A suburban office park surrounded by medium-density housing with a retail district and a transit link makes more sense than a suburban office park surrounded by parking. Increasing population densities is also important. We must solidify our urban boundaries and think of the land outside our cities as permanent farm land. Clustering residential developments at transit centres and retrofitting older communities for mixed use would make a big difference in transportation patterns. Higher densities are achieved simply by narrowing road ways and building houses closer to the street.
Compact development reduces municipal infrastructure costs and makes transit service economical.
Resistance to high densities is usually based on fear of crime. However, Health Canada reports that the risk of death or injury from traffic accidents is higher than the risk of violence from crime. Traffic calming has been used successfully in Europe to make urban areas more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, etc. Structural changes such as narrowing roadways, sharper turns at intersections, raised crosswalks and speed bumps slow down vehicle traffic. Tree-lined boulevards and facilities such as benches, bike racks and sidewalk cafes make city streets interesting and comfortable.