London Developers Eye Building Housing on Rooftops

Developers in London are eyeing the airspace atop existing structures to construct new residential units, including penthouses. Listings for the empty space above buildings have popped up in various neighborhoods for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and industry experts estimate that the untapped resource could accommodate as many as 180,000 new homes across the city.

But even though developers say building up is cheaper than digging down into London’s clay terrain, particularly amid loosened regulations, construction is tricky. Old buildings may not be able to bear the extra load, and projects often run into local opposition over their potential impact on the character of the neighborhood. Read more from Sarah Rappaport today on CityLab: London Developers Are Snapping Up Empty Air Above Rooftops