Living examples of how compact cities can function exist in the centres of many historic European cities. But the proponents of compact cities are quick to warn against romanticism . The sustainable city should not be rooted in some idealized version of past settlements, but in what is workable and relevant now. Cities where lots of people are together in a smaller area tend to be more dynamic and sociable than the sprawling ones. For architect, philosopher and environmentalist Paulo Solari human density is the city.
Life is where crowding is immense.
No eco-thinking can ignore the miracle of crowded living. To do so is to indulge in incoherent fantasizing. Worse, it is to betray Gaia. If you can walk or cycle around your city, that reduces the need for air polluting, space-hogging motor vehicles. The needs of cars take up one third of the space of an average city.