Think the most density’s in the middle of the tall buildings? Think again…
Earlier today, we felt like asking a question about neighborhood retail, namely, are you being served? We’re curious because the district planning process has included an exhaustive update of our commercial corridor surveys, so we’re getting a better handle on the growth, shrinkage, diversification, and stagnation of various shopping locales across Philadelphia. All well and good – everybody loves data! – but most fundamentally, it’s about the user experience.
Which brings us to our next question:
What scares you about density?
Yeah, we went there. The “D” word. And this time, we’re doing it SAT style with multiple choice:
a) I’m scared of density because density means there’s nowhere to park
b) I’m scared of density because density means there are too many people close to me
c) I’m scared of density because density is a code word for gentrification
d) I’m scared of density because density means height
d) I’m scared of density because I’m happy with my neighborhood exactly the way it is (what shops it offers, what i can walk to, etc)
e) some combination of the above (please explain)
We really want to know. We want to know because it has become the phantom menace, a go-to reason to oppose development of many kinds in many locations. We will admit that we are, broadly speaking, pro-development as a planning agency: we like to see growth in the city’s population, we like to see its tax coffers fuller, we like to see the livability of its neighborhoods maximized, and we like to see unnecessary or unsafe vacancy removed from its streetscape. That said, we are not blindly pro-development. As a planning agency, we can’t be. There’s lots of valid reasons to question development: compatibility of uses; impacts on the transportation network; safety, environmental, or public health impacts; design decisions that may somehow act against the public good (which we will dare to dig into at this time).
Don’t read between the lines here. We are not responding to any particular project proposal, nor to any group’s response to that proposal. We’re sharing a concern that we hear all the time, one that knows no income bracket, no age group, no neighborhood affiliation. We tend to hear it in association with one of the multiple choice answers above, and we find it interesting for two reasons.
1) density is not a given precursor to any of the conditions we suggested in those choices, and 2) a certain level of density is critical to achieving urbanity. So what say you, Philadelphia? Let it out. What makes you admire it in other people’s backyards and fear it in your own? Looking forward to the comments on this one.
Villanova wants to replace a sea of parking on Lancaster ave with some dorms and people are flipping out. This is in my backyard, but I’m pretty cool with it.
The only thing that scares me about density is when it is poorly planned (i.e. does not integrate into the community well) or involves
Density in general is a great thing. It makes businesses viable. It helps to increase transportation frequency. I am constantly confused by individuals who avoid density and the vibrancy it can bring.
That said, older generations tend to associate density with urban decay because they fled dense cities in favor of their less dense suburban enclaves. While proven failures like large scale housing projects that PHA is currently working to demolish and rethink should be avoided, density doesn’t have to mean poor. As noted above, density probably actually means gentrification since land has gotten so expensive that it doesn’t make sense to stay in a low density state.
Scratch the “or involves” in the first paragraph there.
It seems like literally EVERY new development project that is proposed gets resistance from neighbors or neighborhood groups who are concerned about the effects of additional density on their neighborhood. The result is that many of these ambitious and potentially transformative development projects end up getting scaled back to their least common denominator or even scrapped all together because they are not viable anymore.
Philadelphia is a MAJOR American city and its dense urban core is what makes it attractive to new residents and businesses alike. High levels of density are what allows cities/neighborhoods to support healthy retail, public transit, and greenspace. Density is the SOLUTION not the PROBLEM.
Prospects for American cities have never been better as millenials and boomers increasingly choosing to move to walkable urban places. Philadelphia must continue to add density and diversity to its downtown core if it is to successfully compete with NYC, Boston, & DC for a new generation of residents, skilled-workers, and students, etc.
I think Philly can and will become a preferred alternative to our east coast peers, but only if we are willing to let it grow and adapt. But continued infill development and added density can only work their magic if we let go of the notion that we are all entitled to easy parking, ample sunlight, and endless sight lines.
Density should be thought of as a side-effect to good urbanism, not a means or even a goal.
If you build good urban spaces (walkable, mixed uses, etc) they will dense as a simple side effect of the need for things to be within walking distance.
You can also build terrible places (every public housing tower ever?) that also happen to be very dense.
We shouldn’t be afraid of density, but we shouldn’t hold it up as some magic bullet.
It’s ridiculous to not build up central areas of neighborhoods. Germantown is a classic example of a place that is primed for more development. We basically have our own “downtown”. I would love to see the area around Germantown Ave and Chelten Ave grow into a center of activity and destination.
I think there are a couple of things that people negatively associate with density that you didn’t list as an option: increased traffic, noise, litter, increased cost of living. As a renter, new businesses and construction are great until my rent goes up and I get priced out of a neighborhood. I am also someone who avoids NYC because of the claustrophobic excessive density. Philadelphia has the rare potential for being both dense and breathable, and I think people might worry that excessive focus on density might tip the scales against breathable.
That being said, I am very much in favor of smart, conscious development. The trick seems to be trusting that bureaucracy, corruption, and greed aren’t driving factors, and that the people in charge actually know what they are doing.