There are few hot buttons in planning conversation like the word “density.” One writer in San Diego claims that the breakdown inspired by the term originates from concerns with cars, not buildings.
Walter Chambers examines the ongoing contentiousness in the city of San Diego surrounding the word density. Chambers points out that density can lend itself to technical and impersonal considerations, rather than focusing not he quality of life benefits that are possible when people live and interact in proximity to each other.
“But when the conversation turns to density, we talk about objects — number of apartments, big buildings, etc. To make matters worse, community planners talk about density as ‘dwelling units per acre’ (du/acre), which doesn’t exactly speak to people and experiences.”
Intead, Chambers recommends that planners should talk “in terms of how people make a great city. Let’s understand density as increasing the opportunities for social exchanges between people, or ‘social exchanges per acre’ (sx/acre). Let’s talk about people and experiences.”
The real issue, however, is that “When you look at city planning from [an] auto-centric point of view, which most of us have been taught to do, higher density doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
FULL STORY: Density Isn’t a Dirty Word
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Meet NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets
The NYC DOT program will build on pandemic-era initiatives to promote safe and comfortable streets that enhance community and expand uses beyond just moving cars.
Transit Riders Face the Highest Safety Risks in These 10 States
According to federal data, the average number of safety incidents on public transportation averaged 55.2 per 100,000 people across all states between 2010 and 2023. Which states came in well above the national average?
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.