Density with Variety

David Baker Architects latest public housing project in Oakland, California shows that high-density living can be attractive and feature a variety of housing types, writes Allison Arieff.

1 minute read

October 31, 2011, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Arieff writes that "[d]ense urban areas don't have to be all highrises. With a mix of housing types, Oakland, California's new Tassafaronga Village contains 33 dwellings per acre, making it five times as dense as the average American City."

Baker explains that when he approaches a project where the goal is to achieve a dense, urban development, he eschews the standard measure of "dwelling units per acre":

"The San Francisco-based architect opts instead for 'people per square mile,' a concept he was first was exposed to by a Canadian landscape architecture professor who presented various green districts in British Columbia."

FULL STORY: Designing for Density Doesn't Have to Be Ugly, or Scary

Sunday, October 30, 2011 in The Atlantic Cities

Housing California Density Oakland

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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