I think you are being too charitable in ascribing the discomfort many people feel with density to density per se. I still think it is that densiry is imprinted with with race and class status. To cite one example, most white people in Baltimore are not uncomfortable with the middle density of rowhouses. But that doesnt make them willing to live in a majority Black rowhouse neighborhood or stop the market from valuing the exact same rowhouse, built by the same builder during the same time period higher if it is in a majority white rowhouse neighborhood rather than one nearby that is majority Black. I just think we have to talk about and confront the racial and class issues openly and honestly to change that. I do have more hope for the younger generations than those of us who grew up at the height of segregation, although the permission for open racism given by the MAGA propaganda seems to be stirring latent racial resentment among younger white men.
Excellent point, Barbara, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Density is indeed imprinted with race and class status. Density is just one part of the stigma attached to dense urban neighborhoods.
I brought this up back in October in this article, when highlighting someone bringing attention to it:
I completely agree that we should have more of that middle density that most Americans are more comfortable with. I’d also argue that the fact that Manhattan prices are so high shows that there’s still enough Americans that do want that higher density that we should enable more of that as well. It is hard to predict a single number that says how much American demand there is at each of the different density levels. Which is why it seems like the best solution is to generously zone many areas and let the market figure out which areas have demand for that higher density and when that demand has been satisfied.
I think you are being too charitable in ascribing the discomfort many people feel with density to density per se. I still think it is that densiry is imprinted with with race and class status. To cite one example, most white people in Baltimore are not uncomfortable with the middle density of rowhouses. But that doesnt make them willing to live in a majority Black rowhouse neighborhood or stop the market from valuing the exact same rowhouse, built by the same builder during the same time period higher if it is in a majority white rowhouse neighborhood rather than one nearby that is majority Black. I just think we have to talk about and confront the racial and class issues openly and honestly to change that. I do have more hope for the younger generations than those of us who grew up at the height of segregation, although the permission for open racism given by the MAGA propaganda seems to be stirring latent racial resentment among younger white men.
Excellent point, Barbara, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Density is indeed imprinted with race and class status. Density is just one part of the stigma attached to dense urban neighborhoods.
I brought this up back in October in this article, when highlighting someone bringing attention to it:
https://petesaunders.substack.com/p/the-dont-go-narrative-and-its-enduring?utm_source=publication-search
I completely agree that we should have more of that middle density that most Americans are more comfortable with. I’d also argue that the fact that Manhattan prices are so high shows that there’s still enough Americans that do want that higher density that we should enable more of that as well. It is hard to predict a single number that says how much American demand there is at each of the different density levels. Which is why it seems like the best solution is to generously zone many areas and let the market figure out which areas have demand for that higher density and when that demand has been satisfied.