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Low-rise high-density housing refers to residential developments typically 4 stories or less in height, with a high number of housing units per acre of land, between 35-80 dwellings per hectare. [1] This housing type is said to provide a middle ground between detached single-family homes and high-rise apartment buildings. [2]
Although the concept of low-rise high-density housing can be traced back to Le Corbusier's unbuilt Roq et Rob project from 1949, [3] a more direct influence was the pioneering work of the Swiss firm Atelier 5, whose Siedlung Halen project built in Bern, Switzerland in 1955-61 became a seminal example of the typology [4] [5]
In the 1960s and 1970s, low-rise high-density housing gained popularity among architects as a reaction against the perceived social failures of high-rise "tower-in-the-park" public housing projects. [5] Architects and planners began to rethink and reintroduce this housing model as a way to combine the benefits of urban and suburban living. [6]
The low-rise, high-density approach has reportedly regained popularity as an alternative to suburban sprawl and high-rise housing, offering a way to accommodate density while providing a sense of community and connection to the ground. [8] [9]
Le Corbusier: His Roq et Rob project in 1949 is considered an early influence on the low-rise, high-density approach.
Atelier 5: The Swiss architecture firm designed Siedlung Halen in Bern, Switzerland from 1959-61, which is considered the most influential low-rise, high-density project of the 1960s. [4]
The New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC): In 1973, the UDC, along with the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, presented the Marcus Garvey Park Village project in Brownsville, Brooklyn and the Another Chance for Housing: Low Rise Alternatives exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. This showcased a future for housing in the U.S. that combined urban and suburban living benefits. [4] [10]
Seven young architecture firms: Engaged by the UDC to further develop the low-rise, high-density prototype presented at MoMA, drawing from the pioneering work of architects like Atelier 5. [4]
Contemporary architects and researchers: Figures like Karen Kubey, exhibitor of Suburban Alternatives to trace the typology of low-rise, high-density housing over time, advocates for this approach. [11]
The aim of this housing model is to deliver the benefits of density, such as supporting public services and reducing environmental impact, while still providing residents with a sense of community and individual identity more akin to single-family homes. [2] [1] Studies have found that low-rise high-density developments can:
While low-rise high-density housing is seen as a valuable alternative to high-rise towers, the typology presents challenges:
Advocates of low-rise, high-density architecture argue that this type of development can provide an effective "missing middle" between low-density suburbs and high-rise towers. Mid-rise buildings of 3-7 storeys, often in a perimeter block configuration with a central courtyard, are cited as an example of this "missing middle" that can enable walkable neighborhoods with a mix of uses and housing types. [13] Proponents suggest this medium-density approach can achieve higher densities without the perceived downsides of high-rise towers, such as limited access to outdoor space, reduced community cohesion, and higher maintenance costs. [14] [15] Mid-rise, medium-density development is more common in Europe than in North America and Australia, where urban development has tended towards either low-density suburbs or high-rise towers [13]
Criticisms or challenges associated with low-rise, high-density architecture include:
A suburb is an area within a metropolitan area which often contains most of the area's economic activity, which may include commercial and mixed-use. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate political entity. The name describes an area that is either more or less densely populated than an inner city. In many metropolitan areas suburbs rise in population during the day and are where most jobs are located; being major commercial and job hubs, many suburbs also exist as separate residential communities within commuting distance of a larger city. Suburbs can have their own political or legal jurisdiction, especially in the United States, but this is not always the case, especially in the United Kingdom, where most suburbs are located within the administrative boundaries of cities. In most English-speaking countries, suburban areas are defined in contrast to central city or inner city areas, but in Australian English and South African English, suburb has become largely synonymous with what is called a "neighborhood" in the U.S., but it is used in contrast with inner city areas.
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