Letter: City follows textbook development p..

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Regarding "Plan for Sugar House is moving forward," kudos to Mayor Ralph Becker and the Salt Lake City Council for hanging tough in the face of neighborhood opposition to density along the streetcar line.

It is around rail stops (and bus rapid transit stops) that dense mixed-use development belongs. This is how regions capitalize on their investment in high-quality transit, with transit-oriented development around stations and stops.

It is a model of good regional development being adopted across the U.S. Think Portland, Ore.: Arlington, Va.: and even Dallas, Texas. Also think about our own regional plan, the Wasatch Choice for 2040, which envisions strong urban centers linked by high quality transit.

And the council would buffer the surrounding neighborhood with a step-down density around the streetcar stops. It is great to increasingly have these local examples to show our students.

Reid Ewing Professor of city and regional planningUniversity of Utah

Salt Lake City

Letter: City follows textbook development plan near streetcar