Density in cities is often touted as a positive and desirable way to live. Various studies have repeatedly suggested that higher density can lead to better lifestyles, a more sustainable environment, and improved health. In The Death and Life of Great American Cities, journalist Jane Jacobs identifies several possible advantages of density: increased walkability, close-knit communities, and a concentration of resources while maintaining diversity that better serves the population.
Naturally, a higher population density prevents the formation of ghost towns and vacant shops, which can become hotbeds for crime. However, these positive views on dense living environments often rest on optimistic assumptions about urbanism, such as minimal friction among individuals, easily maintained hygiene and a natural formation of diversity.
These assumptions, however, do not always hold. Tensions can flare within communities, and maintaining cleanliness can be challenging, as evidenced by the rat problems in New York City and pest infestations in Hong Kong. Achieving diversity can also be complicated in planned neighborhood clusters. When density is poorly managed, grouping only the narrowest range of income groups, household types, and economic activities may result in highly repressive and monotonous environments, limiting residents' daily experiences.
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Psychology of Scale: People, Buildings and CitiesThe Case of Choi Hung Estate in Hong Kong
Clustered high-density social housing may not seem like a recipe for successful and healthy urban living. However, contrary to the downfall of the Pruitt-Igoe housing project, developments like Choi Hung Estate and Tai Hang Sai Estate in Hong Kong, established in the 1960s, have thrived and continue to impact the city positively.
Choi Hung Estate, which covers 7.9 hectares, is home to 43,000 people, providing roughly 20 square feet of land area per person. For reference, Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, has about 244 square feet of land area per person. Within this high-density development, Choi Hung Estate features five schools, a car park, various shops and restaurants, sports areas, and green spaces, maintaining a healthy balance.
Choi Hung Estate, designed by Palmer & Turner in the 1960s, has become a social media sensation due to its rainbow-colored facade, which corresponds to its Chinese name meaning "rainbow." This famous appearance, along with a tight-knit community and well-designed public areas, shows that a sustainable and healthy lifestyle is achievable in densely populated areas even in areas with limited diversity and economic opportunities.
How Dense Is Too Dense?
Like other thriving developed cities worldwide, Hong Kong has a high demand for social housing, and the average wait time for general applicants is 5.7 years. To address this issue, the city is planning to construct denser housing. A redevelopment study for the Choi Hung Estate is underway to increase the number of flats and improve traffic conditions in the neighborhood. City officials have emphasized that the redevelopment can not only increase the number of flats but also present opportunities to enhance traffic conditions in the neighborhood. Plans for demolitions were approved at the end of 2023, with broader ambitions beyond just adding density, such as improving social welfare, community, and school facilities.
How dense is too dense? As urban needs evolve, cities must respond through thoughtful design. The critical question is, when does an ever-growing housing development reach the tipping point of over-densification? The current density of Choi Hung Estate is already high, and its continued success already contradicts many studies. Yet, as the demand for social housing continues to soar, the city plans to further increase the density of Choi Hung Estate through its redevelopment project, expecting a 24% net gain in the number of flats. Assuming each flat has a similar number of household members as existing, this would further reduce the land area per person to around 16 square feet.
It's important to note that redevelopment projects are not limited to Choi Hung Estate in Hong Kong. For instance, Tai Hang Sai Estate, which was also built in the 1960s, is similarly undergoing demolition to increase the number of flats from 1,600 to 5,000. As these developments become more extensive, it's worth considering whether the increasing density will eventually begin to limit the inhabitants' experiences and quality of life. Can the quality of housing and overall quality of life be maintained or even improved in the face of further growing density?
Evaluating Social Housing beyond Numbers
It’s crucial to look beyond just spatial efficiency and numbers when evaluating the success of housing. While quantitative analysis, such as square footage per person, access to essential services and stores, and proximity to public transit, provides valuable insights into housing designs, other factors such as community diversity, variety and quality of stores, comfort and experience of walking, maintaining a sense of neighborhood scale, and proximity to nature are also important and should influence the future design of social housing estates.
Before densely populated cities, such as Hong Kong, reach a stage where over-densification creates more problems than solutions, we need to reevaluate how we assess the density and address housing crises. Simply increasing the number of homes may solve the housing crisis statistically, but if it leads to a decline in residents' quality of life, community hygiene, safety, and mental well-being, then increasing housing alone may not be the best solution. Can new and denser developments still create thriving communities and neighborhoods with a combination of local businesses, sports facilities, green spaces, and accessibility for diverse transportation? As Hong Kong continues to be one of the models for the development of ultra-high-density cities, we need to consider how to meet growing housing needs without compromising quality of life.
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