Exploring ‘good practice’ densification projects: the impact of green space and density on local acceptance

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the ‘compact city’ can provide environmental benefits, densification can result in negative trade-offs at the local scale – e.g. through increases in density and the removal of urban green space – and densification projects are often rejected by locals. This paper explores examples of densification in a compact European city, integrating different stakeholder perspectives from planners as well as neighbours of densification projects. Neighbours do not reject densification per se, but evaluate the individual projects and their contexts. Evaluation depended mostly on how the projects impacted urban green space, social mix and available parking spaces. Implications are discussed and ‘good practice’ criteria that could reduce the trade-offs of densification are suggested.