Factors influencing vertical urban development at the parcel scale: The case in Brisbane, Australia

Abstract

Increasing urban density has become an important focus in mitigating the adverse impacts of urban sprawl. A common way to increase urban density is the development of multi-story residential housing, or vertical urban development (VUD). Compared to low-rise detached housing, VUD has been purported to be more effective in mitigating the adverse impact of urban sprawl. This paper examines factors influencing VUD through a case study of Brisbane, Australia. Three types of housing developments – low-rise detached houses, low-rise apartments, and medium- to high-rise apartments – are explored, with the latter two types classified as VUD. Building on the literature that suggests a range of environmental, socio-demographic, built environment, and planning regulations factors driving or constraining VUD, our study further explores how land parcel size and parcel change over time either through parcel amalgamation or subdivision as factors driving VUD. The findings show that parcel size and parcel amalgamation are key factors leading to VUD, particularly in the form of medium- to high-rise apartment development. On the other hand, land use upzoning alone does not appear to be sufficient to drive VUD. Our study enriches the understanding of the scale effects of land parcels and zoning regulation on vertical urban development, and contributes to parcel-based land use planning policies that are targeted at more intensive urban land use.