The economics of high-rise buildings: how to make high-rise development comfortable for citizens

Resource: EXPERT ONLINE

The process of urbanization is actively taking place all over the world. According to the United Nations (UN), today about 55% of the world population lives in cities and by 2050 this figure will increase to 68%, mainly due to the displacement of the rural population of Asia and Africa. In ten years, there will be 43 megacities with population of 10 million and more.

The process of urbanization is actively taking place all over the world. According to the United Nations (UN), today about 55% of the world population lives in cities and by 2050 this figure will increase to 68%, mainly due to the displacement of the rural population of Asia and Africa. In ten years, there will be 43 megacities with population of 10 million and more. People move to cities in search of greater opportunities - higher incomes, better education, proximity to cultural facilities, and even just for the sake of a comfortable and "lazy" life when you do not have to think about the maintenance of the house or other household issues.

The structure of the city, unlike the one in the countryside, consists of high-rise buildings that are the product of industrial housing construction. This is explained by the fact that the city cannot be territorially infinite as it would simply be impossible to manage. In addition, land is expensive in large cities, so it is economically feasible to build high-rise housing.

Another thing is that the "vertical city" should be comfortable. Previously, developers often forgot about it because they were largely guided by the modernist model of the city which was popular in the 60-70s. Back then, “city dormitories” were built without paying enough attention to the creation of infrastructure and comfortable environment for the residents.

However, city planners have been searching for the ideal model that combines the economics of high-rise living with comfort for decades.

Today there is a demand for the creation of urban spaces where there are incorporate both high-rise buildings and "human" landscape. The quality of architecture at eye level plays an important role here. In dense high-rise development the first floors are built up in a certain way because they serve as infrastructure objects with large windows and storefronts that invite people to come in, with summer cafes with seats outside etc. Such projects are an example of how to achieve comfortable urban space without sacrificing the economy.

These principles are incorporated, among others, in the residential areas renovation projects which are now being implemented in Moscow. In place of the sparse planning of the five-story buildings, there will be a denser and higher construction with a human scale feeling created at eye level which will create an environment comfortable for residents and for their communication. Nowadays, a whole discipline of first floor architecture has been formed that allows you to perceive the city better when you walk around it.

Another format encountered in Moscow is the multi-story development in which the first and second floors are made as townhouses. Such apartments, which are built directly into the high-rise complex, have their own separate entrances.

There is no need to speak about the "architectural death" of high-rise buildings because a high-rise city can be comfortable and in demand. However, in some cases it is also possible to reduce the number of stories. In particular, during the renovation program, before starting to work with the planning and architectural layout, architects study the area and also ask the opinion of the residents living nearby because locals are more aware of what is needed to ensure comfortable living.

In addition to the natural growth of cities, high-rise development is supported by the national project "Housing and Urban Environment" which envisages the construction of 120 million square meters of housing per year by 2024. More than half of this volume falls on multifamily housing built by industrial method. Nevertheless, some experts believe that such housing will not be in demand among buyers. These fears are justified because while the metropolitan area in most cases copes with sales due to the unconditional demand for housing, the regions have to fight for each buyer with a much smaller financial capacity. It is no secret that the margin of development business outside Moscow Oblast is much lower.

How the situation will develop in the near future depends largely on the position of the state. In order to support the construction process and the demand for multifamily housing in regional cities in general some support measures can be developed. Such measures can include, for example, reimbursement of costs for the construction of engineering infrastructure under the federal program "Stimulus", loans on favorable terms for regional developers, reduced mortgage rates for buyers as well as a development of state-wide policy on urban development.