> Rehouse people from single family houses into highrise appartments. Except many people find that high rises suck. What to let your little kids out front to ride their bikes? Go down the elevator, through a lobby, onto a very crowded sidewalk or the major road out front. In a house, I can have a backyard. Walking the dog doesn’t require 5 minutes of elevators and hallways. Kids can play outside. I am not opposed to high rises at all, but suggesting that people be “rehomed” is what I am objecting to. However else minariby arbitrary height restrictions would be a good start. Some people would like to live in greater density, but attempting a 40 story apartment in Mountain View would be by howls of protests from environmental groups. There is room for all sorts of housing to meet everyone’s lifestyle needs, the problem is that the regulation has become an albatross and it prevents a market response to increased demand. Try to build a mid rise in Palo Alto; people there would lose their minds.
You have a wrong idea about highrise living, and in particular distinction in between main highrise classes.
I classify three that are well recognised around:
1. Standalone towers with chic small apartments - those are more oriented towards bachelor living for upper working class. Think of them in a "starbucks vs a restaurant" comparison.
2. Apartment complexes - these are city block sized developments, with more or less fully managed amenities, some times including daycare, playgrounds, mini-strip malls. These do avail for family living.
3. Shitty box apartments - for everybody else, the cheapest option.
> but attempting a 40 story apartment in Mountain View would be by howls of protests from environmental groups.
I think 40 storey's will not do it in such expensive neighbourhood. It can be economically feasible with 50 storey with modern construction technology, and 60 if you can make it look "high-end" enough.
That's a stereotype of highrise. Many residential highrise can have a small park or at least a leisure area built nearby. I'm living in a mid-rise in San Jose, the experience is way better than living in a common crappy SFH in Bay area.
Safely guarded by private patrol, zero break-in, no annoying solicitors. Dedicated locker for your Amazon packages and free coffee in the hallway. Utility bills are much lower too. Double gated garage. Located next to lightrail. And standard amenities such as pool, gym, lounge etc.
1. Densify population centres.
2. Rehouse people from single family houses into highrise appartments.
3. Improve ground level infrastructure.
4. Transition to mixed development policy.
5. Abolish zoning in favour of universal sanitary codes.