Ok, so I’ve put forward an argument for increasing density in our neighbourhood as an critical aspect of sustainability – although I’m sure many of my neighbours would beg to differ on that score. Which is understandable...

After all, increasing density is always going to be a hard sell if you happen to be the one living next door to a new multi-storey development, and you’ve just been told someone is going to build their balcony overlooking your bedroom window. I know I wouldn't like it. When it comes to helping the planet, most of us would much rather stick to recycling instead.

But even if we put the environmental concerns aside for the moment, the fact is that with rising land prices increasing density is inevitable in inner urban areas. So the problem becomes making sure we get the ‘right’ kind of density, in the ‘right’ place.

Where should we locate higher densities:
In the plan to the left (click to see larger) I’ve shown higher densities along the major roads (Wellington, Alexander and to a lessor extent Gold and Hotham). This doesn’t mean that I’m proposing that these areas should be exclusively high density, or that density should not be increased outside these areas. Rather, the areas indicated are those where we should encourage a concentration of higher density.

Why there?
The reasoning behind the location of density is a combination of New Urbanism and Christopher Alexander’s ideas.

We want to keep higher density housing on busy roads, and away from Charlotte Street, so that we can maintain the ‘quiet back’ of our nieghbourhood, which might include a peaceful common green area in the centre of our neighbourhood.

And we want to 'reward density with amenity' by locating higher densities adjacent to shops and café’s, workplaces and activity centres (see previous post).

More design notes:

• High density residential should be located where possible to reuse existing building envelopes, and adjacent to amenities.
• In order for residents to maintain a ‘relationship’ with the street, high density buildings should not be more than four stories in height (rare exceptions are fine).