My guess is that, while this has been a positive exercise and improvement to policy overall, the height issue won’t be the concern that many anticipate. The cost of constructing with energy-intensive materials like steel and concrete will make taller (i.e., 6+ stories) buildings much less likely as we transition into energy descent post-peak oil. The current economy, combined with local population declines, may prevent any more from being built before we’re so far down the cheap-and-dense-energy supply slope that they become permanently infeasible.
If we’re to increase density in the city and downtown, I think it will most likely be in the form of 3-4 story buildings with small setbacks.
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