Urban Density Done Right – Ideas on densification of cities and other communities Building a city is like doing a puzzle and densifying the city is like finding the missing piece. But you have to pay attention since you cannot squeeze in just any piece at the site. The key is to choose the best — the one that really fits. This publication was produced by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Buildning and Planning to provide examples of how densification can take place and to highlight some important things to think about. The publication is available as a pdf on the web site. You can also order printed copies. This publication can be obtained in alternative formats, upon request. Boverket 2017 Urban Density Boverket Done Right Box 534, 371 23 Karlskrona Phone: +46 455 35 30 00 Ideas on densification of Website: www.boverket.se E-mail: [email protected] cities and other communities Urban Density Done Right Ideas on densification of cities and other communities The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning May 2017 Title: Urban density done right – Ideas on densification of cities and other communities Edition: 200 copies Printing: E-print AB ISBN print: 978-91-7563-466-1 ISBN pdf: 978-91-7563-467-8 Ref. No. 1523/2015 Keywords: Cities, communities, neighbourhoods, expansion, densification, housing, jobs, challenges, examples Cover illustration: Elin Normann Bjarsell/Boverket The publication can be ordered from: Boverket, Publikationsservice, Box 534, 371 23 Karlskrona, Sweden Tel. No.: +46 455-35 30 50 Fax: +46 455-819 27 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.boverket.se The publication may be downloaded as a pdf from www.boverket.se. The publication may also be ordered, upon request, in an alternative format, such as Daisy, as a cassette voice recording, etc. Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning 2017 Contents 1. Creating the right density................................................................... 6 2. Challenges .......................................................................................... 10 It is essential to have a strategy for the expansion of the city ...................11 More housing increases the need for public services ....................................15 Include vegetation ...............................................................................................19 A denser city is a louder city ..............................................................................24 Light is enormously important for human beings ...........................................30 Daylight in a dense city .......................................................................................32 3. Examples ............................................................................................ 38 Housing and jobs where needed .......................................................................39 Complementary form of housing in the area of the Million Homes Programme .....................................................................40 Densification without claiming new ground ....................................................42 Development connecting city districts .............................................................44 Supplementing in an environment of cultural and historical value ...............46 New parking garage creates meeting point ....................................................48 Literature ................................................................................................ 50 Densification is about more than just building housing The Swedish National Board of public services can be created, and how a densification Housing, Building and Planning has produced this strategy for the entire city might be developed. document in response to public debate on the densification of our cities and communities, and to Finally, in the third part, we highlight a number of provide inspiration and guidance regarding ways to examples of municipal densification projects, all of which supplement the existing environment. Densification is not have added value over and above new housing. We hope only about building housing. It is also about creating a that these three parts will spark new ideas and inspire good built environment for the people who live, work and people who are involved in urban planning or are simply spend time in the city. Supplementation is intended to interested in the development of cities and communities. create added value, while at the same time making good use of existing values and qualities. Mirja Ranesköld, planning architect, was the project leader and Elin Normann Bjarsell, landscape architect, This document consists of three parts. In the first part, we was a member of the project team. Other coworkers present our views and arguments concerning some of the contributed with their views and suggestions during the challenges and opportunities of densification. In the next course of the project. The interviews were conducted by part we explain some of the challenges and give Elisabeth Klingberg at PratMinus. A big thank you goes inspiration to readers to think in new ways, by presenting out to our interviewees and those who provided examples. interviews conducted with a few people about how they approach the challenges that exist. For example: how people’s needs for sunlight and daylight can be satisfied, Karlskrona, March 2016 how disturbing sounds in a dense city can be handled, Sofie Adolfsson Jörby how vegetation can be used as a resource, how room for Section Manager 6 CHAPTER 1 URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING Creating the 1. right density A city is more than its buildings. Buildings, in turn, are more than just housing. Yet, the discussion on densification is often about constructing as much housing as possible, as quickly as possible. It is not that odd, considering the great need for housing that currently exists; however, in the rush to build quickly it is important to slow down and ask ourselves: What kind of environments are we creating? For whom are we building? How will we ensure that the cities are sustainable and comfortable for everyone? Will the structures we are adding to the existing urban space contribute to a good built environment and provide pleasant living environments? City and community development is a core issue for the high degree of interaction between people that is attractive Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and and this requires places where people can meet. Planning and densification has been adopted as a development strategy in the two Swedish-language SEEING DENSIFICATION AS AN OPPORTUNITY documents “Vision Sverige 2025” [Vision Sweden 2025] So it’s a matter of creating density in the right way. We and “Förslag till strategi för miljökvalitetsmålet God need to build densely enough that the in-between spaces bebyggd miljö” [Proposal for a strategy to achieve the remain and provide space for the very qualities that create environmental quality goal of a good built environment]. a good living environment. When the existing environment is to be changed, we have an excellent There is a great difference between physical density and opportunity to start from the current circumstances of a perceived density. Having buildings placed closely together place and find out what it lacks. What supplementary is not the same thing as feeling that everything is close at values might the densification bring? Here is an hand. In other words, it is not the density in itself that is opportunity to redo and improve. How might we design sought after, but rather the quality that the dense urban the supplementation so that both men and women are environment provides, in the form of proximity to work, invited into the urban space? How might we create space cultural offerings, activities, parks, and so on. The for children and young people, both boys and girls? How experience of having a short distance between activities might we create accessible environments for individuals and one’s home is precisely what is considered to be the with functional impairments and for an increasingly primary comfort factor for the city-dweller, according to elderly population? How can we better conserve storm surveys about urban living. It is the bustling city with a water in our built environments? In the dense city, more URBAN DENSITY DONE RIGHT – SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING CHAPTER 1 7 inhabitants are required to share the public spaces and DENSIFICATION ENTAILS SEVERAL CHALLENGES free spaces that exist. This can lead to crowding and wear, The challenges are many in our quest to achieve a good as can be seen in some parks where the grass had to be built environment. In media and other different contexts replaced with artificial turf. we often see reports that green space is being sacrificed for development and free space is disappearing. The WHY DENSIFY? daylight requirements for housing are difficult to fulfil and So why exactly has densification become such a planning sunlight in residential courtyards is sacrificed in favour of trend? There are several reasons for that. We have a other priorities. There are not enough preschools and rapidly growing population in Sweden’s cities and larger schools being built to fulfil the need and the housing that communities, and there are housing shortages in many is built is designed for a small group in society. There has municipalities. Many cities and communities