Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila
I don't think we will ever see extensive midrise development outside of the downtown zoning perimeter without a drastic overhaul of the zoning code. That still allows some growth areas, but lots of those are under semi-monopoly control by CHA or big developers (JDL, Related, etc).
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All the TOD nodes that have popped up since that zoning overlay went into effect have produced little pockets of just that, which is nice. Lakeview, where I live, has a good chunk of that around Belmont. And there are slews of 5-story builds along Western, Lincoln, Milwaukee, etc. (and even Clark now) that are setting a good precedent (not sure if they're any more unit-dense than their shorter, non-elevator siblings, though).
However, the longer I live here (and the older I get), the more I think that the 3-story norm here for most of the neighborhoods is really quite nice. Maybe if all the really major arterials (that are 4-lane in places or are state routes) got a proper zoning boost (rather than a de facto one from the go-to PD process), that would be a good place for the 6 - 10 story builds. Those roads could use the enclosure from taller infill (for sheer hospitability) and have the access and capacity for more units (and are all close together enough to give transit ridership and retail patronage a boost even if the housing lining them is not right smack dab next to a stop or the street itself isn't the shopping strip of the neighborhood).