The hyper-urbanisation of our cities is bringing with it many challenges. Building upwards offers a solution to some of them. Between 1990 and 2011, over 1,200 such projects were authorised in the city of Paris, while over 31,000 building permits were filed, and over 65,000 requests for authorisations were recorded. These figures attest to the growing interest in building upwards in cities.
“It is now imperative to decisively, and on a massive scale, enter a new era in the design and construction of our housing”, says Emmanuelle Cosse, French minister for housing and sustainable habitat. “Building upwards is clearly one solution to urban sprawl.”
In France, the abolition of the urban density rule, introduced in 2013, and the implementation of the access to housing and urban renovation law in 2014 are giving fresh impetus to the practice of building upwards in cities through wooden extensions. It offers an appealing alternative for the city of Paris, which remains densely built-up and is seeking to increase its housing stock by promoting urban greening and renovation.