The Quest for Density

In the challenge to get control of housing delivery, at least to stay in pace with demand, the housing sector faces conflicting interests and priorities. In order to resist urban sprawl and pressure on Green Belt, densities are driven up, brownfield land is prioritised, development boundaries are drawn up and defended robustly. There is a very real risk that the quality of environment that can be achieved at higher density conflicts with the pressures of amenity, biodiversity, sustainable drainage requirements, tree cover, infrastructure and local facilities. If the densities were loosened, incorporated multi generational living and could themselves be demonstrated to be sustainable, would the resulting housing schemes be more acceptable to those who vociferously and energetically resist new development?