Co-agency in urban densification: understanding hybrid agents and their consequences for sustainability

Urban densification has become a key strategy for urban sustainable development. While higher density offers benefits, research reveals side-effects, particularly regarding sociospatial inequality. The complex interplay of factors shaping these outcomes remains poorly understood, hampering effective planning. This article advances a relational understanding of densification through the concept of co-agency. It examines how influencing factors such as densification type, land use policies, and building technology combine into hybrid co-agents, producing both intended and unintended consequences. To support proactive planning, we propose a densification typology for categorising common patterns. We illustrate the approach by comparing two cases in Freiburg, Germany, and Lund, Sweden, focusing on segregation dynamics.