Sustainability Language

Development, Impact & Global Frameworks

Compact city

An urban-planning model favouring dense, mixed-use development, public transport and clear development limits over sprawl.

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Definition

The compact city is an urban-development model characterised by relatively high density, mixed land use, intensification of existing urban areas and containment of outward expansion. The concept was articulated academically by Dantzig and Saaty in 1973, drew on Jane Jacobs's defence of urban density, and was promoted at policy level by the European Commission's 1990 Green Paper on the Urban Environment.

References

OECD

definition; Dantzig & Saaty 1973; Jacobs; EC Green Paper 1990; density/mixed-use/limits

Overview

What it means

Compactness reduces travel distances, protects surrounding land and makes public transport and district infrastructure viable.

How it is used

OECD comparative work assesses how compact-city policies perform across metropolitan areas, weighing environmental gains against risks such as congestion and reduced local green space if poorly designed.

Why it matters

Urban form locks in emissions for decades; compact development is a core strategy for low-carbon, liveable cities.

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