Visualizing Density
Resources
For a technical urban planning term, density is very much in the news lately, as more multifamily and infill redevelopment projects are proposed – often greeted with skepticism by established residents. We’ve compiled a literature review and links to various resources that will be updated regularly.
What Does 15 Units Per Acre Look Like?
A StoryMap Exploring Street-Level Density
September 18, 2024
A Massachusetts law intended to encourage density near public transit could serve as a model for other states, but it has sparked pushback in some communities. This StoryMap explores what the new density requirements look like on the ground in and around Boston.
Density Atlas
MIT’s online resource for comparing densities from around the world.
Exploring Increased Density in Residential Neighborhoods
American Planning Association
Case studies that include measurements of parks, pedestrian walkways, and other amenities provide context for density.
Zoning’s Hidden Power Is the Key to Understanding Cities
Bloomberg CityLab
Sara Bronin, author of Key to the City, reviews how zoning has shaped the composition of neighborhoods over time, and the impact of recent zoning reform initiatives.
Density where it should be
Cities | The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning
In this study, Emily Talen, professor of urbanism at the University of Chicago, looks at the alignment of density and three major urban amenities: transit stations, parks, and pedestrian-oriented retail streets.
Density is a housing and climate solution for more inclusive communities
David Suzuki Foundation
A hypothesis that rezoning for increased density leads to more affordable housing, and more inclusive and economically sustainable communities.
The Perfect Height for Urban Buildings
Next City
A video dissects the commonly held notion that the ideal building height is about five stories maximum.
Urban Form and the Housing Crisis: Can Streets and Buildings Make a Neighborhood More Affordable?
The Conversation
Two scholars from Instituto de Empresa University explore the link between urban form and economic diversity.
What’s happening to big city density in England in five charts
Centre for Cities
An analysis of the change in residential density of England’s nine largest cities from 2010-2020, using data on built-up areas and new housing construction in city centers and peripheries.
The Urban Density Debate: India’s Story
Observer Research Foundation
A paper examining the impact of the increasing densification of Indian cities in terms of livability and economic activity, including a case for decongestion.
Why so many Americans prefer sprawl to walkable neighborhoods
The Washington Post
A pictorial essay of a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia that embodies the concept of the “15-minute city,” where residents can walk to whatever they need in 15 minutes or less.
Unlocking neighborhood density – ScienceDirect
Journal of Urban Economics
Geo-spatial data informs this research on the links between density and the sorting of people by socio-economic characteristics, such as income and demographic variables.
The Difficulties of Density
Bloomberg CityLab
Richard Florida summarizes research by urban economist Issi Romem of BuildZoom.
How Dense Is Too Dense? The Future of Social Housing in Metropolises
ArchDaily
Lessons from Hong Kong in “spatial efficiency” inform future construction of social housing
The 15-Minute City: Hope, Hype and Hostility
Governing
Alan Ehrenhalt takes measure of the concept of most needs being met within walking distance.