Most "pro-high density" people don't want to take away the suburbs. What they want is better designed and more sustainable growth. That doesn't mean taking away people' backyards.
That's a red herring that many opposed to such density throw out there.
What 'smart growth involves is the following principles:
- a more integrated and connective road pattern (like a grid or a modified grid) rather than cul-de-sacs and curvilinear patterns.
- More housing choices within each community (not just excusively single family homes or owner-occupied so as housing needs change people don't have to leave their community
- Yes higher densities (like Garrison Woods kind of densities - about 12 Upa) and compact built form to slow down outward growth to take up less land and to create a critical mass of local people to support viable transit, and local retail.
- walkability to amenities such as grocery stores (so you don't HAVE to get into a car to get anywhere or to meet your daily needs. Why can't every community have a nice little main street like Kensington???
- Better public spaces and gathering places
- A greater mix of uses
Basically how Garrison Woods is designed - why can more subdivisions look like this? It's beautiful, compact, walkable - people still have their yards.
Meanwhile urbanize downtown and surrounding inner city and build up corridors like Centre Street, 16th ave, 17th SE etc as medium-scale urban boulevards and denise transit-oriented hubs around selected LRT stations like Brentwood, Anderson, Chinook etc. Focusing infrastructure investments more on making transit truly conevient and desirable, promoting active transportation like walking and cycling etc.
Does this sound like such a horrible place to be to you?
THAT is what smart growth advocates are truly talking about. This is a structure for a city that is truly sustainable. Luckily Calgary, through its PLAN IT initiative is moving towards this.