus
o architccturc - a tcrraccd
strcct layout, a scrics o blocks
cnclosinq an ocn sacc, and
a oint block - can bc built at
thc sauc dcnsity, in this casc
75 dwcllinqs cr hcctarc (dh),
with vcry dicrcnt rcsults in
tcrus o thc quality o rivatc
and ublic sacc thcy rovidc.
21
corncrstonc o a lonq-tcru cvolution o London's ncw urban
couuunitics. 1o dclivcr thc housinq nccdcd at aordablc riccs,
wc should not only build uorc houcs but also cnsurc that unit
costs arc rcduccd and quality iurovcd. 1his will rcquirc a
stc-chanqc in thc housinq construction industry, which should
harncss thc dcvcloucnts that havc rcduccd construction costs
and iurovcd thc quality o buildinqs in thc couucrcial scctor.
Perceptinns nf density
Lcsitc uuch rcccnt ublic and olicy dcbatc and rcscarch on
thc subjcct, thcrc is still a roound warincss about hiqh dcnsity'
bccausc o its assuucd association with hiqh risc'. Much hiqh
risc housinq in 8ritain dcscrvcs its bad rcutation. Souc o
thc towcr block cstatcs o thc 1960s and 1970s wcrc social
ailurcs, with uonotonous, uonuucntal orus and inadcquatc
intcrnal sacc standards. ln thcsc cascs, it is oor dcsiqn and
shoddy construction, as wcll as inadcquatc uanaqcucnt and
uaintcnancc, that is to blauc rathcr than thc nuubcr o units
or colc. 1hc sauc nuubcr o units can bc accouuodatcd in
dicrcnt satial orus - towcrs, tcrraccs or courtyards - which
havc dicrcnt social iuacts on thcir surroundinqs and rcsidcntial
couuunitics. ^nd, as thc casc studics show, rclativcly hiqh
dcnsitics can bc attaincd with a varicty o layouts and built orus
without nccdinq to build abovc six or scvcn storcys. ln act, uany
ost-war housinq cstatcs actually had lowcr dcnsitics than thc
arcas thcy rclaccd, duc to thc larqc cxanscs o car arkinq or
landscainq that surroundcd thcu. lt is thc oor quality o thcsc
so-callcd couuunal saccs, and oor distinction bctwccn rivatc
and ublic sacc, that havc contributcd to thc crcation o so
22
London uust accouuodatc a
larqc nuubcr o ncw houcs
ovcr thc ncxt 15 ycars. l
wc continuc to build at
currcnt avcraqc dcnsitics,
wc will rcquirc an arca o land
20 tiucs thc sizc o Pydc Park.
l wc raisc dcnsitics in suitablc
locations, thc rcssurc on
London's housinq caacity
can bc rcduccd.
x20
23
uany socially dysunctional hiqh-risc cstatcs. ln souc cascs, it is
thc vcry abscncc o colc - a by-roduct o unsustainablc low
dcnsitics - that has lcd to thc scnsc o alicnation and cstatcs'
inability to suort local shos and social acilitics. ldcntiyinq
hiqh dcnsity with town crauuinq' is also rcsonsiblc or its
unoularity. 8ut crcctions o crauuinq arc otcn thc roduct
o bad dcsiqn, bad uanaqcucnt and,or social roblcus, not hiqh
dcnsity in itscl. Cood dcsiqn can rcvcnt crauuinq by cnsurinq
adcquatc lcvcls o rivacy, a hiqh quality ublic rcalu and
qcncrous livinq saccs. 1hcsc arc thc lcssons o souc o thc
bcst-lovcd nciqhbourhoods in citics across thc world - rou
Manhattan and ccntral Paris to thc urban tcrraccs o Ldinburqh
and Ncwcastlc - whcrc wcll dcsiqncd and wcll uaintaincd dcnsc
urban arcas not only achicvc thc hiqhcst valucs but also sustain
varicd, vibrant and sccurc uctroolitan licstylcs. whilc it
would bc wronq to claiu that dcnsity in itscl is a quarantcc
o urban quality or social cohcsion, thc cvidcncc rou uany
succcssul citics suqqcsts that colc thrivc in couuunitics as
lonq as thcsc cnvironucnts rcscct kcy rincilcs o urban dcsiqn
and social cquity.
PnIicies fnr a muIti-density city
1hc Mayor's dccision to accouuodatc a qrowinq oulation
throuqh sclcctivcly incrcasinq dcnsity is both radical and ncw or
London. 1raditionally, olicics havc souqht to rcstrain or rcducc
dcnsity within thc caital, by cncouraqinq rclocation to towns
outsidc London, rcbuildinq oldcr housinq arcas at lowcr dcnsitics
and scttinq uaxiuuu dcnsity lcvcls or ncw dcvcloucnts. Now,
thc ocus is on uanaqinq London's qrowth in an ccoloqically and
24
PubIic transpnrt
1hc Mayor's dcnsity olicy
rclatcs dcnsity to acccss to
convcnicnt and ccicnt ublic
transort. 1his ua o ublic
transort acccssibility
hiqhliqhts thc coulcx and
blotchy attcrn o acccssibility
across London, with hot sots'
alonq ublic transort
corridors, whcrc hiqhcr dcnsity
housinq dcvcloucnts could
bc achicvcd sustainably.
Lnndnn's netwnrk
nf tnwn centres
lntcrnational ccntrc
Mctroolitan ccntrc
Major ccntrc
Listrict ccntrc
2S
socially sustainablc way. l London is to qrow without incrcasinq
conqcstion and ollution on its alrcady crowdcd roads, or
straininq ublic scrviccs and othcr inrastructurc, thcn qrowth
uust hacn whcrc it can bcst bc scrvcd by cxistinq or lanncd
ublic transort, and acccss to shos and scrviccs. 8y dircctly
linkinq thc lcvcl o dcnsity to thc roxiuity and rcqucncy o
ublic transort, wc can cnsurc that wc uakc thc uost o sitcs
within walkinq distancc o ublic transort and uaintain
sustainablc dcnsitics whcrc car-bascd transort would bc thc
only otion, and whcrc ublic transort acccssibility and caacity
is insucicnt. ln larqc art, this ucans buildinq on London's
cxistinq attcrn o urban qrain and consolidatinq its nctwork o
town ccntrcs. ln arts o outcr London, this aroach uay lcad to
dicrcnt attcrns o dcvcloucnt rou thc rcccnt ast. 1hcrc arc
arcas with rclativcly qood transort acccssibility that
historically havc attractcd low dcnsity, uainly dctachcd housinq.
^s thc dcuand or housinq qrows and invcstucnt in ublic
transort incrcascs, thcrc will havc to bc a shit towards hiqhcr
dcnsity dcvcloucnt. Proortionally, souc o thc hiqhcst lcvcls
o oulation qrowth arc currcntly occurrinq in outcr London's
district ccntrcs, in laccs such as Croydon, which qrcw by 27,000
colc in 1989-2000 and 8arnct, whcrc oulation qrowth
cxcccdcd 47,000 in thc sauc criod (CL^ 2002 c). lt is thcrcorc
iuortant, csccially in outcr London, to rcalisc that London's
stratcqic dcnsity tarqcts arc rcalistic and achicvablc. 1hc uatrix
o sustainablc rcsidcntial dcnsity (aqc 26) in thc Mayor's drat
London Plan shows thc dcnsitics that could bc achicvcd in
dicrcnt arcas. 1hcsc bands qivc a ranqc o dcnsitics or
dicrcnt lcvcls o ublic transort acccssibility, and thc lcvcl o
26
Public
transort
acccssibility
6 is hiqhcst
6 tn 4
3 tn 2
2 tn 1
Car parking
(spaces per unit)
Prednminant
deveInpment type
Location
in London
Ccntral
Urban
Suburban
Urban
Suburban
Suburban
0raft Lnndnn PIan recnmmended density IeveIs
Pousinq dcnsity
as habitablc roous cr hcctarc
and dwcllinqs cr hcctarc
650 - 1100 hrh
240 - 43S dph

200 - 450 hrh 450 - 700 hrh
SS-17S dph 16S - 27S dph
200 - 300 hrh 250 - 350 hrh
S0 - 110 dph 80 - 120 dph
200 - 300 hrh 300 - 450 hrh
S0 - 110 dph 100 - 1S0 dph
150 - 200 hrh 200 - 250 hrh
30 - 6S dph S0 - 80 dph

150 - 200 hrh
30 - S0 dph


Piqh Modcratc Low
2 - 1.5 1.5 - 1 Lcss than 1
Lctachcd and 1crraccd houscs Mostly Fats
linkcd houscs and Fats
27
rivatc car arkinq that should accouany thcu. lor cxaulc,
in an arca o ccntral London with cxccllcnt acccss to ublic
transort, dcnsity should bc bctwccn 240 and 435 dwcllinqs cr
hcctarc and no uorc than onc car arkinq sacc cr dwcllinq
should bc allowcd. ln a town ccntrc in outcr London with qood
acccssibility, thc dcnsity should bc bctwccn 55 and 275 dwcllinqs
cr hcctarc and no uorc than 1.5 saccs cr unit should bc
allowcd. 0n thc othcr hand, in rclativcly inacccssiblc arcas o
outcr London, a dcnsity bctwccn 30 and 50 dwcllinqs cr
hcctarc, with no uorc than two arkinq saccs cr unit, would bc
considcrcd aroriatc. Sustainablc and succcssul hiqhcr dcnsity
housinq dccnds on a coulcx ranqc o actors includinq thc
location, uanaqcucnt, occuancy and tcnurc o a dcvcloucnt.
Rcscarch into colc's nciqhbourhood rccrcnccs suqqcsts that
housinq dcnsity is not a siqnicant actor, and that houc tyc
and thc charactcristics o thc nciqhbourhood's rcsidcnts arc
uuch uorc iuortant (Last 1haucs Pousinq Crou 2002).
1hcsc intcrlinkcd actors all contributc to thc crccivcd succcss
or ailurc o a schcuc. Noncthclcss, without carcul architcctural
and urban dcsiqn, hiqh-dcnsity dcvcloucnts will not work as
balanccd couuunitics, or crcatc laccs whcrc colc want
to livc. 1hc casc studics rcscntcd in this ublication show
that hiqh dcnsity housinq can bc as divcrsc, and as insirinq,
as London's nciqhbourhoods.
28
29
The draft Lnndnn PIan
CL^ 2002 (a)
PIanning fnr Lnndnn's Crnwth. StatisticaI basis fnr the
Maynr's SpatiaI 0eveInpment Strategy
CL^ 2002 (b)
Lnndnn's Rnusing Capacity
CL^ 2000 (c)
Rnmes fnr a WnrId City
The Repnrt nf the Maynr's Rnusing Cnmmissinn
CL^ 2000 (d)
Tnwards an Urban Renaissance.
FinaI Repnrt nf the Urban Task Fnrce
Urban 1ask lorcc,LL1R 1999
CapitaI Cains.
making high density hnusing wnrk in Lnndnn
London Pousinq lcdcration with ^vcbury lntcrnational 2002
Righ density hnusing in urnpe. Iessnns fnr Lnndnn
Last 1haucs Pousinq Crou and PRP 2002
Rnusing 0ensity. what dn residents think7
Last 1haucs Pousinq Crou,London School o Lconouics 2002
0eveInping additinnaI hnusing abnve and nn
nnn-residentiaI sites
0LPM 2002 (a)
key references
30
31
Land Use Change in ngIand tn 2001
0LPM 2002 (b)
SustainabIe ResidentiaI QuaIity.
expInring the hnusing pntentiaI nf Iarge sites
London Planninq ^dvisory Couuittcc,Llcwclyn Lavics 2000
y 0esign - better pIaces tn Iive.
a cnmpaninn guide tn PPC3
Couuission or ^rchitccturc and thc 8uilt Lnvironucnt and
Lcartucnt or 1ransort, Local Covcrnucnt and thc Rcqions,
Sctcubcr 2001
Cnmpact sustainabIe cnmmunities
Council or thc Protcction o Rural Lnqland (CPRL)
and thc Cororation o London 2001
Rnusing 0esign Awards
www.dcsiqnorhoucs.orq,hda
A guide tn the Architecture nf Lnndnn
L. Joncs and C. woodward, 1983
RlA bnnk nf 20th Century ritish Rnusing
lan Colquoun 1999
The ngIish Terraced Rnuse
S. Muthcsius 1982
Rnusing and the Urban nvirnnment
8. Coodchild 1997
32