High-rise building living in Asian cities

This book is intended to fill a knowledge gap in the study of contemporary high-rise living.

While there has been much documentation on the engineering and technological aspects of tall buildings, relatively little has been written about the social and livability of high-rise.

Much less is written about Asian cities even though Asia is the current hotbed of high-rise development. Even though traditional discourse of high-rise housing is not always positive, new forces are redefining its place in 21st century urbanity.

Many cities around the world are reembracing high-rise in urban agenda under current narrative of sustainable development.

High-rise is fast becoming a priority area in international research agenda.

The quest is for livable and sustainable high-rise development.

Against the background of current trends--globalization, urbanization, mixed-use development, and new-built taller buildings in inner city areas in both developed and developing countries, this book examines the software: design, economics, estate management, legal and property rights, physical environment, planning, community development, and social dimensions of high-rise living.

Analysis is with the widely acclaimed successful high-rise public housing in Hong Kong and Singapore to understand the advantages and worries of high-rise living, and to distill the key points and lessons in the making of a ‘good’ highrise living environment.

Hong Kong and Singapore have been constructing high-rise for more than four decades each.

The majority of their population has moved to live in high-rise, selecting to live high-rise, and registering consistently high residential satisfaction.

The height of apartment buildings in both cities continues to rise.

The tallest is anticipated to be 70-storey. It is the contention of this book that contrary to earlier common negative discourses on public high-rise living, the high-rise environment may yet offer urban residents a satisfying dwellingexperience.

Leading housing academics, researchers and practitioners in the two cities have contributed to this book.

This book presents a timely contribution to our understanding of a widening urban phenomenon that will affect a growing number of the world’s  population.