Quote:
Originally Posted by wburg
Every additional central city resident is equal to 15 visitors in economic effect, PLUS the economic value of their presence in the city as renters or homeowners. And we could easily double the population of the central city under current zoning codes!
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So the minuscule population of downtown/midtown can double under current zoning codes... big deal! No offense but the population needs to do more than double in order to reach a notable urban density. And it can't get there with current zoning restrictions. The reason why this matters is that if the central city's population doubles while obeying the zoning codes that are in place, that means the development sites available get used up with relatively weak projects. Once the sites are filled and the population is doubled, what happens when even more people want to live here? Do we start tearing down buildings to make room for new ones? Not gonna happen unless the historic preservation mentality changes. That's why it's important to change zoning restrictions to create the potential for the central city's population to grow x10. There's a big difference between a 3 story neighborhood and a 6-8 story neighborhood in terms of efficiency, functionality, and the overall experience at street level. It's hard to predict how market forces are going to act on the urban environment, but I think the government should focus on creating opportunities for development rather than stunting the city's growth with too many rules.