Population density, when done right, is a great tool to make people happier, give them more opportunities (social, economic, cultural, etc) and reduce their environmental footprint. A big part of it is that you can reduce the amount of pollution caused by transportation and housing, the two biggest resource sinks, with walkable neighborhoods and mass transit, as well as smaller dwellings (but the city becomes your living room and playground, so the actual "living area" can be much larger than for those living in some exurb in a McMansion...).
Design makes all the difference. Central Park is designed such that tens of thousands of people can be in it at once, but you never see more than a score. Nanjing Road in Shanghai is, however, Blade Runner. Or are there only two kinds, Country Mouse and City Mouse?
(Score: 2) by NCommander on Friday July 10 2015, @06:35AM
I grew up in New York City, and I've lived in or at least spent significant time in close to a dozen major cities around the world (NYC, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Portland (OR), Shanghai, Panama City, Anchorage, and Shanghai just off the top of my list). Major cities allow for grouping of things and make mass transit feasible. In the greater NYC area, beside the subway, you have Metro North which is only practical if the terminus is a large destination that a *lot* of people want to go to. My mom took Metro-North for years, and I did when I finished my high school education in the city proper, while my dad lived in Westchester; I remember large crowds both at the Pelham and New ROchelle station for the 8:30 and 9:00 trains. Each person on the train is one less person piling into a car.
Still always moving
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @12:08PM
Have you ever lived an extended time in suburbia or in a rural area? How can you compare with only one experience?
It could just be that you would be much happier living the country life.