America historically hasn't done very well with moderation or restraint. When most Americans hear "we should have more density," they immediately think of Kowlo

America historically hasn't done very well with moderation or restraint. When most Americans hear "we should have more density," they immediately think of Kowloon's high-rise buildings, or New York City everywhere. With good reason! If there were no limits at all, that is certainly what developers would build, as it's very efficient in terms of revenue per area of land. There's a middle ground that is available in many places around the world, in which zoning allows for much denser building, but at a higher standard of noise reduction and stability, and not so dense we all live in high-rise apartments. I don't think we should build high-rises everywhere, and I hate American-style wood frame apartment buildings with nothing but drywall separating apartments, even as I like the zoning changes that have allowed the "5 over 1" buildings to spread. Retail on the ground floor with apartments above is great! A variation on "5 over 1" that required concrete walls and better windows would be welcome, I think, although developers would always choose the wood-frame buildings if allowed to. Overall I'm saying: think less of Shanghai and Manila, or Manhattan and Chicago, and more of Barcelona and Paris, of a sort of area that doesn't seem to exist in the US: with minimal roads and "soundproof" apartments.