Is downtown density a good thing?That's the big question this month as the Austin City Council reviews proposals that would dramatically change the rules for downtown development.Over the last decade, the City has freely granted density variances in order to get more people downtown. During this period, downtown has been the one place where density has been encouraged. In fact, it has been a key part of the City's downtown Austin strategy. There are many reasons why downtown density makes sense: the environmental impact is minimized, public transportation is easier, sprawl is reduced, and tax revenue . . .
