When are too many people too many? The environmental challenges of population density are not something that many of us think about on a daily basis. Sure, we complain about traffic congestion when in a hurry or the long lines at a restaurant, but from day to day we generally ignore the issue, in part because we don't know much about it.
So I sought the advice of Gary native Courtney Williams, a master's degree candidate in economic development at the University of Cincinnati. She loves thinking about cities and planning issues.
Williams explained that density, or population concentration, has been found to be a critical factor in the economic and environmental viability, as well as the social equity, of American cities. She thinks density is good for the most part.
"When you look at the typical suburb, which is low density, it is a collection of subdivisions of single-family houses on two-acre plots. However, residents and professional planners alike have come to recognize that the initial idyllic suburban quality of life is quickly fleeting. This is the reality that is most diminishing the quality-of-life of the built-out suburban space," according to Courtney.
She explained that winding street patterns in suburban areas have few connections, unlike most gridded city street plans. The winding patterns create excessively long distances for residents to travel before they can reach their destination, which can only be safely accessed by car.
This auto-dependency directly contributes to the emission of CO2, limits the mobility of youths and the elderly, contributes to obesity and, because race and income many times are correlated, effectively hinders income and racial diversity by making life in suburban communities impractical or nearly impossible for those who cannot afford cars.
"Suburbs also perpetually create concentric rings of half-abandoned suburbs," Williams said. "Then, as these low density developments sprawl outward and overtake more area, they create a loss of environmental capital for tourism or recreational use." "Is that all?" I asked.
"No, they drain the economy of cities as businesses follow consumers to the suburbs. Soon, with the loss of population in the cities, the housing values fall and further isolate lower income residents. Cities are left with more municipality to manage and less taxable income. And as we all know, that is what is happening to the older cities in Lake County."
"But doesn't density create pollution, overused infrastructure and crime?" I questioned.
"Not really, because when you create density you have the population needed to support (possibly multiply) public transit systems. Living in dwelling units such as townhomes that share walls is economical -- significantly cutting heating and cooling bills. Where there are more people, there is a greater sense of community, and according to Jane Jacobs, a mother of the modern planning movement, there are more eyes on the street' which provide an additional sense of safety."
"So, how do we create and keep density?" I asked.
"Well," Courtney said, "you create it by in-filling our old cities. Instead of people running away from the growing amount of vacant lots, people should choose to fill them in. You reuse old buildings for new purposes. Then, on a regional level you can attempt to maintain a level of density by controlling the rate at which an area grows outward through a comprehensive plan." She went on to say that density is one of the tenets of New Urbanism -- a philosophy that believes that we can create more civil, social and healthy societies through urban design centered around people.
For us to continue enhancing the quality of our lives, many more need to increase our awareness of, and involvement with, these issues.
Hopefully, as we reassess our environment in Northwest Indiana, we will concentrate on designing and reusing our spaces that help support the quality of life of people.
