Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The US has some examples, although I'd say that some of the most prominent manifestations of this phenomenon exist in Canada, where dense redevelopment in the suburbs is much further along in some cities than it seems anywhere in the US. Vancouver, specifically, has seen enormous amounts of development in its suburbs, in large part because the central city has such restrictive development bylaws, and most of the suburbs have rapid transit or otherwise very frequent bus transit. As such, there has been a lot of transit oriented development around rapid transit stations all over the region. One typical example would be Brentwood Town Centre, pictured below:
Current state:
Rendering of project when built out:
Site before redevelopment:
This site was an older mall before redevelopment - that seems like a very typical pattern, for larger sites in the suburbs to undergo these kinds of redevelopment in Canada, rather than waiting for land assembly of suburban sites. There's plenty of this sort of thing in Toronto too, particularly along the commuter rail lines or new subway extensions into older suburbs. Montreal is now seeing some of this too in underused areas near metro stops or future suburban REM (automated light rail, like the Vancouver skytrain pictured in the Brentwood photos) stations, like the Royal Mount mall with tons of condos atop it under construction in Town of Mount Royal, an inner suburb which is near the current metro:
Minneapolis has taken a different approach, wholesale upzoning all the single family home neighbourhoods in the city to allow small low-rise apartment buildings on house-sized lots. I think this will do alot to alow a more organic densification of these areas and maintain affordability into the future, and the Canadian cities mentioned which clearly have demand should do the same. It looks like this:
These are how suburbs can be retrofitted in metro areas where housing demand patterns demand densification to maintain affordability and quality of life for the residents.
The US has some examples, although I'd say that some of the most prominent manifestations of this phenomenon exist in Canada, where dense redevelopment in the suburbs is much further along in some cities than it seems anywhere in the US. Vancouver, specifically, has seen enormous amounts of development in its suburbs, in large part because the central city has such restrictive development bylaws, and most of the suburbs have rapid transit or otherwise very frequent bus transit. As such, there has been a lot of transit oriented development around rapid transit stations all over the region. One typical example would be Brentwood Town Centre, pictured below:
Current state:
Rendering of project when built out:
Site before redevelopment:
This site was an older mall before redevelopment - that seems like a very typical pattern, for larger sites in the suburbs to undergo these kinds of redevelopment in Canada, rather than waiting for land assembly of suburban sites. There's plenty of this sort of thing in Toronto too, particularly along the commuter rail lines or new subway extensions into older suburbs. Montreal is now seeing some of this too in underused areas near metro stops or future suburban REM (automated light rail, like the Vancouver skytrain pictured in the Brentwood photos) stations, like the Royal Mount mall with tons of condos atop it under construction in Town of Mount Royal, an inner suburb which is near the current metro:
Minneapolis has taken a different approach, wholesale upzoning all the single family home neighbourhoods in the city to allow small low-rise apartment buildings on house-sized lots. I think this will do alot to alow a more organic densification of these areas and maintain affordability into the future, and the Canadian cities mentioned which clearly have demand should do the same. It looks like this:
These are how suburbs can be retrofitted in metro areas where housing demand patterns demand densification to maintain affordability and quality of life for the residents.
That sort of thing has happened naturally in parts of Houston, which doesn't have zoning.
Minneapolis has taken a different approach, wholesale upzoning all the single family home neighbourhoods in the city to allow small low-rise apartment buildings on house-sized lots. I think this will do alot to alow a more organic densification of these areas and maintain affordability into the future, and the Canadian cities mentioned which clearly have demand should do the same. It looks like this:
These are how suburbs can be retrofitted in metro areas where housing demand patterns demand densification to maintain affordability and quality of life for the residents.
I would be so bummed if owned/lived in that 1.5 story 2 family and somebody changed the zoning in order to build a 4 story, slab sided, built out to the property limits, 8 unit monstrosity that is shown in the last photo. What a nightmare. Where do all the cars get parked? What a nightmare.
I would be so bummed if owned/lived in that 1.5 story 2 family and somebody changed the zoning in order to build a 4 story, slab sided, built out to the property limits, 8 unit monstrosity that is shown in the last photo. What a nightmare. Where do all the cars get parked? What a nightmare.
I can't speak to Minneapolis, I've never lived there. That said, there are very similar neighbourhoods in Montreal, where I live. Generally those small scale buildings have parking garages in them. That kind of density also means improved transit services get built, as do shops and such to serve the higher number of people in the area. As such, lots of people walk or take transit for trips, and the cars are in built in garages or parked behind the buildings. The traffic really isn't that bad in Cotes-des-Neiges, which is a similar area to the photo, and it's a sought after area. The urban form, however, isn't the result of any recent zoning changes, the zoning was such for decades.
I can't speak to Minneapolis, I've never lived there. That said, there are very similar neighbourhoods in Montreal, where I live. Generally those small scale buildings have parking garages in them. That kind of density also means improved transit services get built, as do shops and such to serve the higher number of people in the area. As such, lots of people walk or take transit for trips, and the cars are in built in garages or parked behind the buildings. The traffic really isn't that bad in Cotes-des-Neiges, which is a similar area to the photo, and it's a sought after area. The urban form, however, isn't the result of any recent zoning changes, the zoning was such for decades.
Increasing density in a 50x100 type area (like in the Minneapolis photo) will never cause an increase in mass transit. I live in a 50 x100 neighborhood in an older train suburb, .7 of a mile from the train station and main commercial drag. Taking 2 lots and creating an 8 unit building will only increase the number of cars from 4 to 16 and the local roads are already overburdened. There will be no transit added in my neighborhood that would allow living without a car. If I wanted to live in an area with that kind of density I would have bought housing in a different town.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
