- 1 min read
- Posted on 10.26.05
What we call "knowing our neighbors" and "living close to stores and transportation," planners call “urban density.”
St. Louis has a density that Missouri’s other cities — and, in fact, many other places in the country — lack. And when density is matched up to good planning and convenient open spaces, a city like ours is great place to live and work.
One simple calculation of density is the average population per square mile. By that measure, the City of St. Louis has a density of approximately 5,700 residents per mile. By comparison, New York at 23,700 residents per mile is much more densely populated. So, too, are Chicago with 12,300 residents per square mile and Baltimore with 9,100. But, Portland has only 4,200 residents per square mile, San Diego has 3,400 residents; Houston has 3,000; San Antonio has 2,800; Phoenix has 2,300; and Indianapolis has 2,000. Atlanta, which is one of the most horizontal cities in the country, has a density of about 1,600 residents per mile. And Kansas City has a density of about 1,400.
