First off, can we all agree that “density” is not the most appealing word when describing housing? How about “connected communities”, “neighborhood centric development” or “ecologically holistic housing”? Perhaps such words could help rebrand density as not something to be feared, but rather celebrated – that is when it is done well. It is no secret that smart, dense development increases social interaction, reduces reliance on cars (and therefore less congestion), more efficiently distributes the cost of public infrastructure, and supports local businesses. And – as the title of this article suggests – reduces our collective environmental impact. (To that end the the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report specifically namechecks density as a key strategy for reducing emissions and transportation pollution, and the City of Seattle bulleted climate change as a major factor for tree canopy loss.)
Though let’s be honest, embracing density is not easy. It means losing that vacant lot next door, a year of construction noise in the neighborhood and seeing more cars parked on the block. It’s defaulting less to “what has always been” and embracing more the benefits change can bring. Perhaps in this way we can take a lesson from the trees, who have been evolving for millions of years.
One thing that is never going to change though, is people need a place to live, and right now a lot of people are struggling to stay in this community and stay housed. Our workforce has been declining in population for over a decade, a trend that is threatening to the future of county businesses, marine trades, artists and healthcare. But density alone is not going to get us there alone. Bulldozing every urban block only attempts to solve one problem by creating another, and doesn’t guarantee affordability. We need to reflect upon our values and needs as a community and embrace intentional and creative development that can hold these in balance. Maintaining public opens space and ensuring affordable housing for future generations. The recent groundbreaking of Olympic Housing Trust’s Dundee Hill project is a shining example of what this can look like: 5 permanently affordable homes balanced with permanently preserved open space.
We can’t solve the world’s problems, but we can try and solve our community’s problems, and if every community did that, what might the world look like?
In Community,
Eric Jones
HSN Communication Strategist