Arch. & Comport. I Arch. Behav., Vol. 7, no. 4, p. 423-430 (1991) Housing and the Compact City: Principles and Practice in Britain Barry Goodchild School of Urban and Regional Studies Shefield City Polytechnic Pond st. GB - Shefield SI I WB Great Britain 1, Introduction The aim of this presentation is to examine the rationale for and the problems of house building as a means of using vacant and derelict sites in urban ares. The presen- tation starts with the rationale, as this has been articulated in Britain through the "inner city" programme, that is to say the public expenditure programme intended to regenerate areas of social deprivation and physical dereliction, as well as through the calls of the green movement for compact urban forms. It then goes on to examine the implementation of policies to bring housing back to the city. The emphasis is on the role of the private sector, as this has been the main theme in urban policy initiatives in Britain since the late 1970s. 2. Why Encourage House Building on Urban Sites? Measures to combat urban fragmentation, the growing sense of social division in many European cities, require wide ranging policies which are pursued over many years to counter unemployment, to reduce the contrast between rich and poor and to increase the confidence in those who live in stigmatized residential areas. Improved housing conditions and improved housing choice are en essential element of this. The promo- tion of house building in depressed and deprived areas has a number of advantages, ac- cording to its supporters (Goodchild & al., 1984; Maclennan & al., 1987). It can, - add to the quantity and variety of the existing stock and meet new demands from younger households who wish to live near the city centre; - help satisfy a demand for owner-occupation in areas where the owner- occupied stock is often small; - help correct the population imbalances which result from emigration of economically active households to the suburbs; - remove eyesores and so improve the quality of the urban environment; - strengthen the economic base of depressed areas through the creation of jobs in the building industry and increased demand for local services. In addition, the use and re-use of urban sites is consistent with the broader aim of the green movement and others to create compact "European" urban forms which might avoid the waste and sense of fragmentation caused by continued dispersal. The compact city, such critics argue, is not simply a means of reducing the impact of ur- ban development on the countryside. It also leads to cities which have a clearer visual