That's still single-family detached. It's hard to convince neighborhood groups. People freak out because they think density means ghetto. There aren't many good examples of fabulous high-density housing. But that problem could be solved with a little creativity, she adds.
Developers buy agricultural land at the fringe of the city.
It's cheap, there are no neighbors, and they sit on it for 5 to 10 years. When the city gets close enough, they ask for annexation and make millions of dollars. Now they have to buy within the boundary because they can't afford to buy outside and wait 20 years. It changes the whole dynamic of how developers do business. UGBs are a method of curtailing land speculation, Petaluma Councilwoman Jane Hamilton agrees, as well as using land more efficiently.