Walkable Density Gradient
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When density is uniform across a neighborhood — either all low-density or all high-density — it either can't support walkable services (too few people) or it overwhelms the human scale (too many). The gradient matters: highest density at the center where services cluster, tapering to lowest density at the edges where gardens and quiet dominate.
Evidence and Discussion
The pattern appears in every successful walkable neighborhood: a mixed-use center with apartments above shops, transitioning to townhouses and duplexes, then to detached houses at the periphery. This gradient provides the foot traffic that makes businesses viable at the center while preserving the garden-scale living that people choose at the edges.
Therefore
organize neighborhood density as a gradient from center to edge. Place the highest density (four stories, mixed use, 40+ units per acre) at transit stops and commercial centers. Transition to medium density (two to three stories, 16–30 units per acre) within a five-minute walk. Taper to low density (detached and semi-detached, 8–15 units per acre) at the neighborhood edges. The gradient should feel natural — like a hillside village where density increases toward the square.