Dwelling density is a tool used to predict, describe and control land use. Through policy guidance, targets are created that promote efficient use of land, reduce the operation of private transportation and increase mixed use. However, decision makers often are unsure how these targets translate into practice at the site scale and how sustainability is impacted. This paper examines one such site in Lancaster, in the northwest of the UK – Luneside East. Local authority policy on dwelling density, both at the site and local scale, is outlined. A sustainability solution (i.e. an action taken
today in the name of sustainability) and intended benefit are taken from the policy (i.e. high dwelling density to improve efficiency of land use) and analysed using a futures methodology to understand whether the solution is resilient to whatever the future holds. The analysis is discussed alongside other sustainability issues and solutions.