Greater Malé Region
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Chapter 02 · Toolkit

2.6Theme 4: Density is not the problem, poor design is

Housing quality is poor on all three islands, and density does not explain it. Plots that are not dense score as badly as dense ones: all 5 on Malé and 86% on Villimalé fall below the midpoint. Hulhumalé cannot test the idea: its 8 plots are one building type at FAR 22.5.

Toolkits used

  • Density and housing quality
Table 2.6.1The measures, island by island.
MeasureMaléVillimaléHulhumalé
Not dense plots that score poor% of plots below FAR 1.87 scoring under 16 of 32 (Toolkit 3)100%5 of 5 plots86%30 of 35 plotsn/ano such plots
Dense plots that score poor% of plots at FAR 1.87 or above scoring under 16 of 32 (Toolkit 3)68%21 of 31 plots91%31 of 34 plots100%8 of 8 plots
Highest quality scorebest plot score, out of 32 (Toolkit 3)19219

Malé

All 5 not dense plots score poor, and 68% of the 31 dense plots do. Even sparse plots fail. No plot passes 19 of 32.

Villimalé

86% of 35 not dense plots score poor, against 91% of 34 dense plots. Almost no difference, so density is not what separates them.

Hulhumalé

No plots that are not dense to compare. All 8 share one typology at FAR 22.5 and score 9 of 32: extreme density with no diversity or human scale.

Bar chart of the table above: Not dense plots that score poor: Malé 100%, Villimalé 86%, Hulhumalé n/a. Dense plots that score poor: Malé 68%, Villimalé 91%, Hulhumalé 100%. Highest quality score: Malé 19, Villimalé 21, Hulhumalé 9.
Figure 2.6.3Each measure scaled to its largest island.

Conclusion

Plots that are not dense fail almost as often as dense ones (100% and 86% poor), so density is not what drives poor quality. Poor design is.