Organizations gather to examine well-planned density

Urban growth patterns can be notably improved through development that in-corporates well-planned housing density designed to meet the changing needs of a growing segment of nontraditional households, according to participants in a recent density forum recently sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, Am-erican Institute of Architects and Na-tional Multi Housing Council.

Successfully incorporating denser de-velopment into urban edges and close-in areas, including overcoming objections from surrounding neighbors, was the fo-cus of the forum, which included participants from the private and public sector, according to a ULI press release.

Given that the U.S. population is projected by the Census Bureau to rise by more than 60 million over the next 20 years, and with smaller (one- to two-person) households becoming the majority during that time, greater density can offer a workable, necessary solution to urban housing shortages and growth problems, participants concluded.

"It's best to show (development opponents) that denial of density does not perpetuate the status quo," said Debra Stein, president of GCA Strategies Inc. in San Francisco.

"It's important to emphasize that growth is inevitable and that you (as the development proponent) are trying to ac-commodate growth in the best way possible," Stein said.

Stein added that public opposition to density often stems from any perceived change to community character, including factors real or mythical related to higher use: more traffic, less parking, school crowding, blocked views, less open space.

Existing residents sometimes assume that occupants of higher-density projects will be of a lower socioeconomic class, and thus more prone to undesirable activity, she noted.

Effective "pro-density" messages in-clude those that emphasize an effort to preserve community character and im-prove the existing environment through traffic improvements, increased tax revenue, expanded job opportunities, ex-panded housing opportunities, additional public amenities or clean-up of blighted areas, Stein said.

It's critical to highlight the benefits that will be received by the entire community, not just for development occupants and users, she added.

The growing acceptance of denser development throughout urban areas stems from changing demographics, said Andrew Viola, regional vice president of Bush Construction Corporation in Ar-lington, Va.

The rising number of baby boomer/ empty nesters, combined with divorcees, singles, unmarried couples and childless couples, is causing a fundamental shift in household composition, he added.

These "nontraditional" households, whether they are renting or buying, are choosing a more urban, pedestrian-oriented lifestyle close to work, shopping and entertainment.

However, it's unlikely that they will move to downtowns in droves to find this lifestyle, said J. Richard Kremer, FAIA, The Louis and Henry Group in Louis-ville, Ky.

"People are moving back (downtown) from suburbs, but suburbia remains the next frontier (for denser development)," he said. "Eighty percent of the population will continue to live in suburbs, so we must focus on accommodating denser growth in the urban edges."

ULI Senior Resident Fellow John K. McIlwain, who specializes in housing, noted that the structure of metropolitan areas has evolved from one in which density is focused mainly in the downtown core to an urban region containing several areas of density in many sections.

"We must learn how to build new development that is dense and connect this development with older developments," he said.

McIlwain noted that as much as one-third of the built environment will be torn down between now and 2025; in addition, at least one-half of the development needed to respond to population growth during this time has yet to be built.

"Now is the time to rearrange development patterns to meet the changing housing needs of nontraditional households, and the changing form of metropolitan areas," McIlwain said.

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute with nearly 17,000 members. Its mission is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment.