Cities function better at higher densities. With more
people living closer together a wider variety of shops and services
can be supported near to homes, walking distances are kept short,
and public transport gets more riders so everyone gets a higher
quality service.
But if the density is too high, people won’t want to live there.
In particular, most people would prefer their own houses to
high-rise living.
Outer Districts
The outer districts average 3 storeys high.
But over 40% of the floor
space required is for non-residential uses like shops, offices,
factories and schools. And if we build these uses at a higher density, then it leaves more space available for housing.
Housing
Row houses not only save space, but
their shared walls reduce the heat lost to their surroundings,
making them more energy efficient.
A typical 3 person row house would be 4.8 metres wide, 10 metres
deep and 2.5 storeys high, with a 10 metre deep back garden. It
would front onto a street 8 metres wide, including both the main
pedestrian path and small front gardens.
Non-residential
Non-residential buildings will vary considerably;
what works well for a factory wouldn't work at all for a school.
But the most land intensive are those uses that require good
daylight, and so we'll use these as our benchmark.
The block below is built around a communal
courtyard, providing nearby green space and maximising natural
light. It's 4 storeys high and built around an interior courtyard 40 metres
square.
Central District
The city centre needs to be denser still.
But very tall buildings are best avoided. Up to about 5
storeys apartments remain agreeable places to live, but much above
that and residents become too far removed from the street.
Office buildings can be built higher, but they still need to respect
the human scale.
A typical block in the central district would be 6 storeys high. The ground floor would be
for retail and restaurants,
the next 4 floors would be residential, and the top floor office space.
Occasional taller buildings would provide vantage points for
looking out over the city.
Variety
In reality the city would be much more varied. Some
buildings
would be less dense than described above, others more dense.
And many of the city's streets would be curved.
