Density Deceptions

False Arguments for Density

Money Wasted on High Density

High density promotes a sense of community. For this to be true, farmers must not have a sense of community. But they have a very strong sense of community.
High density reduces pollution. This argument relies on the claim that if people are forced into high density, they will drive less. While this is debatable, it is NOT DEBATABLE that if you double the number of people in a give area, the amount of driving will increase IN THAT AREA. Even if the total driving were reduced, it will all occur in a smaller area, leading to more pollution IN THAT AREA. Even if the density advocates are correct that total pollution will be less, it will occur in a smaller area, resulting in more intense pollution IN THAT AREA.
High density saves money. If this is true, why are we giving tax exemptions to most high density developments around town?
Sprawl costs government more money that high density. Why not require developers to pay their full costs? Simple things like this seem to elude government officials all too often.

High density doesn't make economic sense, so we give them tax exemptions.
High density requires a large planning bureaucracy at the PDC.
High density requires a large planning bureaucracy at the Portland Planning Commission.
Even our bus company is getting into planning.
High density steals money from schools, police, fire and other city services: the tax money that was not collected due to tax exceptions is money that could have gone to schools, police, fire and other important city services

Here are some disadvantages of High Density

Increased Traffic congestion. METRO is planning high density housing for thousands of new people, but isn't including more road capacity. The result is being seen now: more people on the same roads causes gridlock. This is the reason that Portland had the worst increase in traffic congestion of any city in the country.
Wasted gasoline. Cars get the best gas mileage at a steady speed. Stop and go and idling in traffic jams waste gas and therefore money.
Increased air pollution. Burning excess gasoline causes air pollution. More importantly, high density puts more people and more cars in the same numbers of square miles. This gives more pollution per square mile. Without high density, the pollution would be spread over a wider area and thus diluted to a lower level.
High density is expensive. Just look at the projects that won't be paying any property taxes for ten years (typical).
High density steals money from schools, police, fire and other city services. The tax money that was not collected, due to tax exceptions, is money that could have gone to schools, police, fire and other important city services.
During WW2, Victroy Gardens helped leesent he food shortages: large backyards were a national survival assest then.