Pat Greenhouse/Getty Images
- Opponents of new development often say they don't want denser neighborhoods.
- But a certain amount of density is necessary to create more affordable and inclusive communities.
- A recent study found that density is necessary, but not sufficient, to maximize well-being.
As cities and towns across North America suffer from a housing affordability crisis largely caused by a shortage of homes, urban planners and housing advocates are coming up against an aversion to density.