Densification Policies Research Articles

Compulsory acquisition of property for urban densification in South Africa: an answer to the chronic housing backlog?

ABSTRACT The cities are rapidly sprawling in South Africa, despite the city authorities’ attempts at containing the sprawl. This has signalled the need for strong urban densification policy which – if properly designed and implemented – promises to yield several benefits such as smart, inclusive, equitable and sustainable cities. Densification policy can also facilitate access to adequate housing which remains a challenge in South Africa where millions of people are inadequately housed, if not homeless. Using a qualitative investigation and literature review to analyse the relevant policies and case law, this article investigates whether a legally sound argument can be developed for compulsory acquisition of property to be deployed as a mechanism to facilitate enhanced access to housing for the poor and marginalised. Put differently, the article asks whether compulsory acquisition could be an ideal method of facilitating densification to ramp up housing provision across the country. The findings suggest that urban densification policy is a necessary intervention in that regard. Compulsory acquisition of property is advanced as an optimal method to achieve this endeavour.

Urban Densification Strategy and Land Value in Tijuana, Baja California - The Opinion of Specialists

Specialists can provide opinions regarding the city and land value based on their specialized field. Professionals in these fields are identified as urban planners and valuators, who play a crucial role in the current dynamics of cities. They have a qualified opinion on city issues based on their professional practice in various areas of expertise. This opinion was obtained through the formulation and application of a questionnaire to specialists. Subsequently, the results were analyzed and graphically represented. In the discussion, several findings were found related to the relationship between land value and the urban densification policy established in the urban planning that governs the city of Tijuana, Baja California. The study investigated the behavior of the real estate market in the region and the establishment of a solid strategy toward densification.

Relationship Between Revenue-based Urban Density Policy and Neighbourhood Satisfaction: Case of Tabriz, Iran

Cities are facing with rising needs and financial constraints worldwide. In such a situation, zoning regulations (land-based financing policies) are often considered as a potential policy tools to increase density to finance a diverse range of public infrastructures by local governments. Based on a questionnaire survey conducted with 384 participants from the neighbourhood residents and in-person site visit in Tabriz, Iran, this article investigates the relationship between revenue-based density selling policy implementation and neighbourhood satisfaction and urban resilience. The findings demonstrated that there is significant alignment among residential dissatisfaction about implementation of ‘density selling’ policy. All examined qualitative indicators represented lower level of the residents’ satisfaction with the new situation. Urban densification policies through the selling floor area ratio (FAR) permission have brought negative consequences in the physical and social dimensions. The findings also revealed the high level of residents’ awareness and their concerns about natural hazards. The findings can be valuable to give decision makers and city managers a better understanding of the consequences of using revenue-based urban development.

An Assessment of urban greening challenges and opportunities associated with urban densification in the EThekwini Municipality

ABSTRACT It is critical that urban densification is accepted as a planning strategy for enhanced, sustainable urban development, especially considering the compacting of urban areas, integrated land uses, reduced land take and the need to conserve urban green spaces. Nevertheless, its implementation has challenged the management of urban green spaces. Densification has created a dilemma in planning as planners battle to provide better green spaces, while simultaneously implementing urban densification projects. This study explores the persistent challenges and opportunities of urban densification in intermediate African cities, using a case study of Umhlanga in the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study used a mixed method approach, using questionnaires, unstructured interviews and field observations. The results indicated that urban growth in intermediate towns is dominated by horizontal expansion, despite introducing urban densification policies, which has proved detrimental to ecological conservation. Furthermore, embarking on growth that integrates various land uses is increasingly enhancing those towns’ resilience and slowing down urban sprawl. This study shows that transformation in urban planning is essential in integrating ecological conservation in densification projects. Urban densification should not be treated in isolation but involve multiple city stakeholders in several city departments to achieve a broad range of goals.

For whom do we densify? Explaining income variation across densification projects in the region of Utrecht, the Netherlands

While governments worldwide rely upon compact city policies to reduce land consumption from urban growth, recent studies have addressed the potential trade-off between densification and housing affordability. Concerns have been voiced that densification leads to a one-sided housing supply, structurally excluding low-income households. However, few studies address household income variation across densification projects, leaving us with a limited understanding of the circumstances under which exclusion occurs. To this end, we explore household incomes in densification projects between 2012 and 2020 in the Province of Utrecht, the Netherlands, where urban development is traditionally strongly regulated through active land policy. At the same time, current shifts towards a more deregulated housing market make for an interesting case. Exceptional access to detailed cadastral and census data allows us to identify densification projects and assign them a median household income each. We investigate the influence of location and transformation process on household incomes through regression analysis and conduct qualitative case studies of projects whose median income was highly mispredicted by the regression model. This allows us to integrate non-quantified factors, such as land ownership and public policy interventions, in explaining such interesting cases. For the Province of Utrecht, our study confirms that while households in densification projects earn significantly more than their neighbours, the range of incomes in densification projects is large. Project characteristics such as centrality, neighbourhood status and transformation process explain only a small share of this variance. For cases where median incomes are much lower than predicted by the model, public land ownership, in combination with inclusionary zoning, is essential in ensuring housing affordability. Our approach highlights the necessity of supplementing densification policies with measures that secure affordable housing.

An Investigation of the Densification Process of the Residential Areas of Dhaka

Dhaka is one of the most densely populated megacities of the world with demography of over 20 million people. With an annual population growth rate of 4.2% Dhaka is set to face the challenges of habitat crisis, lack of communal facilities, and constant pressure on transportation and infrastructure. In response to the demand of the rapidly growing population and scarcity of developable land, urban consolidation through vertical expansion was carried out without any proper diagnosis of the sites or any contextually appropriate densification policy. The unguided nature of densification not only brought a transformation in the urban landscape but also in the built form itself by infusing the concept of compactness into them. The compactness of multi-storied dwellings is often found to compromise with the livability condition posing questions on residential sustainability. Drawing on three residential areas of varied density, age and, settlement type this paper, therefore attempts to investigate the trend of densification of the densifying residential areas of Dhaka in terms of the spatial quality of the built form its effect on the built environment. Key methods of data collection employed extensive field surveys, observations, measurements, map analysis, satellite imagery analysis, interviews with officials, and block surveys for detailed analysis of FAR, land coverage in plot and block level, height, land use pattern, and other design aspects of the built form. The survey findings were analyzed through descriptive statistical methods including frequency distribution and presented through tables, charts, and cross-analysis charts contributing to a better understanding of the ongoing trend of densification. The findings indicate that the spatial quality of the built environment was largely compromised in terms of inadequate ventilation and solar access, loss of acoustic and visual privacy, obstruction of view, and leftover unusable open spaces. However, the interior dwelling spaces conforming to the acceptable standard is suggestive of a moderate degree of urban consolidation. By investigating how urban densification has transformed the urban fabric and residential environment, the study reveals the unintended consequences of unguided densification in Dhaka.

The acceptance of density: Conflicts of public and private interests in public debate on urban densification

Urban densification is crucial for sustainable urban growth. Yet, its implementation often leads to local conflicts. To understand the interplay between private and public interests, we analysed media reports on densification policies and projects in Switzerland from 2009 and 2019, a period when Switzerland revised its Spatial Planning Act, limiting land take and promoting densification. Our results reveal a disconnect between private and public interests. Residents and other established stakeholders tend to dominate the public debate. Arguments in the face of impending building often reflect conflicting social values related to distributive justice, such as rising housing costs, loss of identity of place, and erosion of social cohesion. NIMBYism, the “Not In My Backyard” phenomenon, is insufficient to explain criticism or the rejection of urban densification measures. Other factors, such as ecological concerns, have gained impact. Moreover, our study highlights that the Swiss direct democratic instrument of popular initiatives tends to stimulate public debate and, thereby, has the potential to better bridge public interests with the effects of densification policies on residents and communities.

Housing accessibility in densifying cities: Entangled housing and land use policy limitations and insights from Oslo

Several cities have introduced densification policies to counteract urban sprawl, protect natural land and resources, and create socially diverse and inclusive urban areas. The common assumption, present especially in policy recommendations for sustainable urban development, that densification is the most favourable way to achieve urban sustainability in a broad sense, including economic and social dimensions, powerfully depoliticizes densification. However, within the housing sector, the implementation of densification policies might be linked to the intensification of existing - and the creation of new - social and spatial challenges. In Oslo, the case study of this investigation, urban densification has been implemented since the 1980 s, and has produced strongly exclusionary housing markets with negative socio-spatial implications. In this article, I explore the mechanisms behind such outcomes. Specifically, employing a qualitative analysis of policy documents and interviews with key-informants, I explore how the systematic prioritization of environmental sustainability and green growth goals in planning for densification, together with the lack of legal tools and economic resources to provide affordable housing, have shaped the production of exclusionary outcomes, limiting the possibilities to combine urban densification and housing accessibility at the local level.

Non-compliance and non-enforcement: An unexpected outcome of flexible soft densification policy in the Netherlands

In many urban areas, governments are struggling to curb urban sprawl while simultaneously trying to keep up with growing pressures on the housing market. As a result, housing developments increasingly take place within the existing housing stock through soft densification in the form of subdivisions. Municipalities aim to regulate this type of densification because of growing pressure on existing infrastructure, neighborhood cohesion, and (rental) prices. This contribution looks at the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands as a case study, where small-scale private investors increasingly bought up owner-occupied homes to subdivide into rental homes. As a result, the executive council of the municipality introduced new subdivision regulations in 2016. It explores how the interests of the investors influenced the negotiations that took place during the policy formulation and implementation phases. Using a neo-institutionalist approach, we found that policy negotiations gave rise to an increased number of flexible rules on subdivisions, allowing municipal authorities to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. While official subdivisions have reduced drastically as a result of the new policy, investors have moved towards other less regulated opportunities or even illegal subdivisions. These findings highlight that while flexible implementation may provide more steering capacity for municipalities, it may also lead to non-compliance as an unexpected byproduct.

Reconsidering Urban Densification for Microclimatic Improvement: Planning and Design Strategies for Istanbul

One of the key issues of the urban planning agenda is how urban density be decided in the spatial configurations of future neighbourhoods to overcome complex challenges such as urban warming. This paper aims to reconsider urban density as a spatial planning instrument to develop effective densification policies, planning and design strategies in terms of surface urban heat island (SUHI) mitigation in Istanbul. The quantitative research embraced a four-stage methodology including grid-based sampling design, decoding the taxonomy of urban density-matrix (UDM), land surface temperature mapping, and ANOVA tests. Tests were conducted on the UDM consisting of nine building typologies representing the horizontal and vertical urban density. The research indicated that the impact of urbanisation on SUHI can be mitigated by controlling densities and urban forms based on quantitative findings. The highest temperatures were recorded in areas with high-coverage-mid-rise and mid-coverage-mid-rise development. The different levels of SUHI in different building typologies having the same density indicated the mitigation potentials of the built-form in Istanbul's local urban warming. Low coverage and high-rise building forms were an optimal solution for mitigating SUHI in densely populated urban areas. The research gives insight into an ongoing debate among urban professionals in Istanbul concerning the impacts of density and the urban form for climate adaptation. It enables professionals to understand the impact of urban planning decisions on microclimate and integrate them into the operational processes. Considering quantitative research findings as a strong foundation for developing policy recommendations and using them as a guideline may create new opportunities for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The study has an original value for exploring design strategies to improve microclimate and promoting sustainable urban development.

Planning with power. Implementing urban densification policies in Zurich, Switzerland

This article contributes to the debate on power in planning. It builds on recent developments linked with the so-called new institutional turn in planning. By bridging planning, new institutionalism, and power, the article ambitions to (1) develop a conceptual framework that captures the role of power in concrete spatial development projects, and (2) illustrate the potential of this framework with a real-life example of contested urban redevelopment in Zurich, Switzerland. The proposed framework provides a different picture of urban densification processes which are typically presented as eco-friendly and sustainable initiatives. Through its impact on the built environment and on existing rights and interests, redevelopment for urban densification creates not only winners, but also losers, especially among those inhabitants who cannot afford the higher rent following redevelopment in favor of density. Due to its conflictual nature, densification is therefore an ideal subject to study power in planning.

Mapping urban ecosystem services to design cost-effective purchase of development rights programs: The case of the Greater Paris metropolis

It is increasingly recognised that the good quality of life of city dwellers depends on the provision of a variety of urban ecosystem services (UES) within cities. However, soil sealing, associated with urbanisation and densification policies, affects soil multifunctionality and compromises the supply of future UES delivered both by public and private land. Incentive-based instruments could provide additional means of action for urban open space protection. Yet, their ability to produce conservation patterns that are cost-effective has been questioned, especially when they rely on public funding. To address this concern, this paper argues that conservation return on investment (ROI) analysis can be applied to UES supply protection objectives. We present an application of this method to a purchase of development right program within the Greater Paris metropolitan area (France). We assess and map the supply variation of three urban ecosystem services in case of soil sealing using Urban InVEST. These assessments are synthesised in the form of an index that serves as an indicator of the benefits of conservation investments. Conservation investment costs are based on estimates of the value of development rights from land market data. Finally, we use an expected-benefit-cost targeting strategy to produce maps showing the distribution of open land cells according to their regulatory status and their UES supply ROI. Our findings suggest that such maps provide a valuable decision-making tool to improve the cost-effectiveness of incentive-based conservation instruments and better inform land use decision planning.

The relationship between the built environment and respiratory health: Evidence from a longitudinal study in Indonesia

Multiple studies have discussed the relationship between the built environment and non-infectious diseases, but research involving infectious diseases and the built environment is scarce. How the built environment is associated with infectious diseases varies across areas, and previous literature produces mixed results. This study investigated the relationship between the built environment and infectious diseases in Indonesia, which has different settings compared to developed countries. We combined the longitudinal panel data, Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS), and land cover data to examine the relationship between the built environment and the likelihood of contracting respiratory infectious diseases. We focused on the sprawl index to measure the built environment. The study confirmed that a sprawling neighbourhood is linked to lower respiratory infection symptoms by employing a fixed effect method. The association is more evident in urban areas and for females. The results also suggested that the linkage works through housing quality, such as housing crowdedness and ventilation, and neighbourhood conditions like neighbourhood transportation modes and air pollution levels. Thus, our results underlined the need to consider the health consequences of the densification policy and determine the direction of landscape planning and policy.

Urban Policy Sustainability through a Value-Added Densification Tool: The Case of the South Boston Area

Over the past decade, urban density has been growing faster than ever, forcing high-density expansion. The aim of this study is to verify whether urban density is accepted as a sustainable value-added quality, internalized in the willingness to pay on a buildable per square feet basis. To explore the relationship between land prices and densification processes, this study focused on a low-density area, which recently went through a densification policy process with the approval of a new zoning tool. The study analyzes land price trends on a 144-Acre of area, located in the South Boston Submarket, identified as the Dorchester Ave Area. I analyzed land transactions in this area between 2012 and 2021. I also examined land price variations before and after the approval of a densification plan in correlation with the overall trend of the real estate market in that area. The results suggest that density is a value-added feature that affects land prices. Indeed, a higher density leads to higher values per buildable square feet. Densification policies have a strong positive impact on land transaction prices. Community and developers valued density with a greater willingness to pay, internalizing the economic, social, and environmental sustainability benefits. This phenomenon should be taken into consideration by local public authorities implementing their zoning tools.

Sustainability assessment of strategic asset management decisions on municipal water infrastructure systems: Framework and application

AbstractDeveloping socially acceptable, environmentally friendly, and financially viable asset management plans (AMPs) is a major challenge for water and wastewater utilities and calls for a comprehensive Sustainability Assessment (SA). This paper proposes a novel framework that applies System Dynamics and Life Cycle Assessment tools to evaluate the long‐term sustainability of strategic asset management decisions for water and wastewater infrastructure systems. The merit of the proposed framework in dealing with the non‐linearity and dynamic behavior of the socio‐economic systems and its utility for SA of strategic asset management decisions are demonstrated in a case study of a Wastewater Collection (WWC) network system. Furthermore, the significant importance of population growth and urban densification policies in sustainability of AMP are highlighted by comparing four alternative scenarios of (1) 100% urban densification, (2) 0% urban densification, (3) 50% densification, and (4) no population growth in the case study. The results of the case study show that the greenhouse gas emission, operational and capital expenses, and bill burden of WWC and treatment services significantly reduce with urban densification.

Towers Once in the Park: Uprooting Toronto's Welfare Landscapes

This article is published as part of the Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography special issue ‘Revisiting the green geographies of welfare planning’, edited by Johan Pries and Mattias Qviström. ABSTRACT In the midst of the growing ecological crisis, the ‘compact city’ has become the mainstream urban paradigm for the sustainable future of western cities. However, the uneven implementation of densification policies can have adverse impacts on the amount and quality of urban green spaces, which are vital resources for local communities. This paper explores the controversies of introducing compactness in the case of Toronto’s ‘towers in the park’: housing estates built in comprehensively planned neighbourhoods from the 1950s through the 1970s. It does so through the lenses of urban design and landscape planning, by tracking the evolution of narratives that underpin the current urban regime, and by assessing their legitimacy from the perspective of residents. The findings highlight a persistent mismatch between Toronto’s dominant urban design paradigm and the sociomaterial context of its uncritical application. Exemplar episodes of tower infill show two discursive tropes to justify compactness: the alleged underuse of open spaces, and the creation of a proper public realm by replacing these spaces with buildings and streets. Beyond uncovering the fallacy of both claims, this paper outlines an alternative perspective for more equitable strategies for common green spaces, outside unconditional protection and zealous quest for “value uplift.”

Land use densification revisited: Nonlinear mediation relationships with car ownership and use

We revisit the effectiveness of land use densification as a strategy to promote travel sustainability by investigating the nonlinearity and mediation in the effects of residential densities on home-work distance, car ownership, and driving distance. Using a 2017 travel survey dataset in Beijing, we adopt a quadratic generalized multilevel structural equation model to estimate nonlinear and mediating effects simultaneously. Results suggest that the total effects of densities on home-work distance, car ownership, and driving distance are significantly curvilinear. Over-densification may result in marginal or even countervailing travel consequences. The appropriate level of residential density should lie below a threshold at around 18,000 persons/km2. Moreover, the densification policy in low-density neighborhoods may have a trivial direct effect but a significant indirect effect on driving reduction, through the mediation of other travel decisions. These findings demonstrate the importance of incorporating nonlinearity with mediation to evaluate land use policies, particularly in high-density cities.

Investigating application of compact urban form in central Indian cities

BackgroundDeveloped countries adopt a compact city urban form or the densification policy for sustainable development. However, the conditions differ in the context of developing and developed countries. India has high-density planning and there exists scarce research on the applicability of compact city urban form for sustainable development. MethodThis study assesses the population density in central Indian urban areas. It divides the city into various segments and compares them with the prescribed density range (as per Indian standards). Further, it conducts a spatial assessment of facilities in the segments; and conducts a public opinion survey (480 respondents) to compare living environment and quality of life in each segment. ResultsIt shows that density levels within the city vary considerably. Some NHs show scope for densification while some don’t. Therefore, a densification policy will have limited applications. Spatial assessment of facilities shows a lack of facilities in the outskirts. Public opinion reveals a good living environment and quality of life in most of the areas having access to facilities. ConclusionsThe results confirm that a uniform policy related to density cannot be applied to NHs in organically formed Indian cities. It confirms that an optimum density can result in better access to facilities. It also confirms no ill effects of high-density living in central Indian residents. Furthermore, this paper discusses the policy implications using the results of the study. This study can be a starting point for the formulation of density policies and SDG 11 goals for the sustainable Indian neighbourhoods.

Sustainable built environment and travel behavior: New perspectives, new data, and new methods

We revisit the effectiveness of land use densification as a strategy to promote travel sustainability by investigating the nonlinearity and mediation in the effects of residential densities on home-work distance, car ownership, and driving distance. Using a 2017 travel survey dataset in Beijing, we adopt a quadratic generalized multilevel structural equation model to estimate nonlinear and mediating effects simultaneously. Results suggest that the total effects of densities on home-work distance, car ownership, and driving distance are significantly curvilinear. Over-densification may result in marginal or even countervailing travel consequences. The appropriate level of residential density should lie below a threshold at around 18,000 persons/km2. Moreover, the densification policy in low-density neighborhoods may have a trivial direct effect but a significant indirect effect on driving reduction, through the mediation of other travel decisions. These findings demonstrate the importance of incorporating nonlinearity with mediation to evaluate land use policies, particularly in high-density cities.

Planning for residential ‘value’? London’s densification policies and impacts

This paper considers the agency and influence of planning processes and densification policies on urban landscapes in London. Urban transformation through residential densification can bring opportunities for real estate development, combined with longer term investment and financial gains for local authorities through planning gain. However, the measurements and indicators used to define density and its impacts could be better understood both objectively and subjectively through the lens of an extended notion of ‘value’. Such experiences of density can be viewed bluntly as positive or negative. This research investigates nuanced dimensions of density and adopts a primarily qualitative approach, reflecting on relevant literature and wider policy context through a discourse analysis relating to densification in London. The idea of elements of ‘value’ is explored and evaluated in ongoing developments through a detailed case study of Nine Elms, London. Quantitative data on the residential real estate market is used to illustrate investment flows. Conclusions consider best practice policy recommendations in relation to understandings of ‘value’. Policy relevance Lessons from London indicate how densification can be a viable option for both urban policy makers and practitioners when approaches adopt a flexible governance and planning approach, embedded in local context. Densification processes in planning and governance should be regularly reviewed and reconsidered in line with broader national and city-wide policies, optimising rather than maximising density. Both subjective and objective measurements should be accounted for, by reflecting on broad and informed indicators. The value created by densification processes should be the result of a weighted and broader assessment of variables: economic, social, and place-specific considerations. However, the often antagonistic, ambiguous nature of density and its application needs to be recognised by policy makers, regulators and actively involved parties (planners, developers, investors) to contribute to the creation of successful places.