3 ms·

> higher density means lower quality of life Ehh? I'd say density is correlated with a higher quality of life. More restaurants, bars, culture (museums, art op

> higher density means lower quality of life Ehh? I'd say density is correlated with a higher quality of life. More restaurants, bars, culture (museums, art openings, music), more opportunities to expand your network of friends, etc.

mosdave 9y ago
what if none of the things you enumerated are important to a person? what metrics are acceptable for them to use to measure their quality of life?
- HillaryBriss 9y ago
  for those people, high density is desirable. but, for others, the drawbacks of high density, often outweigh the advantages. these are the people who go to local neighborhood council meetings and scream. also note that, in Los Angeles, the city council and the mayor can, and very often do, approve changes to zoning in accordance with the wishes of real estate developers (who usually donate to their political campaigns). it's not like LA's NIMBY homeowners are a tyrannical group with infinite power. they're very often overridden by the politicians. much of the drive behind LA's NIMBY movement is the absence of true city plans for homeowners to rely upon. the name of the game is spot zoning variances: a developer proposes a project which requires a zoning change and then pays off the local politicians with campaign contributions. homeowners, caught by surprise, react vociferously ... and then lose. that's LA's version of a "planning process". http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-changing-las-dna-2152217 http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-ch...
yorwba 9y ago
Those things are nice, but I'd like to know whether you have ever lived directly next to them (as opposed to just close enough to get to them when you want). I grew up in a scenic neighborhood in Berlin, with lots of bars and restaurants and dance clubs in former factory yards, and it was pretty annoying at times. Drunken people get loud, and you don't want them to have a midnight singing contest right outside your bedroom window. Occasionally someone would drive around the block blasting music at full volume. And so on. I think most people would much prefer to live in a quiet neighborhood, with all the action happening within walking distance just outside of it.

mosdave 9y ago

what if none of the things you enumerated are important to a person? what metrics are acceptable for them to use to measure their quality of life?

HillaryBriss 9y ago
for those people, high density is desirable. but, for others, the drawbacks of high density, often outweigh the advantages. these are the people who go to local neighborhood council meetings and scream. also note that, in Los Angeles, the city council and the mayor can, and very often do, approve changes to zoning in accordance with the wishes of real estate developers (who usually donate to their political campaigns). it's not like LA's NIMBY homeowners are a tyrannical group with infinite power. they're very often overridden by the politicians. much of the drive behind LA's NIMBY movement is the absence of true city plans for homeowners to rely upon. the name of the game is spot zoning variances: a developer proposes a project which requires a zoning change and then pays off the local politicians with campaign contributions. homeowners, caught by surprise, react vociferously ... and then lose. that's LA's version of a "planning process". http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-changing-las-dna-2152217 http://www.laweekly.com/news/city-halls-density-hawks-are-ch...

yorwba 9y ago

Those things are nice, but I'd like to know whether you have ever lived directly next to them (as opposed to just close enough to get to them when you want). I grew up in a scenic neighborhood in Berlin, with lots of bars and restaurants and dance clubs in former factory yards, and it was pretty annoying at times. Drunken people get loud, and you don't want them to have a midnight singing contest right outside your bedroom window. Occasionally someone would drive around the block blasting music at full volume. And so on. I think most people would much prefer to live in a quiet neighborhood, with all the action happening within walking distance just outside of it.