New book on density emphasizes design
The nation’s increasing population and rising energy costs are contributing to a need for denser development, and that development needs to be well designed, according to a new book published by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. “Visualizing Density” is based on courses taught at the institute by architects Alex MacLean and Julie Campoli and includes an essay on density challenges, an illustrated manual on planning and designing for “good” density, and a catalog of more than 250 diverse neighborhoods across the country. While pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods are welcome by some people, many residents of established urban neighborhoods equate density with traffic congestion and overtaxed infrastructure. MacLean and Campoli conclude that officials and developers must find a better way to present density to the public. “We don’t have a density problem, we have a design problem,” Campoli says. The $39.95 book is available at www.lincolninst.edu/subcenters/visualizing_density/