Many communities in cities around the world do not like the growing
number of residential towers, but they also realise that the detached
house is not a sustainable urban solution. Between these two extremes,
there is a 'missing middle' of mid-rise apartment buildings that relate
to the street and are within the height of trees. This book argues that
the mid-rise way of urban living is an essential component of growing
cities, demonstrating that the economics of this form of development are
better than that of terrace houses or town houses. It begins by
examining successful historic precedents of this housing type, such as
the tenements of Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona and New York and
successful mid-rise housing in London. The book then discusses reasons
for the relative lack of contemporary mid-rise housing developments,
including planning legislation, and the perception that it is a dull and
uniform building type. It brings together and analyses a wide range of
award-winning international contemporary examples by leading
architecture firms, looks at the importance of location, the need for
urban placemaking, visual interest and design diversity and mixed use
precincts, and highlights the advantages, including demographic
diversity, urban density, sociability and reduction of car use.
