City Know-hows
Target audience
Policy-makers and developers interested in designing high performance communal spaces in apartment buildings.
The problem
In the context of global urbanisation, creating high-density living environments that promote health, wellbeing and social connectedness is vital. In apartment buildings, residents live in close physical proximity and share communal areas, however not all areas are equal in design and quality, which may impact usage and opportunities for social interaction.
What we did and why
We developed and compared an on-the-ground and desktop approach to auditing communal area design and quality. The Communal Areas Audit Tool (CAAT) and Communal Areas Desktop Audit Tool (CADAT), which measured design features that can impact residents use of (and interaction within) communal areas, were assessed for reliability and validity.
Our study’s contribution
Our work appears to be the first attempt to develop objective audit tool(s) that systematically and consistently assess a number of design themes across communal areas.
Impacts for city policy and practice
The application of the Communal Areas Desktop Audit Tool would be highly relevant for large-scale data collection in studies examining the intersection between high-density apartment living, the provision and quality of communal areas and residents’ social outcomes. Note, this may become increasingly important in rapidly densifying cities.
Further information
Full research article:
Communal area design in apartment buildings: development and comparison of a desktop and on-the-ground landscape assessment tool by Alexandra Kleeman, Lucy Gunn, Billie Giles-Corti & Sarah Foster.
Related posts
We tested whether living closer to daily destinations is associated with improved health across major U.S. cities. Neighborhoods with stronger 15-minute accessibility consistently showed lower rates of chronic disease, suggesting that planning for proximity might support healthier urban living.
How can community consultations in planning be more effective, inclusive, and be ready for the post-pandemic era? Results from the project Community Consultation for Quality of Life find that participation in consultation can lead to increased wellbeing for individuals and communities.
Establishments that primarily sell ultra-processed foods were twice as concentrated at 800m from the households when compared to 1600m, demonstrating the excess of supply of these products closer to individuals in food insecurity. The low availability of natural/minimally processed food establishments in the two metrics evaluated, portrays the low supply of foods directly associated with health, well-being and quality of life.
