[rb808]

Its important to think about what the problem really is. Right now many people are moving to the big cities, and the big cities have expensive housing. To me the real problem is why people want to live in a handful of big cities instead of cheaper regions. If its true that there is no choice but to live in big cities then the current high prices really aren't a problem, its just that is where the money is. Manhattan is a great example, lots of high density development and it still isn't cheap.

[jdavis703]

Tokyo has an increasing population due to increasing urbanization, and yet as the article claims, housing demand has remained relatively stable. We can have increasing urbanization in the west too without the crazy housing prices.

Further one reason people want to live in just a few cities is because people don't want to be treated like outsiders. I know I'll probably be downvoted for saying this, but I grew up in Virginia but moved to California shortly after college. There's far less overt racism here than back home. I've also been to many rust belt cities, and can say I'm fairly certain those places are about the same as the U.S. South. For me at least, the subjective experience of racism is a reason why there are only a handful of US cities I'd live in.

[knuththetruth]

But, in relation to Japan, the same holds true. Most people move towards a few urban areas for jobs. And they build housing for them.

The difference in America are the inequities between the wealthy and everyone else. The belief that it’s somehow just or moral to arrange society this way, to build entire cities that can’t function without the labor of poor people, but where they can’t afford to live or easily commute into on public transportation. That these aren’t problems that we should collectively solve, but just another disparity from which the rich can profit.

[dalbasal]

I think you're right and this is an important point. We tend to be pretty parochial in our views, very influenced by our ideas about what is wrong with our local markets.

There are scarce-few examples of things gone right. That's why Tokyo is relevant. That said, Tokyo has experienced relatively little population growth, Japan has experienced none and Japan hasn't had asset inflation and/or big economic growth for a long time. One example is good, but I'd prefer to have several. Preferably one or two in real growth cities.

You are right though. We have plenty of dense-but-still-expensive examples proving that density alone does not guarantee much.