May 19, 2025

Medium density housing – how to deliver greater choice

Tibbalds have carried out a short piece of research looking into the key challenges facing the delivery of medium density housing across the UK through literature review, case studies, and interviews with built environment experts.

One hugely overlooked area when it comes to delivery of new homes is the role of medium density housing – new flats, apartment blocks, townhouses, and maisonettes that are 3-6 storeys high.

This ‘missing middle’ sits between well-established suburban housing 2-3 storey detached and semi-detached houses, providing around 40 dwellings per hectare and higher density housing in established urban contexts which is mostly over 7 storeys and result in dph values of over 100 dph.

Commissioned by MHCLG, Tibbalds’ new research, led by Director Katja Stille, looks at how these homes can be delivered, even in areas with challenging viability, and how the sector can do more. While SME developers may lead the way right now, this approach could be adopted industry-wide to great effect.

Read more about our research on our project page here.