Settlement Structures The small-scale, tradition-conscious culture of subsidized high-density housing in South Tyrol functions rather differently than in Europe's urban contexts. The volume alone of the complexes is far smaller - they generally consist of just a few dozen dwelling units. Until recently even the typology resembled that of the single-family house ideal: it was mostly row house developments that were subsidized and constructed. More recently, however, it has been recognised that multi-storey housing makes more efficient use of resources. Suitable building land has always been in short supply in South Tyrol. The morphology of the mountainous countryside forces settlement areas to be concentrated in the valleys. The extensive orchards and vineyards in the central area around the regional capital Bozen are gradually making way for a constantly expanding carpet of settlement, which was started under the fascist regime of the 1920s and 1930s on the southern and western fringes of the city with an industrial area and a residential and administration district with a fine urban character. Modern, multi-storey residential and commercial buildings have extended the settlement area far into the extensive valley floor of the River Etsch. Only a few vineyards and orchards now separate it from Eppan, the first town on the famous South Tyrol wine route. As well as an old village core this extensive community includes the districts of Sankt Paul in the north and Sankt Michael and Gand in the south, where the housing development by feld72 is located.
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