Chapel Hill’s smart look at growth — how to add density, not how many new units

Chapel Hill is a university town, and not surprisingly 100 or so neighbors recently shared an evening of intelligent discussion on density and how Chapel Hill should grow. A panel of experts discussed density in broad strokes. They agreed it’s not how many people the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area adds, but how it adds them that will determine the community’s future character.

Dense development — taller buildings, smaller homes, clustered housing — can reduce automobile use, provide opportunities for affordable housing and preserve water quality and open space, speakers said. Or, it can lead to traffic congestion, increased pollution and a decreased quality of life, writes Mark Schultz, a reporter for The Chapel Hill News & Advocate.