This is why I think America's urban future is "gentle density" -- duplexes, townhomes, and low-rises in the 'burbs, coffee shops and grocery stores sprinkled through suburban neighborhoods, and commuter rail stations that suburbanites can bike to.
Arpit Gupta
 @arpitrage
Apr 16
Pro-suburban viewpoints are missing on twitter, but common in real life

Apr 16, 2024 · 5:39 PM UTC

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I am not saying "gentle density" is the ideal urban form, only that it's the most realistic way of getting greater density given America's political and social attitudes.
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Replying to @Noahpinion
Not all cities are the same, and I think what you describe is part of the solution. But the thing I've seen in both SF and Vancouver is a lot of neighbourhoods where many/most of the houses are working as inefficient apartments. Big purpose built developments there would satisfy a ton of demand.
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But they won't be that "big". They'll be 3- or 4-story small apartment buildings, duplexes and fourplexes, row houses, and so on. They will have smaller setbacks and lawns and less space between the buildings.
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Replying to @Noahpinion
“Gentle Density” makes sense within a defined radius of the urban core, and less sense as you pan further out. With the exception of 20-somethings, people will choose a larger home over a shoebox in a vibrant walkable area, price-permitting.
Replying to @Noahpinion
What percentage of Americans currently live in the kind of dense urban environment envisioned by this polling data? 10%? 20%? It’s a lot less than 40%!
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Replying to @Noahpinion
Embrace your most disappointing city
Replying to @Noahpinion
GIF
Replying to @Noahpinion
If you really think through it, there is not any other possible scenario given the physical reality of our current ecology. We need to adapt what we have, not fantasize about becoming Paris overnight.
Replying to @Noahpinion
Would you prefer a false choice or no false choice? I live in the Houston burbs; I have a good-sized house and a yard. Schools, stores, and restaurants are within walking distance—we're a thousand feet from a Super Walmart—and even more within easy driving distance.
Replying to @Noahpinion
Are you describing towns in Bergen County, NJ (say Ridgewood) and in Long Island?
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