Are the Gated Mass High-Rise Housing Developments Liveable? A Case of Ahmedabad, India

The population of the world has increased rapidly. To house the ever-growing population and increase urban density, high-rise housing has been advocated as a compact, effective, and sustainable solution. Several advantages like higher energy efficiency, lesser resource consumption, better accessibility, more profit to developers, privacy, views, and noiselessness are associated with high-rise housing. With all these benefits, high-rise housing is still debatable due to its livability issues like ruining social relations, lack of safety and security, and mental and physical health problems. The livability issues have been believed to be a key reason for the decline of high-rise housing in developed nations. However, gated high-rise housing is still being constructed massively in developing nations like India. It has become the foremost housing form and has greatly changed urban settings and lifestyles. However, research on the livability performance of these housing projects is limited. To address this gap, the current study attempts to explore the livability potential of gated mass high-rise housings in the Indian context. The key objectives are to analyze the growth and evolution of gated mass high-rise housings in the Indian context; to document the features of such projects and examine the actual usage conditions; and to evaluate the livability potential for the residents in such projects and derive recommendations for the improvement of current and future projects. A case study with a mixed-method approach is adopted for the current research. It includes historical inquiry, qualitative study, and quantitative surveys in Ahmedabad city. The qualitative study includes site investigations, observations, and interviews and helps reveal the residents’ use and perception of livability. The quantitative surveys assist in understanding the importance and satisfaction of the overall housing environment and livability at the three spatial levels—apartment (dwelling), apartment building, and housing society by the Importance–Satisfaction Analysis. The research aims to identify practical implications of livability in gated mass high-rise housings in the Indian context.