Well-designed, higher density housing is part of London's urban tradition.  In the first decade of the twenty-first century the capital faces an unprecedented period of growth, and in response, providing well-designed, functional and spacious accommodation in higher density developments will be a crucial element in the Mayor’s drive for more homes. Reducing carbon emissions must also be a central priority for all new housing.  Excellent design quality is essential to meet these challenges.

Design for London has developed the London Housing Design Guide on behalf of the Mayor. The Guide sets a new benchmark for housing in the capital and will soon be a requirement for publicly-funded homes. This Interim Edition of the Guide follows the cost impact assessment and the public consultation on the draft London Housing Design Guide. It shows the Mayor’s ambition for excellent housing design and indicates the direction of travel for the final guide. 

The GLA Architecture and Urbanism Unit (now part of Design for London) also published Housing for a Compact City in June 2003. It focuses on the importance of good design in making higher density work, and illustrates how successful compact developments have been designed using a selection of European case studies.