Urban density

Urban density is a term used in urban planning and urban design to refer to the number of people inhabiting a given urbanized area. As such it is to be distinguished from other measures of population density. Urban density is considered an important factor in understanding how cities function. Research related to urban density occurs across diverse areas, including economics, health, innovation, psychology and geography as well as sustainability.

Urban density and sustainability

It is commonly asserted that higher density cities are more sustainable than low density cities. Much planning theory, particularly in North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand has been developed premised on raising urban densities, such as New Urbanism, Transit-oriented development, and Smart growth.

However, the link between urban density and aspects of sustainability remains a contested area of planning theory. Many experts on sustainable urbanism argue that low-density, dispersed cities are unsustainable as they are automobile dependent. Others counter that raising densities results in more expensive real estate, greater road congestion and more air pollution. At a broader level though, there is evidence to indicate a strong correlation between the total energy consumption of a city and its overall urban density, i.e. the lower the density, the more energy consumed.

References

• Urban Density and Energy Consumption
• Deriving urban density in Greater Washington DC
• The Value of Density, New Zealand government website
• EPA website, Urbanization Indicator Descriptions
• Cost of living lower where sprawl is higher, Demographia website
• Newman, P and Kenworthy, J (1999) Cities and Sustainability: Overcoming automobile dependence, Washington, D. C. : Island Press ISBN: 1559636602
• Mees, P. (2000) A Very Public Solution: public transport in the dispersed city, Carlton South, Vic: Melbourne University Press (ISBN 0522848672)

External links

• Demographia website - density and other statistics for cities around the world
• Urban Density, Green Space and Sustainability research network website