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The project

Density is a defining feature of cities. Across the world, density is at the centre of policy and planning agendas to build cities that are environmentally, economically, socially and politically ‘sustainable’. But what does it mean to different people and how they live urban lives? And what does that tell us about the nature of cities today?

The DenCity project examines density and its relationship to the city. It is funded by the European Research Council (project 773209) and based in the Department of Geography at Durham University. The project aims to understand how density is understood, governed and politicised. It examines different cases of high density living and politics in cities, from homes and neighbourhoods to transport networks and public spaces. It explores how density is experienced and politicised by different actors in the city, with a particular focus on how residents themselves encounter different kinds of density. The hope is to develop a better understanding of the nature, role and potential of density in the city now and into the urban future. DenCity has involved research across the world in very different urban contexts, including London, Dar es Salaam, Manila, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mumbai, and other cities.