Density
Definition
The number of housing units or people per acre. Higher density means more homes on same land, enabling walkable neighborhoods, efficient services, and housing abundance. Artificially low density mandates drive sprawl and costs.
Louisville Context
Louisville zoning mandates low density: large minimum lot sizes (often 10,000+ square feet), maximum unit counts, and parking requirements that waste land. Result: sprawl, car dependence, high infrastructure costs, and housing shortage. Dave increases density limits near transit, commercial corridors, and job centers while respecting neighborhood scale. Smart density means: more housing options, walkable neighborhoods, efficient transit, lower costs.
Why It Matters
Low-density mandates force sprawl—Louisville spreads across huge area with population that could fit in half the space. Higher density near services and transit means: shorter commutes, walkable neighborhoods, viable transit, lower housing costs, less environmental impact. Density makes Louisville more affordable and livable.
Dave’s Proposal
Increase density limits near TARC routes, commercial corridors, and job centers. Remove minimum lot sizes in urban areas, reduce parking requirements, and allow gentle density (duplexes, townhomes) throughout residential zones.