Urban Densification through Roof Stacking: Case Study

Nowadays, major European cities witness one of their greatest challenges in history. Increasing migration from the rural areas, not to mention the massive migrations from the east, contributes in aggravating the challenge. As a response, United Nations urban agendas promote for developing urban spatial frameworks based on appropriate compactness, polycentrism and mixed use, preventing urban sprawl and marginalization. In this research, a methodology is presented that aids the decision making on roof stacking as a sustainable approach towards urban densification. Brussels Capital Region in Belgium is chosen as a case study to represent the outcomes of a methodology that has been developed to identify urban densification potential through roof stacking. Further applications to generalize the approach to fit other cities in Europe would help create additional opportunities to develop an automated tool for estimating such potentials on a wider scope.