Conventional wisdom and the literature in urban planning suggest that high density built form is preferable to low density because it is more environmentally sustainable and results in lower hard infrastructure costs. This presentation entertains the other side of the argument: that high density built form can increase soft infrastructure costs.

In 1970, the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco had almost identical levels of income per resident. In 2010, the San Francisco Bay Area was almost one-third richer than Los Angeles. This in-depth study draws on economics, sociology, political science and geography to shed new light on the deep causes of economic development and challenges conventional notions about development in urban regions around the world.

At this event, Martim Smolka speaks about the theory and practice of land value capture as it has been implemented in Latin America, and David Amborski discusses its use in Canada.