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If the Bay Area (population density 1,113/sq mi) were as concentrated as Paris (8345/sq mi), the Bay Area would have a population of roughly 68 million, rather
by thebradbain 6y ago
If the Bay Area (population density 1,113/sq mi) were as concentrated as Paris (8345/sq mi), the Bay Area would have a population of roughly 68 million, rather than 7.5. Yeah –– we could technically fit 20% of the US Population in the Bay Area if we wanted to!
I say Paris because it's a dense city, yes, but it's also designed at such a human scale so that it doesn't feel "crowded" (and, at a uniform imposed building height, looks more like SF than Manhattan, because we know Californians love their sunlight).
Even if the Bay Area couldn't realistically be as dense as Paris, the point is that the Bay Area is nowhere near not having "enough room". There's plenty of work to be done, and I think the whole Bay Area could easily densify from 7m to 14m without even a notable change in layout or roads.
There's a whole country, yes, but the rich should not be the only ones who can afford to live comfortably in a city when so many other people want to (and have, before they were displaced), too.