It is a contentious subject of debate that the construction of high-rise apartment blocks is the optimal solution to housing shortages in urban areas. While it is undeniable that vertical development in large cities is highly important, I only partially agree with this statement, as it is in my opinion that certain factors regarding sustainability and infrastructure need to be better accounted for.
It is true that tall buildings are a viable option to housing in areas where land is scarce. A prime example of this fact can be found in major economic hotspots of the world such as New York or Singapore, where expansion to surrounding regions is impossible due to political and geographical limitations respectively. In these cases, building residential complexes higher instead of wider can maximize the already-limited available space, offering a solution to rapidly increasing populations in such urban areas. Public facilities and services such as transport, water or electricity can also be better optimized with taller apartment buildings. In addition, vertical expansion in metropolitan areas can benefit economically, as surrounding land can be utilized or preserved for other essential purposes such as manufacturing, energy generation, agriculture or natural conservation.
However, building taller residential buildings may not be the single best option, as with any other. From a human point of view, the reliance on high-rise buildings – and the spike in population density as a result – can magnify today’s existing social issues, such as social isolation, higher crime rates, and strain on social services including healthcare, education and energy. For instance, many hyper-dense residential districts in modern metropolises suffer from severe traffic congestion and a lack of green spaces, which directly degrades the residents’ quality of life. In fact, cities nowadays are moving towards no single solution, but a combination of strategies which may include reusing existing facilities, encouraging the development of medium-density housing, and amending laws regarding rent and house ownership costs to ensure better equality and parity.
Upon mentioning large metropolises, the image of high-rise apartments dominating city skylines comes to mind. While this is for good reason, I personally believe that the only sustainable way to provide housing in these areas is to not rely on any single method, but to coordinate multiple different strategies and improve all facets of life, not just to simply add more houses.
The number of people living in an area compared with its size.
From the essay
From a human point of view, the reliance on high-rise buildings – and the spike in population density as a result – can magnify today’s existing social issues, such as social isolation, higher crime rates, and strain on social services including healthcare, education and energy.
Having little contact with other people or few close relationships.
From the essay
From a human point of view, the reliance on high-rise buildings – and the spike in population density as a result – can magnify today’s existing social issues, such as social isolation, higher crime rates, and strain on social services including healthcare, education and energy.
