Apartments Belong Near Parks

People claim apartments harm parks, but the truth is parks become better when more neighbors can live beside them

We don’t have to choose between parks and housing, between green space and density. Building apartments next to parks is exactly how we make sure both flourish.

Parks are public commons. Parks are not private backyards for the lucky few who can afford houses on the edge. Their true value comes when many people live within walking distance, when a steady flow of neighbors keeps them lively and safe, when the sidewalks leading in are just as busy as the trails inside.

“You can neither lie to a neighbourhood park, nor reason with it. ‘Artist’s conceptions’ and persuasive renderings can put pictures of life into proposed neighbourhood parks or park malls, and verbal rationalizations can conjure up users who ought to appreciate them, but in real life only diverse surroundings have the practical power of inducing a natural, continuing flow of life and use.”
Jan…