An Exploration of the Effect of Housing Unit Density on Aspects of Residential Landscape Sustainability in England

Abstract

Residential landscapes are crucial to achieving sustainable housing. However, there are concerns that higher housing densities will lead to unsustainable loss of gardens, greenspace and tree cover. This paper explores the effect of housing density on these variables, and finds that only garden provision is negatively correlated. Total greenspace cover need not decrease with densification if flats are combined with communal spaces. However, the quality of these spaces and their sustainable credentials were seen to be highly variable. Tree cover provided by developers is not related to density—they appear to be reluctant to plant trees across the density range.