Part four 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] or [see Part 3]

Claim 6: Higher-density development is unattractive and does not fit in a low-density community.

ULI’s Opinion: Attractive, well-designed, and well-maintained higher-density development attracts good residents and tenants and fits into existing communities.

Actually, attractive, well-designed, and well-maintained developments attract good residents and tenants regardless of the density, but only if they fit into the existing community.  The fit determines the critique, not the other way around.  There are plenty of beautiful-looking real estate disasters; ask any real-estate agent.  Attractive and clean may get you a first look, but the neighborhood closes the deal.  Again, ask any real-estate agent.

An Example ULI gives: Post Riverside in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Atlanta is often called the poster child for suburban sprawl. However, it is also the home of Post Riverside, a revolutionary new mixed-use pedestrian-oriented community developed by [a developer] and located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River between Atlanta’s bustling Buckhead and Vinings communities. As is the trend nationally, 65 percent of all vehicle trips in Atlanta are to run errands, not to commute to work. With offices, shops, and restaurants within walking distance of the apartments, Post Riverside residents depend on autos much less than their neighbors in lower-density areas. In addition, the community is connected to Atlanta’s MARTA subway system and the Cobb County transit system. This award-winning 85-acre mixed-use development includes 25,000 square feet of retail space, 225,000 square feet of office space, and 535 apartments, all designed around a gracious town square. For many people, this amenity-rich, low-maintenance lifestyle better suits their needs than a traditional single-family home in a low-density neighborhood.”

The common theme of access to municipal public transit and mixed-use development continues.  Fairfield Residential has to understand that what makes a neighborhood attractive goes beyond colors and roof styles: it is affected greatly by convenience, access, and residential planning.  In this project, they have 85 acres and only 535 apartments along with over 250,000 square feet (about 6 acres) of retail and commercial office space.  Even if you make the assumption that half of the remaining space is dedicated to the town square, the density never goes above 15 units per acre.  Offices, shops, and restaurants within walking distance, connection to Atlanta’s MARTA subway system and the Cobb County transit system complete the deal.

Another Example ULI gives: The Plaza at the Arboretum in Santa Monica, California.

“This award-winning mixed-use project in Santa Monica, California .. achieves a density of 97.5 dwelling units per acre. The attractive seven-story building includes 10,000 square feet of retail space and 350 apartment units ranging from 612 to 1,555 square feet. The architecture firm .. used strong geometric forms to create a playful architectural character that fits nicely in the avant-garde Hollywood studio section of Santa Monica. The development includes a swimming pool, spa, fitness center, and clubhouse.”

Finally, a development that sounds in scope like something Fairfield Residential is proposing.  But with 10,000 square feet of retail space.  And in between Olympic Blvd and Colorado Blvd in Santa Monica, near the 10 freeway and the Santa Monica pier, walking distance to hundreds of shops and restaurants, including the 3rd Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place.  I’ve never been to the development itself, but looking at the maps, I know the area very well having lived nearby for over 20 years and having walked the length of Olympic, well past the complex.  All of the apartments are pretty high-density, so the Plaza could fit right in; it probably isn’t even the densest development in the area.  But Fairfield Residential will have a hard time convincing our residents that their project will come close to the convenience, walkable neighborhood, and upscale environment the Santa Monica beach community provides.  Residents who want that lifestyle can live that lifestyle.  As for me and many of the residents that I have talked with, we left that behind to come to Santa Clara.

Claim 7: No one in suburban areas wants higher-density development.

ULI’s Opinion: Our population is changing and becoming increasingly diverse. Many of these households now prefer higher-density housing, even in suburban locations.

Our population is more diverse, but we will always have families with children.  Now how the neighborhood is designed will affect the kind of people the neighborhood will attract.  If “people in their mid-20s and empty nesters in their 50s” who are “seeking a more convenient and vibrant lifestyle” want to “live and work in the suburbs with all the attributes of suburbia they desire without giving up walkability and convenience”, let them go to Rivermark or other planned communities.  Santa Clara Planning Department and Fairfield Residential: don’t try to sell our neighborhoods out to your plans and schemes by shoving business decisions down our throats.  Put the vibrant life-stylers where they want to be, but listen to the residents who already live in this charming neighborhood near 900 Kiely Blvd.  If you want steak, go to a steakhouse, but leave the vegetarian restaurants as they are.

An Example ULI gives: King Farm in Rockville, Maryland.

“This 430-acre community is characterized by the historic architecture of the region but offers an assortment of modern conveniences as well. .. King Farm is located in Rockville, Maryland, five miles from the Washington, D.C., beltway, 15 miles from downtown D.C., and walking distance from the Shady Grove Metro station. The neighborhood was designed for pedestrians, but the King Farm shuttle makes getting around even easier. The shuttle runs a complimentary route between the King Farm Village Center, the Metro station, and the Irvington Center, a 90-acre commercial complex next to the Metro. In addition, two types of public bus service are available at King Farm. At the Village Center, 120,000 square feet of retail space is within walking distance from both residential and commercial development. The center also includes 47 loft apartments and a one-acre village green. Watkins Pond and Baileys Common are King Farm’s two residential villages. They offer single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, and luxury apartments intertwined with natural areas. The center of Watkins Pond is a 12-acre city park with tennis and basketball courts, a soccer and softball field, two playgrounds, several picnic areas, benches, and paths.”

More of the same.  Walkable community, access to public transit, open areas for residents, much fewer houses.

Another Example ULI gives: Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

“The city of Rancho Cucamonga, located roughly 60 miles east of Los Angeles in California’s Inland Empire, has a rich agricultural history and, more recently, a history of low-density sprawl with no real city center. This situation is changing, however, with the opening of the first phases of a huge new mixed-use development known as Victoria Gardens. The development .. will create a vibrant higher-density downtown where none previously existed. Rapidly growing Rancho Cucamonga has been traditionally underserved by restaurants and entertainment options. The long-awaited addition of a ‘place’ in the city has been well received by residents. The 147-acre development will eventually contain 1.3 million square feet of commercial and community space, including retail, entertainment, office, and civic uses with a cultural center and a library. Twenty acres of housing on site will allow people to live within walking distance of all the amenities of Rancho Cucamonga’s new downtown.”

1.3 million square feet equals about 30 acres of commercial and community space versus 20 acres of housing on 147 acres of land.  They are building a community, not just adding people.

Claim 8: Higher-density housing is only for lower-income households.

ULI’s Opinion: People of all income groups choose higher-density housing.

In Silicon Valley, people choose what they can afford.  In densely populated cities, people try to afford what they can get.  People in New York, Hong Kong, and London would laugh at ULI’s histrionics.

An Example ULI gives: Rollins Square in Boston, Massachussetts.

“Rollins Square, a mixed-use development in Boston’s South End, is a truly mixed-income community that provides housing for a wide spectrum of people in all income brackets. Twenty percent of the overall units are reserved for people whose income is 30 to 60 percent of the Boston area median income (AMI), 40 percent are for-sale condominiums reserved for working households with incomes 80 to 120 percent of the AMI, and the remaining 40 percent are market-rate units selling for up to $750,000. The residences occupy two city blocks and integrate seamlessly into the existing neighborhood. The varying heights and diverse exterior materials give the appearance that the development was constructed over time. ..”

More of the same.

Another Example ULI gives: I’On in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

“I’On is a 244-acre master-planned community along the deep-water marshes of Hobcraw Creek in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Just six miles east of Charleston, the community features 700 single-family homes, community facilities, and a small-scale commercial area. [They are] developing six residential neighborhoods connected by narrow streets, pedestrian corridors, and community spaces. .. The architecture is inspired by classic Lowcountry style with large balconies, deep front porches, and tall windows on even taller homes. Homes now sell for $685,000 to $1.7 million. Community facilities include I’On Square, I’On Club, the Creek Club, and the Mount Pleasant Amphitheater. Residents also enjoy easy access to the Cooper and Wando rivers, the Charleston harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. One neighborhood boat ramp and four community docks are available for crabbing and fishing. Two miles of walking trails are available for residents; a five-acre pond, the Rookery, is a protected nesting site for wading birds. In addition, the public and private schools in Mount Pleasant are some of the best in the area.”

Even more of the same.