As a city is the carrier of human society and housing is an important part of a citizen's life and survival, the citizens' choice of their housing mode will inf luence the material and spiritual life of the individuals, families, and society. In view of the diversification of values and investments, people are eager for a harmonious relationship between the community and the city. As a kind of compact and efficient housing mode, the housing block highlights the organic link of the community within the city in an open and shared living environment. This paper reviews the development of housing blocks in various countries and summarizes the characteristics of housing blocks through a comparison with traditional gated residential quarters and urban blocks. It then analyzes the current diffi culties of housing block development in China from aspects such as the planning concept, planning system, management mode, and development mode and accordingly proposes planning principles and strategies in hope of providing theoretical supports for the development and construction of housing blocks in China.
