Medium-Density Toolkit

There are many instruments that help municipalities to set the priorities for urban development and densification. Some of the most effective from around the world have been: Development and [...]

There are two main categories of instruments that governments can use to convert surplus land value into public value: fiscal tools such as taxes and fees aimed at generating additional revenue [...]

For DAG, medium-density housing should be used as a tool for transformation: to move the formerly dispossessed back onto well-located land, to help prevent dispossession through the ongoing [...]

Springfield Terrace, in Cape Town, Sakhasonke Village, in Port Elizabeth, and Carr Gardens in Johannesburg, are highly successful medium-density developments on well-located land.

In DAG’s view good location and medium-density housing are two concepts that CANNOT be separated. It is good location – defined by access to employment, industry, commerce, transportation, [...]

In South Africa there is a lack of knowledge of green building products, technologies, services and design for resource efficiency among most housing stakeholders. The impacts of current [...]

Communities that are organised, with resident associations and strong leaders, are generally safe communities. Community activities should be encouraged so residents get to know each other. The [...]

Many low-income residents prioritised the following design elements: play areas for children, community multi-purpose facilities, semi-private laundry lines, and designated trading space. Safety [...]

At DAG, we are suggesting that when people move to the city, they should begin to buy-into the notion of urban life. Cities rely on high concentrations of people for economic, scientific and [...]

No. Overcrowding is caused when there are too few housing units provided for the population or when housing is unaffordable. When there are not enough housing units or housing units are [...]

No. There is nothing about the typology of medium-density housing that makes neighbourhoods unsafe or fraught with social problems. Instead, gangsterism and drug use associated with [...]

Communities that participate in development plans are generally more satisfied with the final outcome because their desires are reflected in their living environment. It is very important to [...]

There are traditionally four reasons to argue for medium-density housing: it is good for people (social), for the environment (natural), for government (fiscal), and for business (economic). Here [...]

Middle- and upper-income home-owners often fight against the provision of medium-density low-cost housing in their areas. They site an increase in crime and a decrease in property values as [...]

There are many different kinds of medium-density typologies, including: semi-detached, row housing, maisonettes, courtyard housing, three and four-storey walk-ups, and flats.

There is no single definition of medium-density – it’s an abstract concept that means many different things to different people. However, for DAG, densification refers to the ways in which [...]