Abstract:
The combined effect of shrinking average household size and steady urban population growth places considerable stress on existing land supply within urban limits, creating significant challenges for meeting new housing demand in a sustainable way. One option, intensification, is occurring rapidly in New Zealand’s main urban centres. Intensive housing in Auckland, for example, represents 35% of Auckland’s total housing market (2007), and “…indications are that the size of the intensive housing market will increase … it is possible that in the future intensive housing will be the housing market rather than a segment within it.” It is therefore important and urgent to consider ways of achieving higher density housing efficiently on less available land. One design strategy that may contribute significantly towards achieving this goal is the use of ‘multivalent’ communal space. In New Zealand, little consideration is given to the provision of ‘multivalent’ communal space in higher density housing. Consequently, opportunities are being missed to utilise urban land more efficiently in ways that enhance the quality of higher density living environments. This thesis research suggests that ‘multivalent’ communal space has significant potential for better utilisation of urban land and the enhancement of residents’ quality of life in intensive urban environments.
