Saw this article in Crosscut. It speaks to what's important (to me) in fostering sensitive growth in our neighborhood. As if to underscore the point —
Can such communities ever be convinced that higher density is OK after all? It seems a long shot, but Duvernoy argues that there are ways we can make density attractive, if we can find ways to fund them. To make the point, he shows people a series of images. The first is a broad, tacky Aurora-like street with no trees or sidewalks, lined on both sides by one-story commercial buildings. Ask people if they'd like to live there, Duvernoy says, and virtually everyone says no. Then, Duvernoy adds a few trees. The answer is still no. The picture goes through progressive changes. Finally, it winds up with lots of trees, more pedestrian amenities, narrower traffic lanes, and multi-story buildings. Virtually everyone says yeah, he could imagine himself or at least his kids living in a place like that. To Duvernoy, the message is clear. Most people don't dislike density per se. In Seattle terms, they don't like Aurora Avenue North but they do like Columbia City.
Precisely.
