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IMO young people move to the city at a phase of their life: single, newly employed who want the fun and excitement of living in or near the city.
Later, a different phase happens raising a family when they relocate back to the burbs for a house with better/ more local schools.
Walkable or not, LI does not have what the younger crowd is looking for at that time in their life.
At least around the rail stations, there should be higher densities and mix use such as office, residential and retail. One could theorectically live, work and shop all in the same location without having to drive.
They should allow for low, mid and even some highrise towers. And they need to expand the rail connections, too. Maybe light rail?
Why are Long Islanders so afraid of density?
Long Island is losing young people, a brain drain. Young people like urban areas. So why are they not trying to create some choices for young people on Long Island?
You are correct in that mixed use should be around the railroads. I know of a few groups on Long Island who support transit oriented developments and walkable urban neighborhoods, and are trying to make it happen.
There are young people on Long Island who do not want to own a home just yet, but do not want to live in the city to rent an apartment. They want to live on Long Island in a decent apartment, go to work here that isn't living in their parent's house or someone's basement or garage (talk about messing up the tax base, that is lost tax revenue right there, for all those concerned about taxes ). What is wrong with having viable options for young professionals on Long Island?
Studies have shown that adding apartments does not add as much school children as a single family home. A study conducted by the Long Island Index showed that in Suffolk every apartment adds .17 kids, while a single family home adds .57 kids.
And more traffic? It's called transit oriented development. Everything would be within a walking distance, including that jug of milk you have to drive to get.
In 10 years, people will be begging for things to be built here.
Long Island is losing young people, a brain drain. Young people like urban areas. So why are they not trying to create some choices for young people on Long Island?
Having been a young person (once upon a time) who lived on Long Island in it''s Golden Age I can say that we didn't want "urban" as we loved our beaches, backyards, cars, jobs, clubs and life in general. We had choice if we wanted urban, we moved to Manhattan, Queens or Brooklyn.
In my opinion Long Island should never try to appeal to those who want urban, as it's silly to do with the premier urban center a mere rocks throw to the west. If the young want that then they already have it with a quick train ride.
What Long Island should focus on is keeping (and attracting more) it's 30-50 something professionals. I do think reinvigorating the towns along the rail lines for mixed use is important, but making them too dense would just create more trouble than it's worth.
At least around the rail stations, there should be higher densities and mix use such as office, residential and retail. One could theorectically live, work and shop all in the same location without having to drive.
They should allow for low, mid and even some highrise towers. And they need to expand the rail connections, too. Maybe light rail?
Why are Long Islanders so afraid of density?
Long Island is losing young people, a brain drain. Young people like urban areas. So why are they not trying to create some choices for young people on Long Island?
Why do people from NJ come to the LI board and tell us how we should do things? Doesn't your state have enough issues that you could help address?
Long Island is already very dense, it's just not the kind of density that is en vogue these days.
If you take that google map that was posted and restructure everyone into attached townhomes or rowhouses, plug a few supermarkets and shops on the main sts, you'd have more green space and less need to drive. You'd basicaly have England. Nassau County is more dense than 2/3ds of the counties in England.
But this isn't England, and the houses are already there. The issue is no density, it's layout.
But this isn't England, and the houses are already there. The issue is no density, it's layout.
Yes, the real issue is layout. If some areas could be redesigned so that the same number of residents can get more stuff done with much less driving, then it would attract younger families.
Yes, the real issue is layout. If some areas could be redesigned so that the same number of residents can get more stuff done with much less driving, then it would attract younger families.
So you decide whose houses are going to be leveled for a mixed use walkable area.
So you decide whose houses are going to be leveled for a mixed use walkable area.
Actually...an astute and well capitalized developer can buy out a bunch of homeowners and turn the area into mixed use. Same number of units, more open space.
It's been done before but agree it's not easy. And local officials will have to know how to negotiate terms very well so that developers won't cheat on amenities like parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, drains etc. Requires a lot of work.
Alternatively they can look at areas that are dotted with abandoned/underused warehouses and factories and build there. But they should also provide for schools.
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). What is wrong with having viable options for young professionals on Long Island? 
