'Density is not the Answer' - Misleading Title

[ChevyChaseDC]

http://www.planetizen.com/news/item.php?id=17258

The author of this article is from a very socially progressive organization that promotes affordable housing, curbing sprawl, and infill. He is not arguing against the inherent attributes of urban density, e.g. number of dwellings per acre - rather, he argues against the policies in place that encourage demolition of affordable housing to make way for luxury dwelling units, adding fuel to Seattle's gentrification fire.

Just wanted to point that out, since so often we read articles by anti-urban columnists who oppose density for their fear of crime and people who don't look like them...this is not one of those articles.

[Wannaplan?]

The blogosphere has picked-up on this article, too, if only in a small place, that I know of. Over at Common Monkeyflower, there are some nice observations about housing affodability in Ann Arbor, Michigan:

New development is always expensive, and if something has to be demolished to build it, it'll be the cheapest demo-job the developer can find, which is probably the most affordable existing housing or commercial space around.

I made a post in a different thread that included a short overview and some links for anyone interested in Ann Arbor's continuing affordable housing drama.