Gentle densification: could the blueprint for tomorrow’s adaptable city be hidden in the age‑old logic of the village?
Further reading
Gentle densification: could the blueprint for tomorrow’s adaptable city be hidden in the age‑old logic of the village?
For the past 12 years in France, our team at Villes Vivantes has distilled the village’s age‑old, incremental growth into a contemporary method of growth we call gentle densification.
Instead of sweeping redevelopments, we layer small‑scale infill, subtle extensions and plot‑by‑plot upgrades, each project enhancing the quality of place and answering new needs.
Villes Vivantes
Aerial view of the village of Nasbinals, Aubrac, France
1. Fine-grained urbanism
Small plots empower homeowners to adapt and diversify their properties over time — choosing independently when and why to transform, subdivide, or densify their land. Our gentle densification strategy — be it modest infill units, backyard homes, or roof extensions — seamlessly weaves new functions and spaces into the existing streetscape. This plot‑by‑plot approach mirrors the organic evolution of historic villages — where a house could become a shop, then a workshop, and eventually shared housing, all without any top‑down directives.
2. Rethinking plot splits
Rigid zoning often bans plot division, choking off adaptation. We’ve guided municipalities to revise these rules — enabling precise lot divisions or combining adjacent plots for small‑scale projects under clear, community‑focused guidelines. From duplex and triplex conversions to a variety of ADUs, thousands of gentle densification initiatives collectively weave a resilient urban fabric.
3. The village as a method, not a form
Today’s French villages serve as archives of an approach largely abandoned a century ago. Gentle densification reactivates that ethos: context‑sensitive, bottom‑up projects shaped by local needs and opportunities. Homeowners take the lead to reshape the suburbs according to their desires, budgets and visions. Even where villages never formed — think many US suburbs — or have been absorbed by sprawl, the same principles apply. Tailored infill, subtle lot adjustments, and small‑scale upgrades can spark a village‑like adaptability without mimicking rural layouts
4. Core processes: BIMBY & BUNTI
BIMBY (Build In My Back Yard): new dwellings emerge on subdivided plots.
BUNTI (Build Up Not Tear It): existing buildings are reconfigured, extended, or elevated to create additional flats.
Both rely on residents-led projects, so every intervention is custom‑fit, low‑impact and incremental. Tomorrow’s resilient cities won’t be defined by signature landmarks but by the sum of countless, incremental tweaks led by homeowners themselves.
That is the village process in action — and the essence of gentle densification we have been building at Villes Vivantes, honed through more than a decade of intense R&D.
By embedding gentle densification into urban policy, we revive the village methodology — transforming suburbs and single‑family neighborhoods areas into vibrant, enduring communities.