The Social Sustainability of Medium Density Housing: A Conceptual Model and Christchurch Case Study

Although there is no broad consensus on the meaning of the term, this paper uses the notions of social equity and social justice as a starting point for analyzing ‘social sustainability’. Planning strategies such as compact city design and urban intensification are claimed to positively affect levels of social sustainability within the city, but is this actually the case? Medium density housing is one component of an urban compaction approach that is becoming more prevalent in the New Zealand context. This paper develops a model of the social sustainability of housing derived from key themes in the literature. The model is then used to ascertain the extent to which medium density housing in the central area of Christchurch is meeting residents' social needs. Information from in-depth interviews is used as a basis for examining the way such housing may be contributing to the overall ‘social sustainability’ of this city.