Higher density development should not mean less green space. In fact, planning for parks, recreation areas, and greenways becomes even more important -- as well planned green space becomes even more important. This greenway along Lake Ontario borders an urban neighborhood in Toronto.

-- the Project for Public Spaces has much information on its web site about planning for open space in urban areas.
-- Edward McMahon, in his article "Green Infrastructure" in the Winter 2000 issue of the Planning Commissioners Journal notes that "strategies for revitalizing urban cores are increasingly emphasizing the value of natural areas within the city such as waterways, parks, and other green corridors." For other excerpts from McMahon's article; his article is also available for ordering & downloading online.

Some of the most beautiful open spaces are located close to areas with the highest density. Perhaps its the contrast that makes these spaces particularly appealing. One noteworthy example is Boston's "Emerald Necklace" park system designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. -- a six-mile long semi-circle around the heart of Boston. Another is New York City's Central Park, also by Olmstead, now lovingly cared for by the Central Park Conservancy. But vital parks and recreation areas can be found in many downtowns, in cities large and small.

In What Does Smart Growth Mean for Housing?, an article by Karen A. Danielsen, Robert E. Lang, and William Fulton, available on the Fannie Mae Foundation's web site, the authors note that: "The most basic smart growth housing strategy is the creation of higher density housing." But they then caution that, "Enacting smart growth on a regional scale means that many existing lower density neighborhoods will receive new higher density housing. Suburbanites have a long history of resisting higher density housing for fear of what it might do to property values and who may reside in such housing. No matter how much current politics oppose sprawl, policies adding higher density housing to most neighborhoods remain a tough sell. Americans appear to hate two things: density and sprawl. Smart growth's fate may depend on which they ultimately hate more." The authors argue that higher density development must be made as attractive as possible to suburbanites, with developers paying close attention to details such as room layouts and widths; interior features, such as kitchens and bathrooms "that can compete with features provided in more traditional low-density suburban models," and specialized site planning. The bottom line, as the authors put it, is to create a "sense of place", a "crucial component of any successful development, but it is especially important in higher density housing."