Slog - Comments on What Density Looks Like http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like You all know I love me some density. Via Sightline, this web site has an incredible collection of images representing all types of density... ...and its opposite, sprawl: The site makes a compelling case that while density is an important step in the right direction, good design (variation in building styles, easy access to services, streets that put bikes and pedestrians first) is also necessary to make density work. Two neighborhoods with the exact same density can look as different as night and day. Although they measure out at the same density they are not necessarily perceived to be equally... Copyright 2008 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:22:18 -0800 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:03:20 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Will in Seattle Picture 3 looked nice.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734293 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734293 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:33:44 -0800 Comment by Judah Erica-- I posted something over at my blog last week you may (or may not) like to take a look at. It's just a little blurb about the history of urban density with some maps of Seattle from 1894 to the present, looking at trends in density based on transportation. The first part's a little history lesson that you might want to skip-- the maps are at the bottom of the post.

http://www.suoxi.net/pettyblog/2007/05/part_one_a_brief_history_of_ci.html

]]> Judah http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734303 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734303 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:39:53 -0800 Comment by maxsolomon "Large multi-family developments with street-facing parking and no ground-floor amenities are not a good way to build density—one reason I feel a bit lost in the suburbs when I walk through Rainier Vista."

umm... most of Rainier Vista is Townhomes with Alley Parking.

]]> maxsolomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734343 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:15:11 -0800 Comment by Sean Do the homes in North Capitol Hill count as "density"?

]]> Sean http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734360 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734360 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:21:52 -0800 Comment by Frank Lloyd Wright You forgot a combination of sprawl and density, Broadacre City:http://www.arch.columbia.edu/DDL/projects/usonia/ddl.mov

Watch the movie and then stay at the hotel:
www.pricetower.org

]]> Frank Lloyd Wright http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734402 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734402 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:43:48 -0800 Comment by Gomez So Density Pic #2 would not count as good density, due to its compound-like similarity?

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734450 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734450 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:10:22 -0800 Comment by monkey I was expecting photos of Kirstie Alley.

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734461 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734461 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:22:33 -0800 Comment by john densest neighborhood in north america:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Town

]]> john http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734470 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734470 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:34:21 -0800 Comment by Judah And also, just by way of contrasting to the images you've shown here, this is a block of fairly typical London terranced housing, which has amazing population density.

http://www.stephenjdavies.co.uk/

I actually quite like these buildings, though the examples outside London tend to be in somewhat poor condition.

For those who've never seen these up close, typically each house has a small private garden in the back for the ground floor tenants to use.

]]> Judah http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734516 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734516 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:41:15 -0800 Comment by josh none of these pictures look especially appealing, do they? two of the "dense" examples appear to be oppressively non-human scaled.

]]> josh http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734524 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734524 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:50:37 -0800 Comment by ECB Gomez @ 6: Yes.

]]> ECB http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734554 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734554 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:45:15 -0800 Comment by Phenics Those pictures would be nicer to look at if there were a little corner grocery... something like a City Market... get a little something to eat, a little to drink, a some thin some thin. Why drive 6 blocks to loose a good parking space? (or take the car in and out of the garage, as the case may be). You walk.

I guess the question is, is it a big, small, or a what-the-fuck-you-talking-about, evil to drive a mile. I mean, that's a 40 minute walk there and back, vs. 15, may be 20 minutes when you drive, tops.


But then I live where I live, most places in the city are a mile or two away (I'm being very generous, arguably more like 5 - 7 miles, is more the norm for the likes of Carkeek, Sandpoint, most of West Seattle, etc.) from everything. A 30 block walk is still a long walk, no matter how fit a person is.

REZONE.

]]> Phenics http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734591 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734591 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:53:46 -0800 Comment by Catalina Vel-DuRay Phenics, I hear what you're saying. I work for the city, and as such am "out and about" on the north end for at least half the workday, every workday. There's an awful lot of "density" going on, but not much of it is, IMO, good, and it's not addressing the pedestrian issue: Tearing down three single family homes to put up six remarkably ugly townhomes doesn't relieve parking or make a grocery store any closer. It just degrades the neighborhood.

I suppose that eventually stores will follow, bit it doesn't seem like things are being well thought-out when it comes to this density thing.

]]> Catalina Vel-DuRay http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734659 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734659 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:39:46 -0800 Comment by sofacles "Tearing down three single family homes to put up six remarkably ugly townhomes doesn't relieve parking or make a grocery store any closer. It just degrades the neighborhood."

It also doesn't necessarily increase density, if density means increasing the number of people living on a lot. It does degrade the environment by decreasing permeable surface (which increases bacterial counts in the Sound).

]]> sofacles http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734733 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c734733 City Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:36:40 -0800 Comment by Gomez EXcellent. I must say if the end product of a denser Seattle is anything like #s 1 or 3, I'd be thrilled.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c735114 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/what_density_looks_like#c735114 City Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:03:20 -0800