Introduction A recent study of urban densities in developing countries, conducted for the 1996 United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Acioly and Davidson, 1996), concluded that there is no universal recipe for urban densities in terms of an ideal, or most appropriate density, particularly for residential development. Several case studies have shown that what is regarded as a high or a low density, and what is an acceptable density, differ between continents and countries, and even within cities and neighbourhoods. However, there was evidence that a general process of change was leading to more compact cities, though often in the face of considerable resistance. The study revealed that costs of low-density solutions are increasingly recognised. Case studies in Brazil and India showed that government policies, plans and development control instruments can shape cities and densities in a way which optimises infrastructure, municipal services, land and public resources (Acioly and Davidson, 1996; 1998).