Tower block is the term commonly used in the UK to refer to a high-rise apartment building.
Tower blocks were first built in the UK after the Second World War. Initially, they were welcomed, and their excellent views made them popular living places. Later, as the buildings themselves deteriorated, they grew a reputation for being undesirable low cost housing, and many tower blocks saw rising crime levels, increasing their unpopularity. One response to this was the great increase in the number of housing estates built, which in turn brings its opwn problems.
The unpopularity of tower blocks in the UK is in marked contrast to many other countries. In Singapore, for example, land prices are so high that almost the entire population lives in high rise apartments.
