Many people think of density as Manhattan, NY, and want no part of it for their small town. What they forget is that all towns were more compact before the development of the automobile. Walking was the primary means of transportation. Much of what people find desirable about cities, with a strong historical component, is directly related to high density. Even small towns need density.
Density is a key ingredient for successful community spaces.
It is the continuous facades on each side of Main Street that form the walls, that make a great street. Only density groups services close enough together for people to walk instead of drive. Mixed-use development groups retail, commercial, and residential amenities. This type of density keeps people, and hence activity, in the central business district 24 hours a day. Stop the Strip.