A Comparative Study of Sustainable Urban Forms: Compact City and Short Cycle Strategy

This paper aims to identify the urban form and design issues that are concerned with the sustainable development of a new settlement. Drawing on the theoretical literature, it recognizes eight key issues to achieve a sustainable urban form which includes compact and mixed use development, high density, social wellbeing, design excellence, renewable energy sources, sustainable built environment, efficient transport network and preservation of open space and ecosystems. It explains the two most important but opposing theories to achieve a sustainable urban form: compact city and short cycle city. Then it argues that while considering the metropolitan scale, a comparatively recent development of sustainable urban form: the strategy of decentralised concentration is more appropriate for contemporary European cities. The suitability of the third strategy which is basically a combination of compact and dispersed city with an emphasis on greening will be examined through a case study. Based on a practical study of issues, opportunities and constraints the paper will try to identify the urban form that is the most sustainable and environmentally sound for Hackney wick, London which forms a significant part of the Legacy site for the Olympic Games 2012.