The density of residential areas.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
Date:
1952
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The density of residential areas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    77/86 (page 65)
    the garden belongs. Figs. 2-4 illustrate densities for two-storey terrace houses of 105, 72 and 65 rooms per acre. Corresponding densities for three-storey terrace houses are 135, 95 and 85 rooms per acre. Below these densities there is a great range of possibilities if different house types and garden sizes are mixed and Table 1 shows the density range for various proportions of different types of house according to the size of garden. [Paragraphs 22-31] (ii) Areas developed with flats. The densities appropriate for areas consisting solely of flats depend on the method of arrangement of flats in blocks, their spacing for daylight, sunlight, noise insulation, etc., and for access and outdoor living space. For simple rectangular-shaped blocks laid out in parallel rows the maximum densities possible vary from about 120 rooms per acre for low blocks up to about 180 rooms per acre for taller, longer blocks. Other layout arrangements, encouraged by the use of “permissible height indicators ” (see Appendix 2) make higher maximum densities possible which, depending on a number of variables, might be from 200-300 rooms per acre. The spacing of blocks to ensure adequate day- lighting will in general result in sufficient space about the buildings to meet minimum needs of access, privacy, etc., and will also give outdoor living space roughly equivalent in area to the garden space of high-density terrace housing. Illustrations of developments of an area with flats only can be seen in Figs. 8-11. [Paragraphs 32-45] (iii) Areas developed with houses and flats. In an area of mixed development, the average density will depend on the proportion of the total number of rooms that are contained in houses and flats respec- tively and upon the densities of each. Table 4 illustrates this relationship. A suitable average net density for an area can only be given by analysis of the three parts of the problem: the desired allocation of rooms to houses and flats, the desired density of houses and the desired density of flats. Distribution between houses and flats may be a matter to which a planning authority will give considerable weight even to the extent of varying the average density or the separate densities for houses and flats. Provided that the planning authority do not com- mit themselves at the start to rigid ideas about the separate densities of houses and flats, there should be no difficulty in securing a useful proportion of houses and flats with an average net density up to about 70 rooms per acre. Above this figure the proportion of flats must generally increase. [Paragraphs 46-49] IV. Density over the Neighbourhood In a residential area there should be, in addition to dwellings, certain other facilities so that the area may have a fair measure of self-containment for everyday shopping, primary schools, etc. Such an area is defined as a neighbourhood. The density of persons over this area is defined as the gross residential density. Gross density is a guide to conditions existing in an area and useful in estimating the total amount of land a group of people will require. [Paragraphs 50-52] Space standards for schools are set out in para. 54 and a figure of 1-3 acres per 1,000 is taken as a rough guide to primary school needs. The various recommendations for public open space rates are given in Table 5, while Tables 6 and 7 set out land needs for shops, public buildings, service industry and main streets and car parks. [Paragraphs 53-58] The relation between gross and net density is such that if a gross density for an area is fixed together with definite standards for schools and open space, then the average net density for that area is largely predetermined. This is a tempting procedure for planning authorities to adopt but has dangers when land is limited. Careful consideration is needed to see whether it is best to maintain a net density which will allow a suitable distribution of rooms in houses and flats, while accepting some cut in open space standards and school areas; or alternatively whether the last two should stay at fixed figures and the cut be accepted in the net housing density. [Paragraphs 59-60] Fig. 17 shows that increases in gross density are accompanied by rapid decreases in the land available for housing. Above a gross density of about 45 persons per acre it becomes necessary to reduce the standards of ancillary uses in order to maintain reasonable net accommodation densities. [Paragraph 63] V. Density over the Town A simplified classification of land uses in a town is given, with six categories, in Table 9. Existing towns show wide variation in overall town density. The major land users are the residential areas, industrial areas, and open land. [Paragraphs 65-68] Existing towns show such variety that it is impossible to deduce general rules for desirable densities. Residential density is not the sole index of the standard of living conditions: variety of environment is probably the most important single