i'm also pretty skeptical. i took a look at new townhomes that are going up in socal for the hell of it. prices are pretty sensible, and you can get a lot more in a townhome vs. a standalone home. a brand new 1800+ sqft townhome with two car garage, open floorplan, walking/biking distance from a rapid bus stop (goes to downtown) and two shopping centers was over $200k less vs a detached home of similar size and area. starter townhomes at 1200 sqft, in the same area, were in the high 300s. all affordable for yuppie and military families and couples in socal. the only disadvantage was that they were sometimes three or four stories tall, compared to two for a single family home.

and beyond that, we can't keep building outwards. we're gonna need to encourage a housing and transportation shift to keep growing our cities (and they keep growing!)