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Tall buildings increase productivity

Catherine Deshayes

The British Property Federation has reported that tall and high density buildings could reap major economic benefits for city centres.

Whilst sky scrapers are a common facet of most large city centres and central business districts, new research from the British Property Federation (BPF) has given a more rounded picture of the benefits of tall and high density commercial developments.

There is currently a review of tall buildings and historic views policy happening in London, with the Mayor Boris Johnson putting planning at the top of his agenda.

The new BPF report shows how high density commercial developments increase productivity as they allow the different work environment to merge, thus being more productive.

In many overcrowded city centres, where space is so limited, building up rather than out is often the only means by which increased density and productivity can be achieved.

There are also green benefits of high density buildings, including reduced land take, more green spaces and reduced travel time.

Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the BPF, said, "This research makes clear that tall buildings can only deliver substantial economic benefits if they are in a comparatively small number of commercial locations and where the conditions are right.

"Getting the policy right is critical and policy makers need to understand and take account of the full range of impacts that high density and tall buildings can have - from the aesthetic to the economic.

"We hope that those involved will draw some useful insights from this report.

"We may be in a downturn at the moment, but in years to come there will once again be increased demand for commercial property, and in some areas, high density development could be the solution," Ms Peace went on to say.

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