Centre for Cities calls for major shift toward urban densification to close housing gap
A new report from think tank Centre for Cities argues that increasing housing density across British cities is essential to addressing the UK’s housing shortage and improving urban economic performance.
image: Centre for Cities, extract from report cover
The report, Course correction: How to densify British cities, says UK cities contain a significant “density gap” compared with international peers, estimating that there are around 2.3m fewer homes in urban cores than would be expected if cities matched the density levels of comparable places in France and Japan.
According to the analysis, the gap is most pronounced in the UK’s largest cities outside London, including Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. The report suggests that this shortfall is linked to weaker economic performance in these cities, as lower density limits the effective size of labour markets and reduces agglomeration benefits.
The think tank says the urban cores of British cities are dominated by older, low-density housing, with relatively little recent development achieving higher-density forms. It argues that this reflects long-term patterns of post-war development, particularly in suburban and low-rise neighbourhoods that make up a large share of urban land.
A central conclusion of the report is that increasing density will require more development in these existing urban areas rather than relying solely on city centre regeneration or peripheral expansion. It highlights that much of the opportunity lies in redevelopment and infill within established neighbourhoods rather than greenfield sites.
Centre for Cities also points to the importance of changing the type of housing being delivered. It says that mid-rise development – typically defined as buildings of around four to nine storeys – has been limited in the UK compared with other countries, and argues that this form of housing is key to achieving higher densities at scale.
The report suggests that previous planning approaches, including minimum density requirements, have had limited impact on overall urban density levels. And rather than focusing narrowly on city centres, the report recommends that policymakers and local authorities take a broader approach to “urban cores”, supporting redevelopment across wider areas of cities. It says this will require greater use of planning tools that enable infill development and coordinated regeneration of lower-density neighbourhoods.
The report concludes that without a sustained shift toward higher-density urban development, UK cities are likely to continue to lag behind international peers in both housing supply and economic output, and that addressing the housing shortage will depend on making it easier to build more homes within existing urban areas.
Ant Breach, Director of Policy and Research at Centre for Cities, said, “Government is right to make a plan to densify large cities. Neighbourhoods close to city centres need more homes – including a mix of new flats and houses – to support urban living, transport investment and economic growth.
“Denser cities have larger labour markets and higher productivity potential. Redeveloping low-density neighbourhoods in big cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds would add new homes with access to good jobs and opportunities those cities generate.
“Plans for New Town urban extensions and funding for urban regeneration will help, but they should be part of a wider policy plan to accelerate urban densification across all suitable sites in big cities.”
Centre for Cities’ recommendations include:
Amending the NPPF to require Spatial Development Strategies – and local plans in constituent boroughs – to identify the city’s ‘urban core’.
Spatial Development Strategies target clear uplifts in urban density across all urban areas – particularly those well connected to the city centre by public transport.
Amending the NPPF to place an expectation on local authorities in cities to set out policies for intensification using rules-based planning tools.
Increased funding for local planning teams, especially in cities benefiting from the City Densification Fund.
Reform of anti-supply measures, such as BNG requirements on brownfield sites and minimum space standards on one-bedroom flats.
Greater use of Local and Mayoral Development Orders to reduce the planning burden in cities.