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Urban planification

Compact City (Density)

CONTEXT

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The occupancy of a territory must incorporate the concept of rational land use. As land is a scarce and limited asset, its occupancy requires the combination of growth needs with the conservation of natural resources and landscape, archaeological, historical and cultural values in order to guarantee the quality of life of present and future generations. (Definition of sustainable urban development. Art. 3.1 of the Revised Text of the Catalan Law on Urban Development [TRLUC], 2010.)

Fostering the application of a compact city means occupying land in such a way that dispersion into the territory is avoided, physical activity is favored, renovation and rehabilitation are considered and a globally efficient territorial model is consolidated (United Nations, 2017; Spanish Ministry of Development, 2018). Generally, urban settlements should be configured in a compact manner, reserving the rest of the territory for non-urbanized areas, where the permitted activities and uses serve the individually recognized attributes of these open spaces.

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It should be stated that the compact city model is the one in place in the majority of cities both in Catalonia and in the Mediterranean in general. We should not forget, however, that there are rural areas with a traditionally dispersed model (farmhouses, country houses) as well as the existence of a very significant number of low-density fabrics (the "urbanizations") that populate the whole of territory and must be managed in the best possible way, looking to reverse some of the most negative aspects and appreciate the positive aspects of health.

To ensure the right balance between the number of homes, the dimensions of the corresponding facilities and the expanse of public land, the foremost indicative parameters of a given city or neighborhood model should be the density and typology of housing.

Density determines the distances between homes, workplaces, services and squares and parks and, therefore, has a direct influence on how people travel. Consequently, density has a direct effect on health, insofar as it can facilitate active transport and, therefore, physical activity and physical and mental health.

Firstly, links have been consistently found between levels of physical activity and residential density. Accordingly, it has been found that areas with a high level of residential density (dominated by apartment buildings) generate higher degrees of walkability and less time spent sitting in means of transport than areas with lower levels (dominated by detached houses). At the same time, overweight is associated with living in areas with a low population density, road networks with lots of curves, limited access on foot to commercial services and high dependence on private vehicles to move from one place to another. Finally, mental health is also linked to density. Dense urban structures favor interpersonal relations, which may contribute to better mental health by reducing the risk of depression, especially among the elderly.

Although in principle there are no appreciable differences in terms of air quality, the fact there are fewer vehicles on the roads results in a reduction of fossil fuel combustion and the corresponding CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming.

However, density is not an absolute value: very low densities (which do not guarantee enough compactness to minimize contaminating trips and foster social cohesion) can be as negative as excessive densities (which do not achieve suitable proportions between housing, facilities, public space, etc.).

 

OBJECTIVE

  • Foster the application of a compact city model, which means occupying land in such a way that dispersion into the territory is avoided, renovation and rehabilitation are considered, active mobility is favoured, and a globally efficient territorial model is consolidated.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Prioritize the planning of growth towards the interior of the city, avoiding major extensions and adapting the design of the city to a denser compact city model, that is, configuring shorter interurban distances and green and leisure areas with the possibility of promoting an active lifestyle and a people-oriented development model.
  • Reuse obsolete spaces within the city as a priority for sustainable growth. Base the planning of these areas on their functions, their development and the maintenance of their spaces. Consider the city’s ecological central areas, borders and divergent habitats, prioritizing the areas and spaces that favour the development of the city and ensuring that their maintenance and restoration enable orientation to an inclusive and ecological model. The new territorial legislation currently being drafted by the Government of Catalonia favours urban recycling and the disqualification of non-consolidated developable areas in order to return to more compact models.
  • Adapt the maintenance of high-density areas in such a way that space modernization plans and interventions take into account the social and economic needs of the city.
  • Accompany density with the improvement of green infrastructure (streets, parks, squares, yards, roofs, facades, etc.). Prioritizing their design makes it possible to favour active transport (walking, cycling), the conditions for participation and dialogue, the availability of multifunctional green areas, the beauty of the neighborhoods, the fight against climate change (generating shade and cooling), etc. That is, it enables an improvement in living and working conditions and reduces people’s stress. It also reduces the consumption of resources and the reuse of spaces, therefore contributing to strengthening and consolidating an efficient territorial model.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

Information only available in Catalan

 

 

  • Projecte CAT MED. Plataform for sustainable urban Models. Els seus eixos de treball són la compacitat,la complexitat i la proximitat als serveis bàsics.
  • Copenhagen. Copenhagen ha construït i continua construint pensant en la densitat com a element clau per a la sostenibilitat. Procuren que el desenvolupament urbà sigui sostenible, concentrant les construccions només en determinats punts i procurant evitar que les construccions s’escampin arreu del territori. Això afavoreix, entre d’altres coses, que es puguin tenir zones verdes per a tothom molt més extenses. En concret, a Copenhagen han procurat establir zones d’alta densitat al voltant de les estacions de metro i del tren.
  • Rotterdam. Rotterdam aposta per assolir un concepte de ciutat densificada i verda (densification & greenification) que faci atractives les àrees centrals de la ciutat per treballar-hi i per viure-hi. Per raons històriques (durant la segona mundial la ciutat quedà arrasada) la zona central de la ciutat estava ‘poc’ poblada i era poc compacte. També aposta perquè aquesta densificació també comporti barris heterogenis en la seva composició social. Amb gent de diverses capacitats adquisitives. La densificació també permet un millor ajust del transport públic i encoratja l’ús de la bicicleta.
    Rotterdam va apostar per la densificació del seu nucli central. Va passar de 30.000 habitants a esperar-ne 60.000 en aquesta àrea. La densificació va comportar analitzar les possibilitats d’augmentar el nombre d’habitatges al casc antic. I es varen categoritzar set maneres diferents per fer-ho. A més, per captar nous habitants, varen impulsar molts projectes per augmentar el verd urbà en aquelles zones. Es varen incorporar nous espais verds, molt diversos, amb dissenys de qualitat i ben gestionats. La popularitat i el prestigi de viure al centre anà lligada a la presència i qualitat de la infraestructura verda. Així, també s’ha treballat que la percepció d’aquest verd sigui agradable, ben distribuïda, i que es pugui veure i usar. S’han desenvolupat 7 estratègies per ampliar i millorar el verd: creació de bulevards (passeigs) atractius afegint-hi fileres d’arbres al llarg dels carrers; transformació d’illes al mig de l’asfalt, transformació de zones destinades a aparcament de cotxes i els vorals del riu en àrees verdes i atractives; s’ha fet de les places llocs de trobada agradables; s’han creat petits parcs de butxaca i s’ha procurat que tothom en pugui tenir un a prop per accedir-hi caminant; s’han afegit llocs d’esbarjo pels nens i s’ha fet que l’entorn d’aquests llocs sigui segur (amb zones de velocitat limitada i sotracs pels cotxes); s’han transformat els terrats i les façanes dels edificis, i s’ha ofert més espai de qualitat a l’aire lliure per tal que la gent hi estigui més temps i s’hi senti millor.

 

LEGISLATION

STUDIES AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

Technical documents:


Scientific papers:

  • Carlson, J. A. et al. (2016) ‘Walking mediates associations between neighborhood activity supportiveness and BMI in the Women’s Health Initiative San Diego cohort’, Health & Place, 38, pp. 48–53. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.01.001.Walking.
  • Cerin, E. et al. (2017) ‘Do associations between objectively- assessed physical activity and neighbourhood environment attributes vary by time of the day and day of the week ? IPEN adult study’, pp. 1–16. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0493-z.
  • James, P., Hart, J. E. and Laden, F. (2015) ‘Exposures to Walkability and Particulate Air Pollution in a Nationwide Cohort of Women’, Environmental Research, 142, pp. 703–711. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.09.005.Exposures.
  • Jáuregui, A. et al. (2016) ‘Perceived and Objective Measures of Neighborhood Environment for Physical Activity Among Mexican Adults , 2011’, pp. 1–12.
  • Katapally, T. R., Rainham, D. and Muhajarine, N. (2015) ‘Factoring in weather variation to capture the in fl uence of urban design and built environment on globally recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity in children’, pp. 1–10. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009045.
  • Kerr, J. et al. (2016) ‘Perceived Neighborhood Environmental Attributes Associated with Walking and Cycling for Transport among Adult Residents of 17 Cities in 12 Countries : The IPEN Study’, Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(3), pp. 290–298.
  • King, A. C. et al. (2015) ‘An observational study identifying obese subgroups among older adults at increased risk of mobility disability : do perceptions of the neighborhood environment matter?’, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12, p. 157. doi: 10.1186/s12966-015-0322-1.
  • Kolbe-alexander, T. L. et al. (2015) ‘The relationship between the built environment and habitual levels of physical activity in South African older adults : a pilot study’, pp. 1–9. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1853-8.
  • Koohsari, M. J. et al. (2015) ‘Public open space, physical activity, urban design and public health: Concepts, methods and research agenda’, Health and Place. Elsevier, 33, pp. 75–82. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.02.009.
  • Liao, Y. et al. (2016) ‘Associations of Perceived and Objectively-Measured Neighborhood Environmental Attributes With Leisure-Time Sitting for Transport’, Journal of physical activity & health.
  • Melis, G. et al. (2015) ‘The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health : A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City’, pp. 14898–14915. doi: 10.3390/ijerph121114898.
  • Miranda, J. J. et al. (2016) ‘Patterns and Determinants of Physical Inactivity in Rural and Urban Areas in Peru : A Population-Based Study’, pp. 654–662.
  • Oliver, M. et al. (2015) ‘Neighbourhood built environment associations with body size in adults : mediating effects of activity and sedentariness in a cross-sectional study of New Zealand adults’, BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 15, p. 956. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-2292-2.
  • Paul, P., Carlson, S. A. and Fulton, J. E. (2017) ‘Walking and the Perception of Neighborhood Attributes Among U.S. Adults, 2012’, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 14(1), pp. 36–44.

More information about addressing the Public Health Service: entornurbasalut@diba.cat

Date of last update:
ds., 08 de maig 2021 18:12:26 +0000