[SustainableTompkins] More about "densification"

[Thomas Shelley]

Dear Friends--A little while back there was a significant thread on higher 
density development on this list.  I thought the following might be of 
interest to those on both sides of the arguments of the time.  A link to 
the .pdf file for the main document follows from the link below; from the 
"Scout Report:" of 5-3-08.  Enjoy!   Tom

Higher Density Development: Myth and Fact [pdf]

<http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=41895&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm>http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=41895&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm 


It would seem that for the most part Americans are not terribly fond of 
high-density developments as they are often associated with increased 
levels of criminal activity, overcrowding, and a decrease in available 
parking spots. This 38-page report from the Urban Land Institute takes on 
some of the myths and facts behind high-density developments. The report 
was co-sponsored by the National Multi Housing Council, the Sierra Club, 
and the American Institute of Architects. All told, the report takes on 
eight myths, including "Higher-housing is only for lower-income households" 
and "No one in suburban areas wants higher-density development". Overall, 
it's a fine report whose conclusions are bolstered by the use of rigorous 
case studies and compelling statistics. This link also offers a few related 
Power Point presentations for general use. [KMG]

Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1 at cornell.edu
http://www.myspace.com/99319958
P I thank you for printing this e-mail only if it is necessary

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present 
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own 
needs."

The World Commission on Environment and Development,
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987

MY NOTE:  Sustainable development does not mean "sustainable growth" as 
growth per se is not sustainable.  And the term "sustainable" has to mean 
"for a very long time" (A. Bartlett).

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives."        Sioux proverb