Gentle density

Gentle density is a term used to refer to a proposed solution to housing shortages.

It involves a variety of measures to increase housing stock such as implementing different zoning laws to allow a variety of types of housing. It emphasises the need to build more terraces, townhouses, low-rise apartments and dual-occupancy dwellings.

Definition

"Gentle density" calls for a variety of housing types such as terraces, townhouses, low-rise apartments and dual-occupancy in well-serviced areas that makes use of existing infrastructure and public transport connections.[1]

Use

The Financial Times has stated that Australia, New Zealand and the United States have rapidly embraced the policy. They also reported that United Kingdom prime minister Keir Starmer promised to implement 'gentle urban development' along with 'new Georgian-style town houses in urban areas'.[2] The Financial Times has stated examples of gentle density include developments such as Borneo Isle in Amsterdam and Marmalade Lane in Cambridge.[2]

In the United Kingdom, the Labour government was elected in 2024 on a pledge to implement solutions to the housing crisis. Gentle density refers to solutions that go in between the high-rise of city centres and low-rise suburbs.[3] The UK-based think tank Create Streets is an advocate for gentle density within new developments, publishing research that supports proposals for this sort of development.[4] Chairman of Create Streets Nicholas Boys Smith has championed the principles of gentle density under the 2010–2024 Conservative government, as Chair of the Office for Place and as Co-chair of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission alongside Sir Roger Scruton.[5][6]

The think tank Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has proposed a solution where Australian home-building services can utilise gentle density. In Australia, CEDA estimated that gentle density can increase housing stock by approximately 12% more houses in Sydney, 15% more houses in Melbourne, 16% increase in Adelaide and an increase of at least 17% in Perth. The CEDA report emphasises the need to reach a National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million new homes by 2029. CEDA has stated that local councils are the main roadblock to implementing gentle density policies.[1]

Auckland, New Zealand has implemented a form of gentle density which changed zoning laws, with an estimation that 80,000 new homes were provided by 2024 due to the policy, which was higher than population growth.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Yang, Samuel (1 December 2025). "Think tank says an overlooked solution to Australia's housing crisis could unlock about 1 million new homes". ABC News. Archived from the original on 9 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b Elborough, Travis (3 November 2023). "Can 'gentle density' help us solve the housing crisis?". Financial Review. Retrieved 10 December 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ Cooper, Phil (17 October 2025). "Gentle density". Hope Architects. Archived from the original on 9 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Becoming a nation of townbuilders". Create Streets. June 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  5. ^ Richardson, Mary (21 May 2025). "Why Nicholas Boys Smith's ideas still matter in the age of Keir Starmer". Building Design. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  6. ^ Gardiner, Joey and Hopkirk, Elizabeth (30 January 2020). "Beautiful schemes should be fast-tracked, urges commission". Building Design. Archived from the original on 17 January 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2026.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.