Daily Blog: The Portland, Maine Formula

Recently I had a conversation with an elected city official regarding the importance of “infill” for keeping a city together.

That conversation ended with an unanswered question: What should be the ideal “population density”?

Since that conversation I have checked the “population density” (population per square mile) of a random group of five-figure cities with the following results:

Ames IA 2,390|
Annapolis MD 5,326
Asheville NC 1,704
Bend OR 1,624
Bloomington IN 3,626
Burlington VT 3,682
Charlottesville VA 4,389
Cheyenne WY 2,511
Eau Claire WI 1,910
Flagstaff AZ 902
Ft. Smith AR 1,639
Grand Forks ND 2,563
Harrisburg PA 6,043
Jackson TN 1,205
Jefferson City MO 1,438
Kearney NE 2,498
Manhattan KS 3,447
Midland MI 1,254
Moscow ID 3,460
New Braunfels TX 1,604
Ogden UT 3,067
Olympia WA 1,181
Owensboro KY 3,107
Pensacola FL 2,478
Portland ME 3,029
Rapid City SD 1,336
Rochester MN 2,454
San Luis Obispo CA 4,144
Springfield OH 2,908
Stillwater OK 1,402

In this sample, the range stretches from a “low population density” in Flagstaff, 902, to a high in Harrisburg of 6,043. Somewhere near the middle lies Portland, Maine with a density of 3,029.

Among other recent recognitions, Portland was named America’s most livable city by Forbes magazine (April 1, 2009).

Portland also made the top five “most walkable” medium size cities list, which included the following explanation:

“Although the largest city in Maine, Portland is more like a sophisticated, attractive small town than a major urban center. David Willauer, Portland’s Senior Transportation Planner says “Portland is ideal for walking because the dense, residential development makes for short distances to activity centers”. [sic] The book and antique shops of the restored Old Port Exchange are easily navigated on foot, and the homes of the Eastern Promenade enjoy remarkable serenity for their proximity to downtown. Although the city was nearly burned to the ground three times in its history, there are still plenty of historic buildings for walkers to seek out and explore. The city is pedestrian-friendly to children as well, as nearly 60% of students walk to Portland’s two urban elementery [sic] schools.” Click here for entire article.

Could there be a relationship between “density” and “walkability?” Could there be a relationship between “density” and “livability?”

Perhaps, Portland has found something approaching the ideal density – at least for Portland.

(In case you wondered, the population density for New York City is 11,400 per square mile.)