Compacting the city centre: densification in two Newcastles

Abstract

The compact city and the associated process of densification have attained almost hegemonic status as a sustainable urban form. Seeking to counteract the negative impacts of sprawl, urban densification has usually focused on areas beyond the city centre. However, a renewed attraction of the urban core is altering patterns at a time when other trends, including the decline of retailing and commercial activity, are also changing demands for space in the city centre. This paper investigates different approaches to the use of urban densification as part of strategies for the regeneration of the city centre. Drawing on two case studies-Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK and Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia-it considers the different mechanisms by which city authorities and their development partners are seeking to densify the city centre, and examines the tensions created by the process in these two contexts. In addition to document analysis, data are derived from symposia based in both cities as part of the future of the city centre project led by the authors. Contributors included representatives from local government, non-government organisations, business and community groups. The outcome is an appraisal of contrasting approaches to the densification of city centres. POLICY RELEVANCE Coherence of city form and consistency throughout the city centre are important objectives, and great differences in density disturb this unity. The city centre is not a project, but a continuous process. Thus, it benefits from fine grain developments on the principle of a rich built environment being generated through small contributions by numbers of people over time. A concept is proposed that densification has positive outcomes up to a point at which negative effects begin to occur. Density is readily measured, but the question remains where the balance point is for each city. There is also a notion that negative impacts may occur before a stipulated density is realised. Support is needed to develop a virtual city model for all cities, and funding to advance city information modelling for all aspects of sustainability, to encourage optimum levels of densification to be achieved.

A Comparative Analysis of Drivers Impacting Urban Densification for Cross Regional Scenarios in Brussels Metropolitan Area

“…Densification, also known as urban consolidation and urban intensification, is a process in which new structures are built (or renovated) at increasing densities [49]. As a result, a compact city may be recognized by its high-density, mixed-use development, effective transportation, and various commercial and social activities.…”

Towards a Better Understanding of Compact Cities

“…In the late 1980s, the incorporation of sustainability into urban planning theory further popularized the term, especially in developed countries. Great Britain, Australia, Japan, and other European countries were among the first to embrace this concept (Conticelli 2020; Jenks 2019; Stevenson and Gleeson 2018; Yoon 2020). By the turn of the century, the concept's influence had reached many parts of the world, including developing countries (Brown 2017; Jenks 2019; Rode 2018).…”

“…Great Britain, Australia, Japan, and other European countries were among the first to embrace this concept (Conticelli 2020; Jenks 2019; Stevenson and Gleeson 2018; Yoon 2020). By the turn of the century, the concept's influence had reached many parts of the world, including developing countries (Brown 2017; Jenks 2019; Rode 2018). In international policy discourse, the compact city is now regarded as a universal approach.…”

“…It is used in European Commission documents (Rode 2018) and is prevalent in Germany and Poland (Hamiduddin 2017). Similarly, "consolidation" is a comparable term used in Australian literature (Conticelli 2020;Giddings and Rogerson 2021). As these related terms do not sufficiently map onto existing definitions of the compact city and focus research efforts, the scope of this review will be limited to studies that explicitly examine the compact city.…”

Comparing types and patterns: A context-oriented approach to densification in Switzerland and the Netherlands

“…Single-case studies uncover, for instance, how increases in rent after redevelopment are anchored in Swiss institutions (Debrunner et al, 2020) or how, in the Netherlands, high densities in redevelopment projects are related to land acquisition costs (Buitelaar and Segeren, 2011). In addition, comparative case studies have helped explain causal relationships between national policies and urban development patterns (Tennekes et al, 2015; Giddings and Rogerson, 2021). Few studies apply this knowledge to explain densification patterns on a larger scale (Clessens et al, 2020; Jehling et al, 2020).…”