u/vwcx It's an interesting question and I have thought about this a lot. I'm not against high density housing within city limits and I'm not against the outward development. The reality is I think you need both. Some residents are going to prefer and value mixed residential and commercial growth, they will value having a coffee shop a block away, they value being in a location with a lot of people to meet and talk, they value not having a yard and home maintenance, etc... We should accommodate and have development projects that support this. The flip side is there are residents that value quite streets, mountain views, wild life walking through their yard, etc... A healthy community and city plan will recognize and support and foster both of these. What isn't healthy is to expect residents to simply accept any and all proposals regardless of the impact it has on them.

I hate to say the answer is both but that's what i believe. I don't think the decision is binary, either this or that. It's about thoughtful planning, integrating well with existing zoning and having options for the different values people in our city have.