Part three of my response to Fairfield Residential’s attempt to hide behind the Urban Land Institute’s report on higher-density development. [see Part 1] or [see Part 2]

Claim 4: Higher-density development leads to higher crime rates.

ULI’s Opinion: The crime rates at higher-density developments are not significantly different from those at lower-density developments.

ULI then goes on to cite studies in Irving, Texas and Anchorage, Alaska while ignoring statistics from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose — the three “cities” in our area, all ranked in the top 50 U.S. cites by both size and crime rate — not to mention Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and others. Anchorage shows up just outside of the top 50 in size; coincidentally enough, it is also just outside of the top 50 cities in terms of crime. Irving, Texas doesn’t show up in the top 100 for size, and is not even on the list for cities ranked by crime, which only goes to the 70s on the list I checked. Be positive, but be realistic and relevant as well.

An Example ULI gives: Westminster Place in St. Louis, Missouri.

“Although today Westminster Place is a thriving, safe community in midtown St. Louis, it was not always the case. The area, approximately 90 acres, was well known by the St. Louis police department for its high rate of violent crime, which led to the area’s becoming blighted. .. a St. Louis-based developer .. brought the community back through the addition of higher-density mixed-income housing comprising affordable and market-rate units. The master plan included for-sale and rental housing, garden apartments, townhouses, single-family homes, and even an assisted living facility for seniors. A new community pool, a bustling retail center, and a magnet school are included as well. The new plan slowed traffic through the community, added landscaping and street and parking lot lighting, and new ‘eyes on the street,’ making it more difficult for criminals to go unnoticed. The area blossomed into a place where people once again feel safe walking. The success of the community spurred the revitalization of surrounding areas.”

Again, they built a community, not just a business plan. If you read more about the history of the area, the project was not done by the developer alone, but had a city-wide and state-wide push behind it. Our neighborhood seems to be one that falls between cracks: enough crime to annoy and frighten residents, but not enough for the city to take decisive action. We certainly don’t want it to get worse. One way that we can try to ensure this is to bring in residents that have more “skin” in their community. While it is true that not all renters are oblivious to their surroundings, it is certainly more true when compared with home owners. The longer you know your neighbors, the better you can defend against crime and other unusual happenings. The better you know your neighbors, the stronger the community becomes. The more growth possibilities and control you have in where you live, the longer you tend to stay. I don’t think this is as true with single-bedroom, 600 square-foot units, which describe over 50% of Fairfield Residential’s apartment offerings.

Another Example ULI gives: East Village in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“East Village is a small urban revitalization project on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. Before the project was built, the neglected 2.9-acre site contained several deteriorating rental homes, old commercial buildings, and abandoned surface parking lots. The neighborhood wanted to improve the area and the image of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, Elliot Park. The developers of the project .. developed the new mixed-income housing and commercial community to encourage a sense of community and ownership. East Village now features community green space, pedestrian paths, and neighborhood businesses. Buildings surround the greenway that leads to Elliot Park, a city park with year-round activities and a community center. Brick, bay windows, and French balconies complement historic buildings in the area. In addition, all buildings have multiple entrances to encourage interaction among neighbors. An underground 350-space parking garage frees up space for landscaped areas. This once neglected area has won two awards for innovation and design and become an exceedingly successful vibrant and safe community.”

Again, this was a “revitalization project”, not just a high-density apartment proposal. They added community green space, pedestrian paths, and neighborhood businesses, not just higher-density units. The took old homes and made new ones. They took old commercial buildings and made new ones. They took abandoned parking lots and made a new one, and they put it underground to free up space for landscaping. They didn’t change the nature of the area, they revitalized it. Fairfield Residential is taking an institutional space which didn’t affect our library, park, grocery stores, and commutes as negatively and provided a benefit for local restaurants and shops, and is replacing it with more people. Fairfield Residential tells us to look at their pretty pictures and ignore the effects. ULI provides yet another great project example, but it does not in any way relate to Fairfield Residential’s.

Claim 5: Higher density development is environmentally more destructive than lower-density development.

ULI’s Opinion: Lower-density development increases air and water pollution and destroys natural areas by paving and urbanizing greater swaths of land.

Again, ULI takes a possibility and generalizes it as a rule. What’s more amusing is their first “profile”:

An Example ULI gives: Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, Illinois.

“The developers of Prairie Crossing .. saved $1 million in infrastructure costs through environmentally sensitive design. The 677-acre conservation community is located in Grayslake, Illinois, 40 miles northwest of Chicago and one hour south of Milwaukee. The community features 350 acres of open space, including 160 acres of restored prairie, 158 acres of active farmland, 13 acres of wetlands, a 22-acre lake, a village green, and several neighborhood parks. Houses are sited to protect natural features such as hedgerows, native habitat, and wetlands. Designed with colors and architecture inspired by the landscape, every home has a view of open space and direct access to ten miles of on-site walking and biking trails. Wide sidewalks, deep front porches, and rear garages encourage neighbors to meet. The homes were built with U.S. Department of Energy-approved green building techniques. As a result, they are 50 percent more energy efficient than other homes in the Chicago area, and they sell for a 33 percent sales premium. Station Village is the last phase of Prairie Crossing. When complete, it will include residential, retail, and office space, all within walking distance of two commuter train stations. Residents can ride Metra’s North Line to Chicago’s Union Station or the Central Line to downtown Chicago and O’Hare Airport.”

It is ludicrous that Fairfield Residential would even try to compare their project with the one described above. ULI probably meant this as an exemplar, but it seems in bad taste to use this in defense of a general statement — it makes their argument seem more like an outright trick. The theme of on-site amenities and easy access to transit does not go unnoticed.

Another Example ULI gives: The Preserve in Hoover, Alabama.

“USS Real Estate originally held a 550-acre tract of land in Hoover, Alabama, but sold 250 acres to the city, intending to create the Moss Rock Nature Preserve. The 680 single-family homes, 50,000 square feet of retail, and 50,000 square feet of office space are concentrated on the remaining 311-acre site. Before development of the Preserve, Hoover was characterized by sprawling conventional development and lacked a town center. The Preserve’s future town center is planned to include 34 live/work units, 14 retail units, and two restaurants: at the heart of the community is the village green, an impressive eight-acre park with a town hall, a fitness center, a junior olympic swimming pool, and a kiddie pool. Residents have access to 15 acres of parks and seven miles of trails that connect to award-winning Hoover schools and the newly created Moss Rock preserve.”

Wow, I would love to live there. But it’s not 900 Kiely Blvd, and Fairfield Residential would have a hard time drawing parallels it could stand behind. It is again disappointing to see ULI’s example when they are trying to defend higher-density development. “Higher-density than what” is the obvious comment. 680 single-family homes, even with 100,000 square feet of retail and commercial office space, looks mighty small on 311 acres. The fact that over 40% of the originally available land was set aside for a nature preserve does speak volumes for the original owner USS Real Estate; if they provided medical services too, Kaiser Permanente would be out in more ways than one.