One of the debates on the sustainability of housing revolves around the spatial dimension of human settlements and the influence of location and urban morphology on resource and energy consumption. Urban sprawl has often been criticised and this has led to the promotion of the model of the compact city as an alternative in many countries. Based on empirical data on urban trends in Switzerland, this paper discusses three critiques that are usually made of the model of the compact city. These critiques relate to its feasibility, its social consequences and its environmental implications. The paper concludes that the model of the compact city seems workable in the context of a growing population group whose residential aspirations are oriented towards centrality and proximity.