Densify or Die

I recently sat in on a city council meeting of a medium sized, tourism-focused city that’s struggling with commercial vacancies and declining population. For decades, they were propped up by people visiting their city from all over the world. Rents were increasing, developers built a handful of luxury condos, and NIMBYs fought broader densification. But it was OK since tourists paid the bills. This continued until a few years ago, when the cash cow of tourism began to dry up due to broader economic conditions and policies that sought to crack down on quality of life issues.

It seems reasonable. Full-time residents don’t want impromptu night clubs just outside their windows. But now, people are leaving. Not only tourists, but full-time residents, small businesses, cafes, boutique shops, and the sense of safety that comes from having active streets filled with people. What went wrong? A couple of things.