The study investigated the relationship between the design and systems of management of high-rise housing estate, and selected social problems that are seen to degrade the life of some public sector high-rise housing estates. The social problems were those of graffiti, vandal damage, litter, lack of community, crime and poor health. The study selected the problems of graffiti, litter and vandal damage for detailed empirical investigation. It found that the claimed relationships are of two types: direct, as management or design of high-rise housing estates may affect social problems; or an indirect relationship mainly thought to be through management actions which affect the social characteristics of residents. The study set out to achieve three main objectives: to identify the claimed relationships between the design, management and social characteristics of residents; to propose a system of measurement for the extent of graffiti, litter and vandal damage and variables; to assess the extent of graffiti, litter and vandal damage occuring in a case study.