the effects of living in high-rise housing

a full account of architectural science must include empirical findings about the social and psychological influences that housing have on their occupants. tall residential housing can have a myriad of such effects. this review summarizes the results of research on the influences of high-rise housing on residents’ experiences of the housing, satisfaction, preferences, social behavior, children, mental health, suicide, crime and fear of crime. most conclusions are tempered by moderating factors, including residential socioeconomic status, neighborhood quality, parenting, gender, stage of life, indoor density, and the ability to choose a housing form. however, moderators aside, the literature suggests that highrises are less satisfactory than other housing forms for most people, they are not optimal for children, social relations are more impersonal, there is less helping behavior in compare with other housing forms, crime and fear of crime are greater, and that they may independently account for some suicides.